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+--- Thread: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 (/showthread.php?tid=51)
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - clarknight - 01-24-2009
When the movement of the eye is perfect, it can shift very fast, from point to point.
Avoid using effort to shift perfect and see the movement of the letter.
If you dont see it; just move on to the next letter.
Shifting left and right, top and bottom is ok, but you can shift more naturally by letting the eyes shift in any direction upon the letter; diagonally, middle, trace along an edge, point to point in any direction.
Are you using central fixation? : Make believe the black letter is made up of hundreds of tiny black dots.
Shift from dot to dot.
See one small part (dot) clearest at a time in the center of the viusal field and move that central field continually from part to part.
The time a part (dot) is seen clearest, in the center of the visual field may be for only a fraction of a second as the eyes/center of the visual field move over that point. Then the eyes move to a new point, then another new point... seeing one point at a time clearest.
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - felicita - 01-24-2009
Hi,
I understand what you mean by "When the movement of the eye is perfect, it can shift very fast, from point to point" because this is happening when I look at fine print or at a close letter/object. The shifting is made unconsciously and very fast (obviously, that's why I see clear at near point). So, if my eyes can shift very fast at near point, why do they seem to be "blocked up" at far point? (Ha, ha, because I'm myopic!)
OK, so I will not stay so much time on the letter to see the movement and I will shift randomly, not just side to side, top to bottom. I tried shifting today for about half an hour and I didn't see the letter better. I know, it takes time and a lot of practice.
Regarding the distance from the chart: how worse or clear should I see those letters? I mean, should I stay so close to the letters that I can see them almost clear, or must they be so blurred that I can only guess what they are?
About central fixation: I think I was trying to practice it when I was doing the shift.
If I practice only CF, without shifting, I should practice it on one letter? At what distance (I must see almost clear that letter or blurred)? You know, everything sounds easy in theory, but when I have to see one black dot in an ocean of black dots... sounds very hard to do. At least, for "seeing" those black dots of the letter, do I have much more time then 1 sec?
Thank you very much for your advices and patience
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - David - 01-24-2009
felicita,
A few points I thought of reading your post -
Your eyes lock up when looking at the far point because you've been programmed to do it. It's automatic.
See the Secondary Strain thread in the Bates Method forum. If shifting doesn't work at all after half an hour, you probably haven't addressed that.
Try different distances from the chart. It mostly depends on your reaction to the distance, ie: "Wow that's so far, it's going to be quite a task to see anything".
You can't practice CF without shifting. It's combined. It's like trying to eat food by swallowing but not chewing, because you want to get the swallowing part down good first.
Like clarknight suggested (and it's a great idea), imagine the letter comprised of many black dots, but don't try to SEE it. Just keep the idea in your mind as you examine it of looking at many black dots all over it, one after another. But by trying to SEE black dots, you're doing exactly what's causing the problems in the first place.
Dave
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - fidisolo - 02-16-2010
About how long should each shift be(how many seconds looking at one letter before shifting to another letter)?
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - DaniFixe - 07-26-2010
I still don't get it! I stay at a distance where half of the chart is a little blur and shift from letter to letter,point to point. Instead of improving i see the letter worse and running away from the point i want to focus...
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - Mzero - 07-29-2010
The strain that is being applied might be hidden in the goal of normalising vision.
Whenever you catch the Want for Normal Eyesight arising. Replace 'I Want' with 'I enjoy' or 'I already have' or better, 'I never went without and love'.
Buddha said the cause of all suffering lays in Wanting. Enjoying feels better than wanting, even if you are cheating yourself and don't really have it. This difference tends to becom smaller and smaller.
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - noneother - 09-19-2010
Quote:You can tell if you strain to "think really hard" by closing your eyes and thinking of an object, say an apple. The picture of an apple should instantly flash in your mind. If you find yourself moving your eyes to see it, squeezing them, turning them in, etc., then you are straining. However, once you see it you might shift your eyes to see different parts of it. This confuses people because it sounds like I am contradicting myself. Let me explain.
You want to be able to generate images without strain, ie by letting them just pop into your mind. Then you want to be able to shift your mental attention by effortlessly shifting from one point to another. In both cases, there is effortlessness because 1. you are letting the mental image spontaneously appear and 2. you are shifting effortlessly.
from <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.effortlessvision.com/forum1">http://www.effortlessvision.com/forum1</a><!-- m -->
this has been a great revelation to me. do not analyze what you see. just let it appear in your consciousness
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - ted - 08-12-2013
I don't know if I should be bringing this post up or start a new one, but I figured this idea would go along with this topic.
Quote:The thing about noticing that the other object is seen worse when you don't look at it has to do with training yourself to look at something in order to see it,
What d'you guys think about the following practice:
Notice something that you want to look at, then look at it. From there, notice another thing that interests you, and then look at it. And just keep repeating this process. When doing this, make sure that what you are looking to is the most interesting thing in your field of view. So you start out slow, by just hanging out until you notice something that seems fairly interesting, and shifting to it. So it's getting you used to shifting to the most interesting thing, which seems like the right thing to do. And it also gets you away from that mindless, random, continual shifting just because you think you "should."
I've practiced this somewhat, and I think it's beneficial. Also, if you narrow those shifts, you'll notice that you are actually looking at parts of things, instead of trying to take in the big picture.
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - clarknight - 08-14-2013
This is a good topic!
Shifting is the main thing, often the only that keeps my sight clear for life since 10th grade age 17. Now 56.
I started just shifting left and right, top and bottom on objects and they would clear.
As I learned more about Dr. Bates method I realized the eyes (or as David says; the mind's attention moves the eyes to what the mind is interested in) do not shift in any strict controlled pattern as the left and right, top and bottom thing; I learned to let the eyes move freely in any pattern upon the object of mental-visual attention. Blink. Look at details without trying. Easy, relaxed, clear sight.
Re: Method of the Month - Shifting - Jan 2006 - ted - 08-14-2013
I think the thing about the experiment I was describing is that it can be a bit more interesting than just picking two or three points and shifting to each over and over. People with normal vision shift exactly to what they want to see, and I think it's easy to start flailing your eyes around in an attempt to keep your eyes moving. But I think that's going to be a strain if the attention isn't synchronized with those shifts. So I'm trying to train myself to have a lot of purpose for each of my shifts.
The weird thing about this experiment, though, is that at first I have to go really slow and look at things in my periphery until I decide on something to shift to. So for a moment I'm not focussed on what I'm looking at directly, but what I'm about to look at. I think this is normal, and just a slow motion version of what people with normal sight do. It makes sense that you would really only be interested in a tiny spot for a fraction of a second because theres not that much to take in at that spot. Thus your attention and eyes would want to move on to something else, I.e. the new most interesting thing to look at.