Strange name for a topic, I know, but I am specifically referring to one of Bates' suggestions that referred to the potential benefit that can be derived from trying to "create" strain, so to speak. He talks about how once people can deliberately create their strain, they can better relieve it.
There seems to be an interesting logic behind this. If you can intentionally create your strain artificially, then it is obviously easier to relieve said strain since you know exactly how it comes about in the first place.
Anyway, I remember that I tried on several occasions to "create" this strain, and the only way I have ever managed to do it is by staring at something at the near-point, restricting the periphery as much as possible, and after some time, looking up from the near-point and seeing a terrifying afterimage. Obviously, I understand that limiting the periphery is one of my many strains. But surprisingly, I found that I could NOT create strain in any other way, and even by staring in the manner mentioned above, never within a minute.
Before, I dismissed this with a "Well, at least I'm not straining like that...", but after trying for a long time to try and see worse by fixing a point or taking in a large area, I discovered something strange, scary even. Not only does my sight NOT get worse when I try to see worse; sometimes, it IMPROVES! Of course, I don't mind the improvement, however temporary it is, but what bothers me is that this means that I really don't know how I am straining. I'm convinced that it has something to do with fixating or trying to see large areas simultaneously, but yet, I cannot create that strain intentionally, which I take to mean that I probably wouldn't even recognize that strain if I was paying attention.
What do you guys think? Can you intentionally see worse? Is there another explanation for what I experienced?
If I squint, try hard to see, no shifting my vision will be clearer for a few seconds while squinting, then it will lower. If I shift, central fixation it will clear but mainly if I am also relaxed, not really thinking about the eyes or not trying hard to do the right thing.
How you are straining? I don't know, check all Bates practices and see if the eyes or mind are going against one of them when the vision is unclear.
Experiencing the cause of the strain is like touching a hot stove; conscious and subconscious mind will store a memory and prevent you from doing it again.
Bates has people with strabismus learn to produce the strain that causes the eye to wander, cross and they learn to avoid it and it corrects the squint. His book hows a picture of a girl that learned to move the eyes in all different directions and it cured the eyes movement.
Good posts, clarknight & pikachu. I've been testing the concept also, in a slightly different way, and it is working beautifully, just as Dr. Bates or David would predict.
My method:
1. My left eye is still considerably worse-visioned than my right eye (although no longer twice as bad - probably 50% worse now).
2. My left eye is also very submissive, usually 'stepping aside' and letting my overdominant right eye take the lead.
3. So, in accord with the concept and method of "seeing worse in order to see better", I have been forcing myself to look through the worse eye first, and then holding the gaze through that worse eye as long as possible, and rotating my head on a level plane and gyroscopically, to activate and engage the entire visual system. (And blilnking, and breathing, and sunning, and palming, and cold water eye baths, and swinging, and shifting. etc.)
4. Success. Permanent improvement. Reliable, repeatable, prolonged, incremental, gradual, steady success. It has been about a month of purposefully doing this, although I had been doing it a little bit for six months or so (and something along these lines occasionally for a year or so). I have 'ramped it up' over the past two weeks, in response to David's posts and others.
5. I'm not going to jump the gun. If I had two giant steps left, then this is probably 1/2 of one of them. So close now. So very close.
Eye dominance. Something nobody ever thinks about or talks about. Am I going to turn out to be left eye dominant after all? Was that the real problem all along? Will my left eye end up being slightly better-visioned and slightly dominant when this is done? Stay tuned.
Try this;
Do the switching on close and far objects exercise on my website with close and distant objects placed; between the left and right eyes, eye level, central field.
Shift part to part on the close object; finger.., then switch to a distant object beyond the close object appearing directly in line with, beyond the finger. Shift on the distant object.
Then switch back to the close object. Shift on it. Repeat.
Practice shifting on details; point to point. Do it relaxed. Let the neck, head, eye move. Avoid tension, staring. Blink, breathe.
Now do this with one eye at a time with objects still placed as described in the left and right eyes central field. If vision is less clear in one eye, practice extra with that eye, then a bit with the other eye, (eye not in use is patched) then both eyes together again.
Now do this new way; This new way is done only when using one eye, never when both eyes are used together. If done this way with both eyes together a imbalance, eye movement dysfunction can occur.
Using one eye, (other eye patched); place your close object, (finger) directly in front of that eye, that eyes pupil. (Don't block the pupils view of objects.) Shift on the close object, (finger). Blink, relax. Then switch to a distant object that appears directly beyond, in line with the finger, eyes pupil. Shift on that object. Then back to the finger. Repeat.
Then do this with the other eye, close and distant objects in front of that eye, that eyes pupil. Practice extra time with the less clear vision eye. Then a bit with other eye again.
Notice that the first exercise on the top of the page activates convergence, divergence, accommodation, un-accommodation, eye movement when using both eyes and one eye.
This second exercise working only individual eyes, (not with two eyes together) activates mainly accommodation, un-accommodation. Omitting the need for convergence, divergence seems to give the eyes a break so they can concentrate on perfection of accommodation, un-accommodation. Both exercises improve shifting eye movement, central fixation as these correct eye functions, Bates Method is always used. Each individual eye has its own central field and its use of central fixation with shifting is improved.
Last; end by doing the first exercise again with all objects between the left and right eyes, in their central field with; both eyes together, one eye at a time, extra time with less clear vision eye, then a bit with the other eye, then with both eyes together again.
This cured my myopia in high school in a few minutes. Worked for my entire life, just doing this sometimes only need 1-3 times year for 1-2 days.
(Start with a distant object directly in line with the close object. Later you can also let the eyes, visual attention move around on the distant scenery to allow more natural eye, head movement and avoid muscle tension, then return to the object in line with the finger before switching to it, or move the finger to align with a new object to switch from, to. Then practice 90-95% of the time without aligning objects; just shift on any objects, any distances, directions; using the both eyes together completely uncontrolled, natural.)
Some Natural Vision Improvement Teachers tell me this is not the Bates Method, its Behavioral Optometry, a exercise, but after studying Better Eyesight Magazine I found many instances of Dr. Bates teaching students to look close and far; reading two identical familiar eye charts at different distances, reading a fine print card, then sign in the distance.., looking back and forth.
Its best to practice with a pen or other object placed upright in a box, up to the eyes so the arm does not get tense holding the finger up. Practice at different distances and extra time with the eye that is less clear at various distances; opposite eyes vision can be unclear at close and far distances.
About two weeks after starting the Bate's method, tried this. I was doubtful if the method could even work because skeptics were saying that our muscles around our eyes cannot change the shape of our eyes. So I tried to increase the amount of strain I feel when I put on strong glasses and see if I could consciously control my level of blur. I was actually shocked at how well I could do it! I was able to make everything I looked at substantially more blurry by tensing those muscles. It was hard to do because it made me go a little cross-eyed at first (as if I were focusing up close when looking far away), but I was able to move my eyes to stop going cross-eyed and still see distant object super blurry. I did it maybe three times for just a second or two. When I stopped tensing, everything went more clear again.
I haven't done it since then though my vision actually seemed worse the rest of the day. It was like the tension lingered a bit. I would personally not recommend doing this as an exercise because I think it only reinforces the strain you already have. However, I thought it was valuable as an isolated event because it showed me how my muscles around my eyes can largely affect clarity. And now I do everything I can to not do that anymore.
I think my version of this method actually works. But all I'm doing is trying to look out of my worse-visioned eye as much as possible. I'm not creating more strain on purpose or anything.
