I been reading 'The Improvement of Sight By Natural Methods' by C.S Price. He was trained by Dr. Bates. I got this 3rd edition from Davids Store.
David; is D.O. Osteopathy? What is the M.E.B., A.R.O.? He was Captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps.
Great book! Teaches alot about how the body, brain, eyes relax and function naturally for clear eyesight and how to practice, induce this; how its ok to practice Natural eye function, then; let nature take over so the eyes function without any conscious control. He teaches to use the eyes naturally as a good habit.
Teaches how people worry about life, 'what will happen tomorrow' and that causes strain, lowers the vision. I like the way he explains central-fixation; says combine it with shifting; calls it macular vision; 'rapidly moving macular vision'. Prefers to avoid the word fixation which people may confuse with immobility of the eyes.
If it is legal to post a few paprgraphs in "quote by Price' on this forum? I would llike to do so.
The normal eye-as explained at greater length in another chapter-continuously and easily moves its focus from one point to another and never fixes more than momentarily on one point. Obviously, if one wishes to regard a large area, the eye will need to make large and visible muscular movement from one part to another, and such conscious movement of the eyeball is quite natural in such circumstances. If, however, one wishes to regard a comparatively small area, there is a tendency to keep the eye more or less fixed in focus simply because all that one wishes to see is encompassed easily without the need of muscular movement of the eyes. This is a habit which can easily lead to strain, so that no matter how small the point or area regarded, it is better to cultivate tile habit of continuously mentally tracing the outline or details. In other words keep the focus moving continuously even though the area regarded is so small that there is no need to move the eyeball visibly. A good illustration is the effort made to thread a needle when one tends to stare fixedly where the eyelet is supposed to be, and the more one stares the less one is able to keep the needle visually steady whilst it is threaded. If, instead, one mentally traces the outline of the eyelet or quickly moves the focus around and about it, of even moves the hands holding the needle and cotton slowly and easily about, or, as the accomplished needle- woman invariably does, keep the head moving slightly, the act of threading will be accomplished much more easily and quickly and without strain. Specific exercises which are useful in cultivating this Practice can be made for a few minutes occasionally by using two or more objects of the same pattern and color, placed at varying distances. Quietly note the details of the one most easily visible and then transfer the focus to another and note the same details. Seeing clearly the detail and color of the one will help towards seeing the same detail and color in the other. Pictures, letter charts or objects are equally serviceable. It is a further help to have the first object brightly illuminated whilst the others remain under ordinary illumination.
For adults, there is usually much of restful suggestion whilst palming in being conducted on an imaginary walk into the country. Make it a tour of mental observation, directing attention in the form of a sequence of points of interest-particular or peculiar trees, houses, gardens, animals, vehicles, ect.-which you might encounter. Stroll about or sit in imagination in a field profuse with long grass and flowers. Follow the imaginary flight of a bird, or butterfly, moving and settling on tree or flower. Picture the branches of the trees and the whole surface of a field of grasses swaying in the breeze. Encourage the idea of mental macular vision (central-fixation) by quietly picking a bunch of flowers, and notice how you need to localize the imaginary sight upon one flower amongst the many in order to pluck it carefully by following its stalk to the root. Count the flowers as they are picked individually, and make the practice of picking a certain number.
There is another aspect of palming which I have never mentioned, and which will no doubt be further investigated as time and opportunity offer. We have, generally speaking, attributed the principal benefits which follow the practice to the combined relaxing effect of rest to the sensory nerves of the eye by excluding all light, and to the simultaneous easy direction of thoughts. There is, however, another peculiarly restful factor related to the fact of using one's own hands to palm the eyes, in preference to many suggestions which have been made as to covering the eyes in other ways.
Abundant experience over a period of many years proves undeniable truth that nothing produces such uniformly successful results as covering the eyes with the palms of ones own hands. Good results have sometimes been obtained by the operator using his or her own hands over the eyes of a patient, particularly when illness, deformity or other cause has suggested it; but even so, this procedure is not usually the equal of palming oneself.
It was this factor which led me to think at first that some benefit came from the physical warmth of the hands; but as other apparatus, designed to exclude all light from the eyes and at the same time maintain blood-heat, did not by any means produce the same good results, one is almost forced to the conclusion that there is virtue in some form of personal magnetism coming through the hands. But though the technical explanation is not yet forthcoming, we can at any rate accept the proven facts and leave that bit of explanation for the future, when it will probably be found to be closely associated with the intricate metabolic processes of the body. We know, for example, that there is an electrical stimulation process of some kind produced (at least in the retina) when the eye is alternately subjected to stimulation by light, and to withdrawal of objective stimulus.
Also that a light-exposed retina becomes acid in reaction, and a dark-adapted retina becomes alkaline in reaction. We may therefore ultimately find that palming produces much of its benefit by acting as a counter to acidity, which is such a prevalent trouble with many people.
One final word of advice in regard to palming. Its value is very definitely enhanced by washing the hands immediately beforehand.
by C.S. Price
