"Daredevil" and the Power of Mindfulness

How the unlocked human sensorium is a superpower

The comic-book universe is populated by a wide variety of “metahumans” with more-or-less supernatural gifts granted by magic, mutation, or science. However, some of the most intriguing characters in the DC and Marvel canon are those who have no superpowers other than those developed through grit and determination.

Setting aside characters like Iron Man and Green Lantern, who are basically technicians operating powerful machines, this small cohort includes the archers Hawkeye and Green Arrow, as well as acrobat/martial artists Batman and his protégé Nightwing. Through extensive training (and, presumably, a high level of natural aptitude), these heroes are able to achieve levels of agility, marksmanship, and combat skill that seem superhuman but aren’t.

Among the most enigmatic members of this select group is a relatively minor Marvel Universe character named Stick. Memorably portrayed by Scott Glenn in the Daredevil and The Defenders TV series, Stick is a blind martial artist whose superpower is, essentially, mindfulness. By consciously focusing on what he is experiencing through touch, taste, hearing, and smell, he is able to extend his perception of his surroundings to a degree that overcomes the limitations of being unable to see. As the character is depicted, he moves stealthily, fights expertly, and even controls his own perception of physical pain.

When young Matt Murdock is blinded by chemicals that heighten his other senses, Stick steps in as a mentor and trainer, setting Matt on the path to eventually becoming the pugilistic vigilante Daredevil.

While Stick’s skill is exaggerated (and there is some debate about whether it has a supernatural/superhuman component), the fantasy is a matter of degree rather than type. In other words, while a blind man probably can’t become an expert swordsman (perhaps Stick’s creator Frank Miller was inspired by the fictional Japanese character Zatoichi), some blind people do learn martial arts, and it is possible to develop an uncanny level of sensory perception without vision – a fact entertainingly demonstrated by blind surfer and YouTube personality Pete Gustin.

For those of us with reasonably intact sensory apparatus, Stick’s fictional abilities are still a potent reminder of the real-life importance of mindfulness. In a particularly memorable scene, Stick encourages young Matt to fully smell and taste the ice cream he is eating. He demonstrates the level of detail that can be discerned by identifying “milk from three different dairies in two states, a batch of chemicals straight off the periodic table, and dirt off the guy’s hand that served it to you.”

Pure comic-book fantasy? Of course. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that most of the information captured by our sensorium never reaches our conscious awareness. Whether we’re preoccupied, distracted, or simply not paying attention, we often perceive only a fraction of what we are physically experiencing.

This is not due to a failing on our part. Neuroscientists have identified several brain structures responsible for attention-filtering. Indeed, this process is critical; otherwise we would be overwhelmed by sensory input.

However, in the contemporary home or workplace, where a myriad of gadgets are constantly dinging, flashing, and otherwise competing for our attention, Stick’s emphasis on conscious awareness is fully applicable to real life. The benefits of mindfulness – non-judgmental awareness of moment-to-moment experience – are extensive. Research has shown that consistently practicing brief but deliberate moments of mindfulness reduces anxiety and depression, improves memory and concentration, and even facilitates weight loss.

In comics and on film, Stick teaches Matt Murdock to fight evil. In the real world, the characters of Stick and Zatoichi (as well as flesh-and-blood people like Pete Gustin) provide an entertaining reminder that, just by consciously paying attention to what we’re experiencing, all of us can tap more fully into our own superpowers.