I've had this idea for a while, and now i'm going to do it:
For the transition period in which I am relearning to see, I'll get an mp3 player and load it full of content, the most important of which would be the following:
Everything on CentralFixation.com converted to speech via text-to-speech synthesis software
All articles on iblindness
anything else I can find related to eyesight improvement. (please suggest!)
That way I will constantly be hearing the correct principles, case histories, etc., after reading the material visually
also on the mp3 player would be podcasts, free audiobooks from librivox.org, and anything else I feel like putting, but I plan to offer the eyesight audiobooks to others. I just have no idea where to host them.
So just let me know if there's anything I'm missing as far as Bates method text to convert to speech.
come to think of it, an mp3 cd player would be way cheaper and probably better because of the non-volatility of the data storage. CD's can last 50 years at least. Plus for a cheap $10 pack of 50, you've just bought yourself 35GB of storage. Even a used Ipod of similar size would be in the $100 range.
Okay, more of this solution is materializing as time goes by...
CD's are definitely the way to go for the reasons mentioned above as well as the fact that CD players get way better battery life and can be rejuvenated with spare batteries which are easily replaceable.
As I may not be able to leave my glasses significantly until May, I think I will STOCK UP on audio content! Anything and everything free i desire! I'm making tons of text-to-speech audio books of things I'm interested in such as vocabulary, philosophy, anything at all, etc.
This way I can continue to grow intellectually without the need for usable vision. Us nerds have to use ingenuity to cure our sight!
True, true! I know of one person whom I'd love to help, but who is legally blind and that would be perfect.
Librivox has tons of free public domain audiobooks, but although the Bates texts are public domain, no one has read them aloud yet and I don't expect them to. As I don't really feel it would be worth the time, it's computer voices for me for now.
Perhaps if anyone would like to volunteer, check out how it works at librivox.org
It may take less time than I think if we all contribute...
What is all this anxious activity about? All you need is to read the original Bates book, discard glasses and practice the techniques described by Bates. These three components are all critical, if you miss any of them, you'll not succeed.
Namely, if you don't read the original Bates book, you will not know what to do or do wrong things and won't cure your eyesight. If you read ALL texts available on "vision improvement", you will perhaps become an expert in all wrong ideas about Bates method, but you won't cure your eyesight. If you don't practice but only read/listen, you won't cure your eyesight. And finally, if you read and practice but do not discard your glasses, you are just wasting your time.
The original book is only about 300 pages, so it will take you about 5 hours of reading. If you so fucking busy that you don't even have the 5 hours to read the single quintessential book (and so you go for the audio books recorded with lifeless voice), how are you going to spend months and years practicing the method?
It is ridiculous to hope that some kind of cool technical device or software will buy you perfect sight. The problem with your eyesight is entirely in your mind, and the solution is really simple and is just two steps away. Don't complicate things by inventing unnecessary intermediate steps and discussing things that don't matter. Don't flood. In Ukrainian, we have a saying that states: worse than a fool is only an enterprising fool.
I realize that these things will not cure me, but on the other hand they will provide entertainment and learning while I cure myself. When I embark upon this full-scale, I will dramatically alter my lifestyle for a while, ie no reading, watching TV (which wastes time anyways), video games, etc. My world will be hanging around my house, walking to the park, etc. which can get boring to someone who cannot yet see the amazing beauty of things. So burning audio content merely something to do while I fix the problem.
So you think the books on Central Fixation.com are useless besides the original Bates book?
Bates himself said that anything that improves the imagination improves the sight, so I'm downloading human-read books of fairy tales, fiction, poetry, etc. as well as free language courses. I really do understand the problem, just giving myself a little something to do in the meantime.
No, you don't understand the problem. Bates method is all about NON-doing, not "doing something in the meantime". All Bates "procedures", like palming, sun treatment etc., are just ways to put you back from strained and anxious "doing" back to relaxed "non-doing". You current perception of Bates practice like retirement and deprivation "while you cure yourself" is wrong. There is no smooth and lengthy transition from poor vision to perfect vision that occurs due to your diligent work in a monk's cell. There is just strain and there is relaxation; you can enter relaxed state at any moment, and then your vision immediately improves to (almost) normal, and you can enter strained state at any moment and then you have a relapse of poor vision. The problem is that at first you cannot identify how exactly you strain so that you avoid doing so. In fact, it has taken me the most of time. You try different Bates techniques, they give you "clear flashes", but you won't be able to identify how exactly you did it and how to repeat it. By being extremely observant and reflective you will gradually learn to enter the relaxed state at will, and you will be surprised how simple it is. Afterwards, it will be more like a routine process, but until you learn to produce relaxation at will, you can't make it your habit. Then, you face the problem how to maintain this state, especially when the conditions turn unfavorable. You will have to re-learn to perform all your activities - walk, talk, read, think etc. while maintaining the relaxed state. It should become your habit and replace the wrong habit. Changing a wrong habit is difficult by itself, and especially such a subconscious habit. These are the real challenges of Bates method.
I think you should read the original Bates book and re-read it later, because some things you will not readily understand until you try and fail. Then you return to the book and discover new things you didn't notice before. Also I think you can read the Better Eyesight Magazine and Stories from the Clinic by Emily. Reading the Bates book requires thoughtful attention. I don't believe you can benefit from listening to an audio-version while driving your car. Actually, I tried to do so and it didn't work. Actually I have tried many stupid things, like using "Bates" software, palming reminders etc. It all just doesn't work. That's why I'm telling you my advice. It is tempting to replace real Bates practice that you don't yet understand with some stupid activity that you do understand but that is useless. Don't fool yourself.
Also, the imagination as Bates defines it is different from what we are used to call it when talking about fairy tales etc. Dr. Bates meant literally the visual picture that appears in your mind when you imagine. It happens without any words. Fiction books I'm afraid rather produce pseudo-images in the mind, "constructed" from words, especially in people with defective eyesight.
You are asking too many irrelevant question that makes me think that you have not even once read the book by Dr. Bates. Please do so before you overwhelm us.
No, I haven't cured yet. Today I have had sharp vision several times, but right now I am strained. I have discarded glasses from the very beginning. More on my blog <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://krupnov.blogspot.com">http://krupnov.blogspot.com</a><!-- m --> Need to update it though...
note: I don't drive and have always resisted doing so, so I'm not one of those distracted listeners. I would be listening in a very thoughtful state while mindful that the voice is lifeless and sci-fi.
Please stick to "Bates purism." I know it may sound fanatical and like you're following a religion, but if you want to get cured quickly it's really best to stick to the Pure, Original Bates System.
Of course this does not mean that you should be ignorant to what works for you. Everyone relaxes in different ways, and many different things can help you to relax. But just don't make those things your main objective. Listen to your body, but at the same time be aware that your mind does not function normally so it's best to not listen to yourself ALL the time.
Keep things simple, it's not like you are blind. Just discard your glasses, read Bates, and practice what he recommends the best you can (but without any sort of effort) and you'll be fine.
nice idea to get Bates on audio, I think listening to his original writings would be great. If you're really into Bates purism you can get most of his magazines from the central-fixation website and convert those to audio. Then you don't have to use glasses to read them and you can listen to them as many times as you want. The book is a great place to start, and his magazines provide even more gems.
I also like the general idea of what you're doing, replacing leisure activities requiring glasses with other forms of entertainment that don't require glasses.
