What are your thoughts on the differences between how people with normal eyesight deal with stress opposed to how we myopics deal with it?
Are we myopics more the analyzers, intellectualizers when we go to review our day and de-stress? Constantly analyzing to come up with solutions to whatever problems/stresses that is ailing us and how we can do this or that better? In contract people of normal sight are more in a relaxed mindset, in a sense, letting go, reviewing their day more or less as bystanders taking in the experience and learning by drawing from past experiences?
Good topic! I find myself going into a pattern of over-doing sometimes when there's a crisis, when taking time to assess the situation calmly would be more productive. This feels analogous to the visual behavior of reaching out in an end-gaining way and grabbing for that clear image (solution) rather than letting it come to me naturally. When I see I'm doing this I stop it but it's still a habit more often than I like to admit.
interesting topic... on first wash, my thoughts are that those with "perfect vision" and those who are nearsighted tend to deal with stress in the same way. That is to say, the members of any given group will have a variety of ways with which to deal with things such as stressors. Ultimately, one will likely find that those "stress coping modalities" will tend to be pretty much the same.
Another way of looking at the question... go to a university. look around... are all those wearing glasses only in analytical disciplines? Most likely, they are not.
I've seen many people with normal vision who were complete nervous nellie's. I've seen extremely myopic people who never seemed to worry about anything (an example would be the Dalai Lama.) I've seen myopic people who were dumber than dirt, and some who were positively brilliant. Same thing with hyperopia. I'm just not sure one can attribute our visual deficiencies to our coping mechanisms for stress.
I suspect that Dr Bates may have realized a connection between physiological tension and visual perception and approached the issue from that perspective. And, I think that the generally accepted definition and/or connotation for "stress" or "tension" has changed very much from Bates' day. So, when Dr. Bates discussed dealing with stress, he was not discussing the same thing as we are when we discuss the issue of stress and its impact on visual acuity. Consequently, our approach and understanding may very well not be the same as Dr. Bates'.
Is there a link between physiological and psychological stressors? Absolutely. But, not all physical stressors manifest themselves in declines of visual acuity. And, not all psychological stressors manifest themselves in declines in visual acuity. We have found that a generally relaxed mental state can, indeed, bring about improved visual acuity. But.... if mental relaxation is the source of good vision, somebody needs to explain people in high stress situations who still have perfect vision.
There is no doubt that being relaxed psychologically and physiologically is good for a person. I think that every person should strive for that goal. But, I think those causes which manifest themselves in reduced visual acuity are much more subtle than we can begin to imagine. We have found that some things often produce the desired results. But, not always and not for all.
No, the causes... and their solutions... I suspect, vary with every single sufferer of reduced visual acuity.
A thought just occurred while writing this post.... those of us with reduced vision refer to glasses as "crutches" because they treat a symptom (reduced vision) without addressing the cause. Most people who wear glasses don't care about the cause, they just want to see a tattoo on a gnat's shoulder from half a mile away! If one uses Bates methodologies to acquire clearer vision without understanding what it is that the Bates methodologies are doing.... doesn't that place the Bates Method squarely in the "crutches" category, too?
Anyway, I've rambled enough... we now return you to our regularly scheduled thread conversation.
