ðə kˈɑːnsɛpt ʌv "ðə mˈaɪndz ˈaɪ" fˈɜːst ɐpˈɪɹd ɪn ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ɪn tʃˈɔːsɚz mˈæn ʌv lˈɔːz tˈeɪl ɪn hɪz kˈæntɚbˌɛɹi tˈeɪlz, wˌɛɹ hiː tˈɛlz ˌʌs ðˈætwˌʌn ʌvðə θɹˈiː mˈɛn dwˈɛlɪŋ ɪn ɐ kˈæsəl wʌz blˈaɪnd, ænd kʊd ˈoʊnli sˈiː wɪð "ðɪ ˈaɪz ʌv hɪz mˈaɪnd"—nˈeɪmli, ðoʊz ˈaɪz "wɪð wˌɪtʃ ˈɔːl mˈɛn sˈiː ˈæftɚ ðeɪ hæv bɪkˌʌm blˈaɪnd.
The concept of "the mind's eye" first appeared in English in Chaucer's () Man of Law's Tale in his Canterbury Tales, where he tells us that one of the three men dwelling in a castle was blind, and could only see with "the eyes of his mind"—namely, those eyes "with which all men see after they have become blind.