I've just joined this forum and have been studying the Bates Method since last May-- about 6 months now. I've tried to put in about an hour a day trying and practicing all kinds of techniques/exercises/meditations. The funny thing is, the harder we "try" to improve, the less likely we will actually improve. After 6 months I found that what actually works for me, is to relax, breathe, and then imagine something- say, a small black dot-- floating aimlessly around. The smaller and blacker my imagination can make it, the clearer the world gets. So, for me, [i]looking[i] at something actually worsens things. I need only to see clearly in my imagination and my vision instantly improves. Even when looking at the snellen chart, I focus my mind on visualizing in my imagination, particularly moving things, like a running horse, jumping on a trampoline, etc. and I do not consciously TRY to see the letters on the chart. After a few minutes, they become astoundingly clear. I know it sounds a bit "out there", but I've had incredible results.
I wore glasses/contacts for myopia for 6 years and progressed to -3.5. Except for driving, I haven't worn glasses since then. Now, after 6 months, I'm hovering around -1.5 and I absolutely believe that 20/20 is only a matter of time. I also believe that the only way to get there is to try EVERYTHING and find what works, even if it means you are just trying things for several years-- eventually you'll find what works for you and then the rest will quickly take care of itself. Good luck!
Wow!. You have done a great work so far, so congratulations! ;D
While reading your post, I told myself "the story of this guy sounds quite familiar to me...". Yes, imagination is the best tool in "improving" vision, right, you are having success becouse you are not trying to see, and the harder we try the more we fail. But people can't understand the concept. :'(
I encourage everyone to try the follow. Sit down quietly, take some breaths, focus on it for a few seconds or a minute if you can (Don't think in anything else), just feel your breath.
Now, make your vision worse consciously: Tell yourself "I will make my vision worse by staring at two point at the same time, and I will try to see everything equally well, holding my breath, etc.) or something like that, then do that, locking your eyes - attention. Perhaps your vision can clear up slighty by doing this, but it's more likely to get worse. You are just doing this to become aware how you strain and learn to avoid it. Makes sense to continue doing something that don't works?.
Then face a white wall, and close your eyes, then open them (quickly), close (quickly, don't blink hard!), do it softly. Repeat the procedure a couple of times. Next, imagine a small black dot or draw it, then look at it and remember-imagine the dot while looking at the distance (or just around, where your attention wants to go), without trying to see, just look at the small black dot in your mind, repeat the process, close your eyes if you feel you need. By doing that you are remembering the experience of the clear image while looking at the distance or whatever you want.
You don't need an eye chart for this, you don't need to look at anything else in order to work with details and shift from point to point. With your imagination you can move mountains!
Dr. Bates Better Eyesight Magazine, books contain alot of those memory, imagination techniques. Works for me. When the mind stops thinking about the eyes, stops worring, trying hard to see, the vision becomes clear. A pleasant memory, imagination of things with the eyes open or closed produces relaxation, improves the brains memory, imagination function with the eyes and all these improve the vision.
A teacher once told me to avoid staring when imagining. He said daydreaming can cause staring so he advised us to daydream only with eyes closed, but I disagree; if the memory, imagination are used naturally, the eyes move naturally with the mind, mental images; staring is prevented and the eyes, mind relax, objects are clear.
clarknight Wrote:Dr. Bates Better Eyesight Magazine, books contain alot of those memory, imagination techniques. Works for me. When the mind stops thinking about the eyes, stops worring, trying hard to see, the vision becomes clear. A pleasant memory, imagination of things with the eyes open or closed produces relaxation, improves the brains memory, imagination function with the eyes and all these improve the vision.
A teacher once told me to avoid staring when imagining. He said daydreaming can cause staring so he advised us to daydream only with eyes closed, but I disagree; if the memory, imagination are used naturally, the eyes move naturally with the mind, mental images; staring is prevented and the eyes, mind relax, objects are clear.
I've read about imagining a black period (or a dot) in the past but I have never really understood how to do this exercise. Could you be more clear about how you go about imagining a black dot ? How big is it ? do you focus on it ?
When I imagine a black dot. I see it on top of a white sheet of paper ... Or should I see it floating over the vision field ?
Smaller dot; produces those small shifts and central fixation. Shift on it; left side to right, right to left, top, bottom... any direction and see it swing by in the opposite direction, no larger than its size. Do on a real black dot on white paper, then in the imagination. Bates says the dot can be any color; blue, green... or white on black paper.
Do this, then do it with the eyes shifting on the period and see it swing;
BETTER EYESIGHT
APRIL, 1926
Demonstrate
THAT the optical swing always improves the vision.
Stand before an open window with the feet about one foot apart. Sway the whole body, including the head and eyes, from side to side. When the body moves to the right, the head and eyes also move to the right, while, at the same time, the window and other stationary objects are to the left of where you are looking. When the body sways to the left, the window and other stationary objects are to the right. Be sure that the head and eyes are moving from side to side with the whole body, slowly, without an effort to see. When the swaying is done rapidly, it is possible to imagine stationary objects are moving rapidly in the opposite direction. While the swinging is being practiced, notice that the window and other stationary objects which are nearer, appear to move in the opposite direction to the movement of the body, head and eyes. Objects (in distance) beyond the window may appear to move in the same direction as the body, head, and eyes move. (especially when there is a close object in front of the distant object)
Note that when the body is swaying rapidly, the window and other objects are not seen very clearly; but when the swaying is slowed down and shortened, so that parts of the window move one-quarter of an inch or less, the vision is improved for those parts of the window regarded. More distant objects, which move in the same direction as the movement of the body, head, and eyes, are also improved with the slow, short, easy swing.
After you have become able to imagine the window to be moving, practice on other objects. All day long, the head and eyes are moving. Notice that stationary objects are moving in the opposite direction to the movement of the head and eyes. To see stationary objects apparently stationary, is a strain which lowers the vision and may cause pain, fatigue, and other discomforts.
With the eyes closed remember or imagine a small black period for part of a minute or longer. Then with the eyes open, looking at no object in particular and without trying to see, imagine in your mind the black period.
Should you believe that your vision is improved, dodge it, look somewhere else. This you can practice at all times, in all places, at your work as well as when sitting quietly in your room practicing with the Snellen Test Card. When the period is imagined perfectly with the eyes open, one cannot dodge perfect sight, which comes without any effort whatsoever.
Some patients can do this at once; others cannot. Those who can usually think that they are remembering the letter all alike and stationary. In order to demonstrate that this is impossible they are asked to imagine a black period on one side of the o, to keep the
attention fixed upon it, and to imagine that it is perfectly black and stationary. Generally the patient finds that he cannot do this. The period usually moves in spite of all his efforts to imagine that it is not doing so. If it does not, it becomes gray and finally disappears.
Having demonstrated that you cannot remember the period continuously unless it is moving, it usually becomes possible for the patient to realize that his attention is shifting constantly from one part of the o to another, and to note an apparent movement in a direction opposite to the imagined movement of the eye.
During that vacation, two public school graduates, who were under treatment for their imperfect sight during the previous Spring and had obtained normal vision, told me how they had successfully passed all their tests. One of them said, "If it had not been for the memory of a little swinging black period which I never forgot, I am sure that I would have failed." The other graduate said, "I did not need to remember anything in particular when the tests were easy, but you bet I never forgot the movement of a small black period when the test was difficult." I believe retardation will no longer exist when imperfect sight is avoided and eye-glasses are a thing of the past.
1) I choose one letter and do the swing from side to side,then i palm and imagine the same. I start about 30 cm from the letter and every minute i get away,reaching the 2 meters seeing the same letter almost perfect at times.
2) I choose one letter and then i close the eyes and imagine that i paint her blacker,always moving from point to point. Then i open the eyes and go down on the chart. I do this at 1,30 meters, and i can reach the 20/20 line. Not bad for someone who has -3 Diopters.
Just in relation to imagining a black dot, are you supposed to imagine it on your field of vision or what? Also it definitely works at relaxing you, I try imagining a black dot going to sleep and I'm unconcious in minutes.
No, you just remember it in your mind. As Bates said in his book:
"Some patients retard their recovery by decorating the scenery with periods as they go about during the day, instead of simply remembering a period in their minds. This does them no good, but is, on the contrary, a cause of strain. The period can be imagined perfectly and with benefit as forming part of a black letter on the test card, because this merely means imagining that one sees one part of the black letter best; but it cannot be imagined perfectly on any surface which is not black, and to attempt to imagine it on such surfaces defeats the end in view."
Thanks that does make sense. You did mention that you can imagine the black dot as part of a black letter, I assume you can do this with most things as bated did say that you can use any color. So am I right that if you imagine you can see something it will relax your mind.
Yes - the better you can imagine something the more it can help relax the mind. Just remember that the same principles hold true for the imagination as they do for sight, and memory - when imagining something, never lock you mind onto one area or point, keep shifting your attention (in this case it's purely in your mind) from one area of the dot, letter, the object, or whatever it is to another. Imagine it has a short motion, or swing while you shift from one area to another. None of this will be of much benefit if you imagine things as stationary.
arocarty Wrote:Yes - the better you can imagine something the more it can help relax the mind. Just remember that the same principles hold true for the imagination as they do for sight, and memory - when imagining something, never lock you mind onto one area or point, keep shifting your attention (in this case it's purely in your mind) from one area of the dot, letter, the object, or whatever it is to another. Imagine it has a short motion, or swing while you shift from one area to another. None of this will be of much benefit if you imagine things as stationary.
So the point that you see best is the next one in mind.
