Sanpaku Eyes: Meaning, Superstition, & Celebrities

“The eyes are the way to a person’s heart,” as the saying goes. But what if some parts of the eye show what will happen to a person? Some people who follow the Asian tradition of reading people’s faces say that about sanpaku eyes or “white under eyes“.

Sanpaku means “three whites,” which comes from the fact that one eye can be split into four parts, with three of those parts being whites. So, Sanpaku is when you can see the white part of someone’s eye above or below the iris.

Usually, something like that would happen so often that you wouldn’t even notice. But on the other hand, one Japanese legend says that sanpaku can tell you much about your future.

Since then, people have thought about the link between “white under eyes” and one’s fate. Superstitions hinge on whether the whites of the eyes are seen above or below the brow.

What are Sanpaku Eyes?

The whites of the eyes protrude abnormally far beyond the iris’s normal borders. The sclera is this white part above or below the eye. Chinese and Japanese superstition says people with these eyes will have bad luck.

The Japanese word “sanpaku” means “three whites,” which refers to the fact that an eye can be split into four parts. Three of the four parts are white, which makes up the segments.

People are called Sanpaku if the whites of their eyes can be seen above or below their iris. In a normal eye, only the whites on either side of the iris can be seen (colorful region).

Sanpaku Eyes Types

White under eyes is split into two groups:

1) Sanpaku Yang (Sanpaku Above):

Yang Sanpaku’s eyes have a white part called the sclera that sticks out over the iris. Psychopaths, murderers, and serial killers who are out of control and can’t control their anger are said to have yang sanpaku, which is a sign that their mind is unstable.

2) Sanpaku Yin (Sanpaku Below):

These sanpaku eyes’ white sclera may be seen beneath the iris. People with yin sanpaku use drugs, drink a lot, or eat many sugary foods and grains, which throws their bodies out of balance.

Normal Vs. Sanpaku Eyes

Sanpaku eyes are normal, and this should be made clear. Still, some people want to know what’s different. In reality, sanpaku eyes are the same as “normal” eyes in every way except when caused by certain medical conditions.

The colored parts of the eye are the pupil and the iris. When you look in a mirror or at your reflection, you can see the whites of your eyes, which are called the sclera.

When you “roll” your eyes up and down or in a different direction, your iris and pupil move to fit the new visual angle. However, this is how the eyes usually look.

Sanpaku eyes are ones where the white part, or sclera, is easier to see. This could make more of your whites show above or below your iris.

“Sanpaku eyes” is the Japanese term for the skill of being able to tell how someone feels by looking at their eyes. Face reading is a part of physiognomy.

Physiognomy studies how a person’s face and body shape tell us about their character and personality. A person’s face is the context in which the term is most frequently employed.

For example, in Western medicine, the term “scleral show” is often used to describe Sanpaku eyes. Sanpaku eyes and scleral show both mean the same thing about how the eye looks. But, depending on the situation, they mean very different things.

Superstitions (Curse Or Death) About Sanpaku Eyes

Superstitions like “Sanpaku eyes” are just one example of beliefs that aren’t supported by evidence. People have good and bad luck every day, no matter what their eyes look like.

A good diet can help us live a healthy life, but it can’t keep everything bad from happening. The macrobiotic person who suggested the diet said that people who followed it would be less likely to get hurt in accidents.

Even in Japan, where this belief comes from, it is not taken seriously. In Japan, someone with this trait is called “very Kawaii,” which means they are very cute.

How To Know If You Have Sanpaku Eyes?

To find out whether you have Sanpaku eyes, look straight ahead and check to see if your iris extends past the front of your eye.

It means “three whites” in English. The white part of our eyes, called the sclera, is usually only visible on the sides of the colored part or iris. Sanpaku eyes have whites on the sides and above or below the iris.

Celebrities With Sanpaku Eyes

1) Princess Diana was often photographed with the whites of her eyes at the bottom, and her life seemed to prove the prediction about people with yin sanpaku eyes.

2) It was 1963, and President John F. Kennedy had yin sanpaku eyes. Thus, he knew he was going to die. There was no doubt that Kennedy faced threats daily.

However, even before he died, he was known as a war hero because he saved men from his Navy unit when a Japanese destroyer attacked his ship during World War II.

JFK also had Addison’s disease, an endocrine disorder in which the adrenal glands don’t work as well as they should. His death pointed to hypothyroidism. One thing about a person with sanpaku eyes is that he looks like he is in bad shape.

3) Charles Manson has yang sanpaku eyes, which are brown on the bottom and white on top. The eyes of the late cult leader were crazy, with whites covering his irises.

He was dangerous because he was angry and wanted to hurt people. Before he started the Manson family and sent his followers to kill many people in 1967, he spent most of his time in prison for violent crimes.

Sanpaku Eyes: Good Or Bad?

Sanpaku is when the whites of someone’s eyes are visible outside the normal iris/cornea boundary. Usually, that wouldn’t be anything special, and you might not even notice it. But a Japanese folktale says that sanpaku may be able to tell you what will happen to you.

Are sanpaku eyes bad? Yes! Practitioners of different kinds of East Asian traditional medicine say that yin sanpaku eyes mean that the person has a physical or mental condition that has upset the balance of the body.

For example, white appearing above the eye’s iris could signify trouble inside the body. In addition, people with yang sanpaku eyes are likelier to be violent, angry, and psychopathic.

This matches what the article says about Manson, an American criminal who was part of a group called the Manson family. He has sanpaku eyes, which makes it hard for him to control his emotions. In the end, he killed a lot of people.

Final Words

If you just found out what Sanpaku is and ran to the mirror to see if you could still see, you are not the only one. If your eye isn’t red, you probably felt relieved and knew that your worry was about your eye being Sanpaku. Don’t worry, though.

This is just one of many superstitions that can’t be explained by science. Every day, good and bad things happen to many people, no matter what they look like.

However, even in Japan, where this belief came from, no one takes it seriously. People with this trait are called “Kawaii,” which means “pretty cute” in Japanese.

Don’t forget that if you have Sanpaku eyes, you must look straight ahead to see if the iris fits the eyes completely.

You Might Also Like
1) Green Eyes Spiritual Meaning, Superstition, Myths
2) Hooded Eyes: Do I have Hooded Eyelids?
3) Hazel Eyes Spiritual Meanings, Messages & Superstitions
4) Amber Eyes or Golden Eyes Spiritual Meaning, and Myths