The Science Behind 'Sanpaku Eyes'

According to the ancient tradition of Japanese face reading, “sanpaku,” you can learn something interesting about people from how much of the whites of their eyes show. For most of us, the whites of our eyes only show on either side of our iris (the colored part of our eye). But for some folks, the whites (or sclera) show underneath the iris — this is known as “yin sanpaku.” In other people — and this is quite rare — the whites show above the iris — this is known as “yang sanpaku.” Read on to learn what these different types of eyes indicate about the people who have them — including the late Princess Diana.

What it means if the white of the eye shows below the iris

Yin sanpaku, or white under the iris, is believed by practitioners of traditional Japanese face reading to signal physiological turmoil, owing to drug abuse or overindulgence, and may hint at future struggles in life. People with whites below the iris may view the outside world as a danger — which could said of the three of the celebrity examples below: Marilyn Monroe, JFK and Princess Diana.

“Singer Billie Eilish, Diana Ross, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Twiggie, Princess Diana and President John F. Kennedy all have or had this trait,” reveals body language expert Patti Wood author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma.

She adds that while sanpaku is a mystical tradition, science tells us that scleral show can be attributed to several factors from good old-fashioned genetics to health conditions like thyroid issues, which may cause the whites of the eyes to become more pronounced.

What it means if the white of the eye shows above the iris

In traditional Japanese face reading, yang sanpaku, white above the iris, was believed to point to a belligerent, even violent temperament and a difficulty controlling inner emotions. One of the most famous examples of yang sanpaku is the image of Charles Manson on the cover of Life Magazine from 1969.

Though contemporary knowledge makes it’s easy to dismiss such folklore, there’s often a kernel of truth to the mysticism. We all instinctively perceive eyes like Manson’s to be “crazy eyes.”