I tried to "swing" the big letter C, then sth strange started to happpen. First I did see bottom -the part I was actually looking at -more grey than the top of the letter. Of course when I changed my gaze to the top of the letter it went the other way around. I was wondering why. When I closed my eyes I saw big white C. Then I realized that the afterimage of the letter was moving as well, getting just into the point I was looking at, the grey part was due to white C getting as afterimage of my "mind" (I suppose) on black letter causing grey colour. But that occured during really sunny day. But just now I tried the same thing at night just with normal room light and I noticed that not only did I have afterimage of C, but also line below - I mean letter R and B. This is weird.
Any suggestions from someone with similar experience?
It is just illusions from your mind. When you start to relax to see you will notice that the part you point your interest will became darker than the other points. Shit from side to side in a letter and then close your eyes and imagine that the point you see is darker then the others point. Do this without effort. With practice you will get there.
Bates talked about this after image thing and also MacCracken I think.
Also; Bates said that when the eyes are very tense, not shifting well, another type of after image can occur when the eyes are open; look at a object, then look away and a after image of the object flashes for a moment. Myself and co-workers had this when looking down at close distance for 6 hours with neck tension pushing grommets into radio pilot headphones. It goes away when the tension leaves.
The closed eyes thing you are talking about may be different or similar; I think I remember MacCracken saying how to shift in the mental white image of the black C... and how it helps the vision? Haven't read his book in a while. Google it; http://books.google.com/books?id=qpQLV_t...en&f=false
"These are after-images, and indicate an impression made on the mind so strongly that it remains intense enough to prevent other impressions from being perceived. This is because the mind is alert and interested, and free from any abnormal tension. When these results have been secured, it will always be found that the vision has been improved. The daily practice of flashing the card is a very fine help in securing and retaining good normal vision." This is what he stated in chapter XXII as DaniFixe stated, but the problem is that the afterimage of big black C is big white C, which goes with my sight in such disturbing manner that when I am looking at the top of the letter I see black part of it mixing with white bottom of the afterimage which makes a combination of grey colour. But this pretty much destroys the purpose of the shifting exercise as I was supposed to see part of the letter blacker and blacker, but I see this grey stuff directly at my central vision which makes other parts of the letter much blacker as contrast to grey. This is dispiriting what am I doing wrong? Why did he says its ok, why it destroys the shifting exercise?
Cezar, I have seen after-images when sunning, and also when looking at the chart. I have wondered with amusement if this was my mind's desperate attempt to "hang onto" the image. I think there is also something visually with complementary colors, seeing a white image when you've been looking at a black one, or seeing a green after-image when you've been looking at a red image, which is just the eye adjusting, and it fades pretty quickly. You are not doing anything wrong. Look for what is going right!
Cezar, I'm not sure what state you think you're supposed to reach. Keep doing the practices and observing your reactions, when you're relaxed, when you're straining more (maybe trying not to see the after-image!) and letting the strain go. My guess is you're doing better than you realize, but you're thinking too much.
Afterimages are related to how long you look at a particular area, or spot. How long are you holding your gaze on one spot? The photocells of the retina become overstimulated, adapt, and thus desensitized the longer you try to hold a spot, like on a letter. The negative afterimage is due to the adapted photosensors sending a weak signal when shifted to another area, until they have had time to recuperate.
It demonstrates the necessity of keeping the eyes always moving, shifting, even if over very small areas, to keep the photoreceptors from getting stale and less sensitive.
What i basically did was printing snellen a4 size, i practiced twice for approx. 35 minutes with big C on it, but the afterimages just does not go away, it is still the same size, the same intensity.
@arocarty
I may be doing wrong the speed, but I do believe it is not that bad, but according to what you say it may be "this general strain" which forces my eyes to see to much all the time, this is why the afterimage may be so strong. In that way the photosensors could be overworked. I mean they must be like this before, during and after the exercise, because I basically move my eyes throughout the whole exercise
I just do not know how to overcome this.
I will try to speed it up. When I do it with smallers letters in lines at the bottom, I have a feeling I see some of them more distinct than others, but I cannot 100% tell that they are getting extra black.
If anyone encountered this and managed to move on, such hint could speed me up, or actually let me start fixing my central fixation, or its lack at the present.
cezar Wrote:@arocarty
I may be doing wrong the speed, but I do believe it is not that bad, but according to what you say it may be "this general strain" which forces my eyes to see to much all the time, this is why the afterimage may be so strong. In that way the photosensors could be overworked. I mean they must be like this before, during and after the exercise, because I basically move my eyes throughout the whole exercise
You may be just a little sensitive to bright light - have you practiced sunning much ? I used to make a game of trying to see some afterimages for as long as I could hold them, (from bright lights, or even the image of bright light coming through a window - I could even make out some of the landscape seen through the window, too). The longer I held my gaze on the source of bright light, the longer the after images seemed to linger as well. Even just a quick glance sometimes would yield an afterimage for several seconds. It didn't benefit vision any for the better or worse, so I eventually stopped it. If the photoreceptors are so sensitive that they wash out (fatigue, or adapt) immediately, I could see how that might be annoying. I've practiced sunning in various ways for years, and as a result am not very sensitive to bright light. If you wear sunglasses all the time, it can create light sensitivity. If you are indoors all the time, it can create light sensitivity. Never hold your gaze for more than a second on any spot. And if you are just making very small shifts, afterimages may still be easily created because the stimulation on the retina may not be getting enough color variation. Make occasional larger shifts to other objects of different colors. 35 minutes of just looking at the same b&w eye chart can cause strains if you aren't taking sufficient breaks, (palming, closing eyes) and maybe breaking it up with shifting on other objects of interest w/ more color. You have to keep it light and fun, not make it an arduous exercise session.
what am I doing wrong? Why did he says its ok, why it destroys the shifting exercise?
