Reading that article has really changed how I approach the Bates Method, or how I approach anything really. I used to think that my main obstacle in my vision practice was not being able to focus: I don't feel like tracing over and over the same letter, and I can't focus on a single memory long enough when I palm, and so on. But after I read that I discovered how much easier and more pleasurable it is to, say, work on different letters, or if visualizing them with eyes closed, think of letters of different fonts or handwritings. It also reminds me of when I used to play the piano. Sometimes I would encounter a difficult section of the piece and keep forcing myself through it: repeating it measure by measure and when that wasn't enough, note by note or one hand at a time, and it was very slow and frustating. But if I got up, paced around, ate a snack, and then tried to play it, it would be perfectly easy.
Yesterday I palmed and told myself to concentrate on nothing in particular. Pretty soon I was imagining myself in a forest in autumn, and right after a rainstorm a maze of jellylike stuff that smelled like tea arose from the ground. I don't think of things like that when I try to concentrate!
I'm exploring this concentration idea more! Anyone have any experiences or advice?
Hi!
Yes, I completely agree with you. Now, when I have moments of clarity, I don't even have to (concentrate) to read a sign, because with perfect sight, your visual center is extremely fast and you know what is written even if you didn't read it consciously. It's already in your mind, so your eyes have already shifted to something else. It's very impressive to see how powerful is our visual system. As Bates wrote often, it's only when you are perfectly relaxed that you see (or do anything else) perfectly.
I'm better and better at having longer clear flashes and it's amazing! My first clear flashes lasted only 1 second and I was clearly very strained, but by practicing enough, I know that I will have perfect sight sooner or later!
Now i see that i was doing wrong. I always concentrated on black when doing palm....now i get it.
How long do you spend looking at the letter and then imagine the dots when palming ? Do you have to see the letter clear before palming?
