06-07-2007, 06:40 PM
In his article âââ¬Ã
âA Study of Imaginationâââ¬ï¿½ by Dr. Bates, he describes what he callls âââ¬Ã
âthe foundation test.âââ¬ï¿½
Dr. Bates describes his sessions with patients as he guides them in finding what he calls the foundation of their imagination. For instance, the patient ââ∠âtook as the foundation of imagination the memory of the letterâââ‰â¢oâââ‰â¢ ,,, with a white center as white as snow and the letter moving from side to side a short distance, not more than its own width.âââ¬ï¿½ Note that Dr. Bates says, ââ∠âShe took,âââ¬ï¿½ implying that the patient choose or selected the ââ∠âfoundationâââ¬ï¿½ of her own treatment.
Dr. Bates than recounts his dialogue with the patient as he guides her imperfect imagination. With the ââ∠âfoundationâââ¬ï¿½ of her imagination the letter ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½, Dr. Bates asks the patient a series of questions: can she see this, can she see that, all of which she cannot see. He then asks her if she can imagine the light from a window at the same time that she imagines the letter ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½. She says she can do that. Now, he says, imagine there is no window, can you still imagine the ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½. The patient learns that when she can imagine the truth (the window is there), she can imagine the ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½ perfectly, but when her imagination is mistaken (the window she imagines not there, really is there), she loses her perfect imagination of the ââ∠âoâââ‰â¢ that served as the "foundation". The dialogue for this session continues, but you can read it for yourself in our on-line library.
Dr. Bates says, ââ∠âThe foundation test is usually very variable. ... Some patients require a different foundation test from others. Rarely do I find many people who use the same foundation test. In some cases the imagination cure is more efficient when the patient regards the foundation of his imagination rather than when he remembers or imagines it.âââ¬ï¿½ The patient looks at the Snellen ââ∠âwith the foundation at a distance at which he sees it bestâââ¬ï¿½ and imagines one side of the letter. Imagined correctly, the patient, Dr. Bates says, ââ∠âwill see that the reaction of the foundation is normal, or in other words, ââ∠âhe has imagined one side of the unknown letter at twenty feet with his imagination of the foundation at a near point where he sees it best. When all four sides are imagined correctly it helps the patient to tell or imagine what the letter is, which is confirmed by the reaction of the foundation at a near point. In some cases, what a patient imagines of the four sides of the unknown letter at twenty feet, might be the same for two or more letters. The letter "B" has four sides which resemble the four sides of the letter "D". If he imagines it to be a letter "B" correctly the foundation reaction will be more perfect than if he imagines it to be a letter "D" which is incorrect. Some times all four sides are open as is the case with the letters A, I, V, W, X, Y. When the letter is imagined correctly the reaction of the foundation is always best.âââ¬ï¿½
In this one article Dr. Bates uses the term ââ∠âfoundationâââ¬ï¿½ eleven times. ââ∠âBy this,âââ¬ï¿½ says Dr. Bates, ââ∠âand other methods, patients .... accomplish unusual results.âââ¬ï¿½
I am suggesting that what Dr. Bates calls the ââ∠âfoundation testâââ¬ï¿½ may have been his core method for facilitating rapid progress for so many patients amd the first method he employed in every ââ∠âimagination cureâââ¬ï¿½.
Can anyone point directly to other references to ââ∠âfoundation of imaginationâââ¬ï¿½ or ââ∠âthe foundation testâââ¬ï¿½ elsewhere in the available Batesâââ‰â¢ corpus? I am interested to open this topic for discussion in order to learn about other Bates practitionersâââ‰â¢ experiments utilizing a ââ∠âfoundation of imaginationâââ¬ï¿½.
Dr. Bates describes his sessions with patients as he guides them in finding what he calls the foundation of their imagination. For instance, the patient ââ∠âtook as the foundation of imagination the memory of the letterâââ‰â¢oâââ‰â¢ ,,, with a white center as white as snow and the letter moving from side to side a short distance, not more than its own width.âââ¬ï¿½ Note that Dr. Bates says, ââ∠âShe took,âââ¬ï¿½ implying that the patient choose or selected the ââ∠âfoundationâââ¬ï¿½ of her own treatment.
Dr. Bates than recounts his dialogue with the patient as he guides her imperfect imagination. With the ââ∠âfoundationâââ¬ï¿½ of her imagination the letter ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½, Dr. Bates asks the patient a series of questions: can she see this, can she see that, all of which she cannot see. He then asks her if she can imagine the light from a window at the same time that she imagines the letter ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½. She says she can do that. Now, he says, imagine there is no window, can you still imagine the ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½. The patient learns that when she can imagine the truth (the window is there), she can imagine the ââ∠âoâââ¬ï¿½ perfectly, but when her imagination is mistaken (the window she imagines not there, really is there), she loses her perfect imagination of the ââ∠âoâââ‰â¢ that served as the "foundation". The dialogue for this session continues, but you can read it for yourself in our on-line library.
Dr. Bates says, ââ∠âThe foundation test is usually very variable. ... Some patients require a different foundation test from others. Rarely do I find many people who use the same foundation test. In some cases the imagination cure is more efficient when the patient regards the foundation of his imagination rather than when he remembers or imagines it.âââ¬ï¿½ The patient looks at the Snellen ââ∠âwith the foundation at a distance at which he sees it bestâââ¬ï¿½ and imagines one side of the letter. Imagined correctly, the patient, Dr. Bates says, ââ∠âwill see that the reaction of the foundation is normal, or in other words, ââ∠âhe has imagined one side of the unknown letter at twenty feet with his imagination of the foundation at a near point where he sees it best. When all four sides are imagined correctly it helps the patient to tell or imagine what the letter is, which is confirmed by the reaction of the foundation at a near point. In some cases, what a patient imagines of the four sides of the unknown letter at twenty feet, might be the same for two or more letters. The letter "B" has four sides which resemble the four sides of the letter "D". If he imagines it to be a letter "B" correctly the foundation reaction will be more perfect than if he imagines it to be a letter "D" which is incorrect. Some times all four sides are open as is the case with the letters A, I, V, W, X, Y. When the letter is imagined correctly the reaction of the foundation is always best.âââ¬ï¿½
In this one article Dr. Bates uses the term ââ∠âfoundationâââ¬ï¿½ eleven times. ââ∠âBy this,âââ¬ï¿½ says Dr. Bates, ââ∠âand other methods, patients .... accomplish unusual results.âââ¬ï¿½
I am suggesting that what Dr. Bates calls the ââ∠âfoundation testâââ¬ï¿½ may have been his core method for facilitating rapid progress for so many patients amd the first method he employed in every ââ∠âimagination cureâââ¬ï¿½.
Can anyone point directly to other references to ââ∠âfoundation of imaginationâââ¬ï¿½ or ââ∠âthe foundation testâââ¬ï¿½ elsewhere in the available Batesâââ‰â¢ corpus? I am interested to open this topic for discussion in order to learn about other Bates practitionersâââ‰â¢ experiments utilizing a ââ∠âfoundation of imaginationâââ¬ï¿½.
