I suppose this can be related to the Bates Method under 'Optimums and Pessimums', but I'm mentioning it just as a curiosity.
I mentioned before here that I like to relax my eyes by wathcing (association) football on the television. I think I may have mentioned that my last eye test in June 2007 showed me at more than -11.
For reasons I won't go into right now a few days ago I really focussed on relaxing my eyes (mainly by imagination) and kept it up all day as if my health depended on it, which in fact I think it does. Anyhow, that evening I settled down to watch the Wordl Cup semi-final between Germany (playing in white) and Spain (red). My vision always clears a bit, and usually completely for a few moments, during games. This time, because of the momentum I'd built up during the day it cleared up a lot for quite a long period, ie several minutes. The strange thing (at any rate for those unaccustomed to the alternative, Bates view of eyesight) was that while I could see the German players and the ball clearly I had only a hint of the presence of the Spanish players, who were a very faint red blur (the tv is at the other side of the room). I usually see the players in white strip more easily and I often see them only and not the other team, but this was bizarre, as if the Germans were playing invisible opponents. I also got the impression that the Germans were winning because they had the ball all the time ...
By the way, my eyes always water when I get quite clear or very clear flashes. The watering is the effect not the cause, but is always a welcome sign that something is happening. Whenever I get any relaxation in my eyes I feel it on the surface of the eyeballs. Usually in both eyes, but very occasionally in just one of them. With clear flashes this sensation is very noticeable but I am used to it now and accept it.
Correction: my eyes don't always water with clear flashes. That used to be the case but now mainly happens when the vision clears up completely for a few moments. The sensation on the surface of the eye does however. If I succeed in relaxing my eyes fairly conintually (if not continuously) throughout the day, as in the example above, the next day they feel a little bit 'sore' when I get up, but that wears off very quickly. Again, it's something I welcome as a sign of progress.
Interesting! I'm guessing you were on Germany's side?
I play around with optimums and pessimums as well. I've noticed that if I'm looking at a whole blurry bunch of text, like when I sit far from the computer screen, I sort of pick a region of the screen and shift and swing over it. Then this region gets clear, since I kind of got comfortable with it, while other places remain blurry.
I wonder whether we can sort of psychoanalyze ourselves, the way people analyze dreams, using optimums and pessimums? Like if we see an object that we subconsciously associate with fear or pain, maybe it would be blurrier--
In his excellent book about eyesight (which I see as a complement to Bates) Martin Brofman talks a little about what he calls 'selective vision' and suggests you use it as a help to guide you back to clear vision. I suppose that's what Bates tells us too, in his own way, when you think about it. You see some things more clearly because you are more comfortable and relaxed then, therefore.....
I haven't been actively applied it to my own circumstances - yet.
Thank you for posting this I too sometimes play around with optimums and pessimums, thought not a lot. But from here on out I'm going to make it something to try out daily.
I believe that we do subconsciously see an object and connect it with fear or pain, etc. For many I think the eye doctors equipment is connected with fear. ???
Or even activities could be organized subconsciously in the same manner?
