Hello, everyone.

I've been practicing bates method for some time, I have a few questions.

-Bates usually used a snellen chart for progress, but I dont do that. He usually shifted objects on a snellen chart, I dont do that. I usually just shift stuff in my room and stuff. Like the glass mug, the pen on a desk or the picture on the wall.. Is this not good?

-I play alot of video games, my eyesight is rougly 20/100. Is video games going to negatively effect my eyes, I use a small moniter to play at do sit pretty close.

- I can still play football, tennis and even cricket! With 20/100 vision perfectly fine.. So I dont need glasses but I struggle actually noticing people on streets, should I stick to no glasss or get a weaker prescription.

- I like sun gazing, shifting and palming combos, there so relaxing.... However I dont do the long swing or prayer swings much am I making a mistake and should I incorparate them into my routine?

- I've had alot work to do lately and usually I am up late trying to finish paper work, is this bad for my eyes? How do I do work I read and write without causing strain

Thank You.

Shifting over that stuff is fine. In fact, you are supposed to be shifting every time you look at something. The practicing of shifting is to get you used to doing that so that you can do it all the time without thinking about it.

I don't know if you have or haven't read David's blog posts, but his recent ten are really good for telling you how to use your eyes when looking at stuff.

In general, the less time you spend in front of a computer screen the better.

Reading fine print (1/2 mm in hight) is a superb idea. If you're straining, you won't get anywhere. It can be quite enjoyable to read things this small. Bates also said that because it forces relaxation if you read it (still practicing shifting), it is good for the eyes.

Ideally, you want to read with your subject matter as far from your face as possible if you don't have presbyopia. Just apply normal looking patterns for both near and far work and you shouldn't be straining.

The Snellen chart just makes shifting practice a bit easier sometimes. It's fine if you don't use it except when checking your vision.

The different swings help you notice movement and sometimes more depth perception. It is probably good to use them at least a little bit, but since you already have a routine that relaxes you, you should be fine leaving them out most of the time.

Bates related a story about a guy who had headaches reading anything and after working on his vision, was able to stay up late at night working on tedious papers, and yet his eyes were perfectly fine. No pain, no strain.

I myself had a night that I did pretty well on not wearing glasses and my eyes not getting tired. Straight through to 2 in the morning. My body was so achingly tired, and yet the only time my eyes got tired is when I had to put on glasses to make out details further away that I couldn't without them. That was really something. Usually my eyes would give out before my body, instead it reversed that night, which was pretty neat.

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FIAT LUX! Translation = "Let there be light!"

I personally dislike the snellen chart, I love my garden and the brigjt sunlight. I try to analyse the trees to make out berries. Try analyse the aeroplanes see if its BA or whatever airline. Love sunning, everything looks so pronounced in colour.after looking at the sun.

Maybe I should practice in dim lightings though to, especially since winter will eventually come round.

Also I get submerged in my video games like a true champ, I've played like 17 hours straight before.

Thanks for you're input, going to read davids bloggy thing you suggested.

Shambles,
Fiat's answer was excellent. Just a few more things: one benefit of regular Snellen chart practice is to notice that you are improving, for real (measurable). You don't have to be obsessive about this, but it's heartening to discover that you can read a line at a distance you couldn't before. Maybe a few short sessions a few times a week? If you're straining (fighting it), of course it won't be any help.

In general, pay attention to when you're straining, and when you catch yourself, stop! Palm for a couple of minutes, get up from the computer and go for a walk or get a glass of water, take a nap. Ideally your eyes and mind should be relaxed no matter what activity you're doing.

It's great that you are spending so much time outside, moving and noticing the colors, a feast of healthy food for your visual system. Be aware that vision varies a lot depending on the circumstances and your emotional state, whether you're rested or anxious or hungry or angry, etc. So it may be 20/100 now, and an hour later outside when you're relaxed and happy jump to 20/40 for a while. Celebrate every speck of improved vision, no matter how brief, like encouraging a child trying to learn to walk -- you don't yell at him when he falls down!

You're doing better than you think, and that open wanting-to-learn attitude will help you a lot. Keep up the good work!

_________________
Nancy
2012: 20/45 on average, no glasses except for night driving
2001: 2/200, -10 hard contacts with -1.75 cylinder
Vision & dreams blog: http://dreamersight.wordpress.com/
Vision & dreams website: http://dreamersight.com/

Thanks for your reply.

I dream of seeing 20/20....

When I was 9 I first got glasses, I had very mild myopia. Prescription of -.75 D, they said my vision will get back to normal as I get older, here I am 9 years later 2.5 each eye.

This simply motivates me. In 5 years time when I have the eyesight of hawk, god willing. The men at specsavers will be in shock.

'I wonder whats it like to have bad eyesight?'
'pffft been there done that, like a boss'

I have another question... sorry...

I sometimes feel strain, which is very annnoying. If you close your eyes and look up it's that muscle that feels worn out. I try to palm sometimes successfully, sometimes even that does not help.

Maybe its because when I palmed or imagined I sometimes just look up, reason being I read that you should imagine in the back of your head. This resulted in my rolling my eyes up while closed.

However, could it be that this is a muscle which is under constant strain and that this is a sign of progress?

Hmm. I think it could be released strain, but it could also be strain that you are noticing. I'd wait until another person with more experience (like Clarknight, Nancy, or David) puts their input in as to which it is.

I noticed for myself that sometimes it can be hard to discern between strain and strain release. It seemed to be a matter of what was happening when I had the pain or soreness etc. For instance, wearing glasses my eyes get tired. That's strain. When palming I might have a stinging sensation. That's strain release.

_________________
FIAT LUX! Translation = "Let there be light!"

My hunch is that muscle is under constant strain and you're just now becoming aware of that, which is progress. However if it feels like the strain is increasing (not that your awareness of it is increasing), you may be straining when you palm. Don't expect palming to be an instant cure for years of straining -- you have to let yourself sink into the relaxation and rest there for a while, and do it often, for it to have any lasting effects.

One more thing: as you progress with NVI and become more familiar with your own patterns, you'll know when you're straining, and when you're letting go of strain, better than anyone else does. You are living in your body, not me, so I am just giving you my best guess as to what you're doing. Keep paying attention.

_________________
Nancy
2012: 20/45 on average, no glasses except for night driving
2001: 2/200, -10 hard contacts with -1.75 cylinder
Vision & dreams blog: http://dreamersight.wordpress.com/
Vision & dreams website: http://dreamersight.com/

Hmm, thank you for answering.

I've started to attempt to introduce my other senses now aswell. The way I figure it perfect eyesight should be as thoughtless as my perfect hearing, smell, touch and taste. So I start using my senses collectively, I hear something bring my attention to it, analyse it my eyes even though its blurry...

I'm feeling extremely positive about this bates method. Maybe because of my age I'm adapting to it comfortably.