Re: No success with the chart

[BlackEyes]

I tried to improve my vision by looking at a letter then trying to imagine it then look at it from the distance, but it didn't work, actually, I think I can't imagine anything.

Another question, how is the short swing performed?

[anonym]

Hello, dear Blackeyes,

Take heart! Do not be discouraged by imagining that you cannot imagine, because even imagining you cannot imagine is all in your imagination. In fact, imagining that you cannot see the letters on the chart is the same as you imagining that you cannot imagine. Imagine that!

Use your memory of the letter(s) to assist your imagination. Dr. Bates says in Chapter 14 of his book that people “with normal vision use their memory, or imagination, as an aid to sight.�  Here Dr. Bates is using memory as a synonym for imagination. He also says, “Imagination is closely allied to memory, although distinct from it. Imagination depends upon the memory, because a thing can be imagined only as well as it can be remembered.�

If you cannot hold a letter in your memory, reinforce your memory by repeating it out-loud (for instance, “E, E, E, E, E...�). If someone blindfolded you, put a piece of paper in front of you, stuck a pencil in your hand, and told you to write the letter “E�, you would have no problem doing that. It might not be the most gloriously perfect “E� but the result would certainly be one vertical and three horizontal lines. Your imagination is just like that.

Now, about short swing. As I understand it, all variations of the swing are about improving our sense of movement to restore the eye’s own naturally free movement. It is an antidote to the lock-eyed stare. For a short swing, turn your head left and right without trying to focus your eyes on anything in particular. As you move your head back and forth, ask yourself, “am I moving my head or is the room shifting from left to right?�

You will experience the illusion of the room shifting. It’s the same effect you get spinning around in a swivel chair or riding on a merry-go-round. It’s called a swing, because it is the same illusion you experience when you swing on a playground swing, except on  the playground-type swing, you experience the illusion of the scenery coming at you when you swing forward and the scenery receding back when you swing backward.

The “swing� is just an illusion, the kind of thing kids do for fun every day. It’s not magic – it’s imagination. Bates Method is just tons o’ fun ways to get back in touch your naturally groovy imagination.

When I was a kid, I used to like to lie on my back in the grass and watch the clouds. When I did that, I could feel the world moving. I didn’t need Bates Method then, but it sure was a “swingin� way to experience the planet rotating! Now it’s like, “Where’s my imagination? I can’t find my imagination, anyone seen my imagination?�

[BlackEyes]

Thanks anonym for the advice, I will try harder with the chart, but how long does it take until I get results from it ?

[Kazekage]

If one method does not work, discontinue practicing with it for a while. You may find that by practice of one of the other methods, you suddenly realize where you had gone wrong previously. If one method brings strain, it is futile to try harder and bring upon yourself more strain. Make sure to maintain the correct habits of natural vision during test card practice - Blinking, Breathing, Shifting - Ask us if you are unsure about any of these, since this is vital to rapid improvement. Don't waste time with one technique when it brings you no noticeable improvement. Discard it for now, but you may return to it later.