Natural Vision Improvement

[10.1] What is the role of memory and imagination in vision?

Bates found that the ability to recall was inversely proportional to the strain experienced by the mind. The more one strains the slower things can be recalled. Memory comes to the aid of sight in various ways. It is easier to see when something when it is clearly remembered, and remembering something like a point of pure black seems to relieve some strain when looking at an eye chart for black letters.

At an obvious level knowing what one is looking for, allows the mind to know when it has hit a correct focus. Looking at something which in unknown, lets the focusing mechanism thrash around while the mind looks for pattern matches. Bates advised patients to imagine a tiny black dot on one part of the letter they were trying to see. The memory of this perfect black dot encourages the mind in the right directions. The patient can also compare the darkness of this imagined black dot against the color of the print.

Seeing is largely a function of the mind. Seeing is our interpretation of the impressions on the retina. Bates said that when the eye is out of focus the mind is also out of focus. Imagining that you can see well, will direct the mind in that direction. Imagination is based on memory and its use in regaining good sight is similar. Patience is an important skill to learn in collaboration with the Bates method. Straining for improvement is counterproductive, it is better to use the imagination and allow change to happen at its own pace.

[10.2] How can I exercise my perception?

Perceptual integration. John Selby has developed an excellent exercise to expand your perception. Selby categorizes four types of perception: perception of movement, perception of form, perception of color and perception of volume or space. Often we limit our awareness from its full potential and concentrate on only one or two of the four types. Memorize the words to your self ‘movement’ and scan your enviroment with the awareness of motion or lack thereof. With the second breath repeat ‘form’ add the awareness of form or the shapes, lines textures of objects. With the third breath repeat ‘colour’ add the perception of color. Finally with the fourth breath repeat to everything else and its location in space and the space itself. This becomes a very enjoyable experience.

You can apply this formula to any object and you can easily practice this every hour or so until it becomes an unconscious habit.

Movies. One of Aldous Huxley’s favorite perception enhancing pastime was seeing his favorite big screen movies again without glasses and just using the motion and color to stimulate his visual sense.

Flashing. Glance briefly at a scene or object, close your eyes and replay in your mind what you saw. flashing is like the perceptual reverse of blinking.

The black dot. Draw a black dot using the blackest ink you can find. Examine the color of this dot and become totally familiar with it, so that you can bring it into your mind from memory at any time. Examine a letter on an eye chart and superimpose the black dot on a part of the letter. Compare the difference in color. Close your eyes and again imagine the black dot, open your eyes and again superimpose it on the eye chart letter. Repeat with other letters.

The O shuttle. Developed by Margaret Corbett. Close your eyes and imagine a large, black. round letter O. AS if the O were a clock face and place a a large black dot at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions. With your nose pencil and your eyes still closed, follow the outline of the O back and forward between the 12 and 8 o’clock points. Next put a point at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, and repeat the shutlling.

Domino Memory. Developed by Rosanes-Berrett. Using a standard dominoes with white dots against black, stand the dominoes an inch apart at face level, left to right, whit the white dots facing you. Position yourself at the edge of your blur zone. Examine the domino furthest to one side, then close you eyes and imagine that your visualizing it from the back of your brain. Intensify its image till its sharp and crisp. Open your eyes and look at the same domino. Repeat six times, then work along the rest of the dominoes. Variations include playing cards or older style calendars.

Coloring The eyes. Developed by Martin Sussman. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and breath naturaly. Visualise that your left eye is filled with a bright yellow light as if the sun were glowing into it. Slowly move this yellow sunlight back up the opitc nerve into the visual cortex of your left brain, then into your right brain, then the right optic nerve and finally back into your right eye.

[10.3] Can hypnosis be used to cure visual problems?

Hypnosis can be used to reprogram and resolve many aspects of sight at unconscious level. If you are interested in this avenue seek a trained hypnotist who will be able to advise you further. All habits were once conscious choice and behavior, and through repeated use drop out of consciousness and become part of the unconscious mind. You can reprogram these now at an unconscious level and achieve apparently startling results, just as you once learned to walk, one step at a time so too can you change habits into a source of continuous positive adjustment for yourself.

The success level is mixed. If this avenue interests you consult a professional medical hypnotist.

[10.4] How is NLP used to cure visual problems?

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[10.5] How is the de Sylva method used to cure visual problems?

Mental triggers are programmed/embedded into the mind at the alpha brainwave level. For example “Each Time I blink my eyes, my eyes focus correctly like the lens of a camera”. The actually phrase is not important, but it should be repeated 5-6 times while in the alpha wave state. The normal level of brain wave function is called Beta (14+ cycles/second). A mild trance/introverted/meditative state results in alpha waves (7-14 cycles/second). Slower and deeper levels Theta and Delta are associated with deep meditative trances and sleep. Palming and eye exercises are also recommended.

Entering the alpha state can be done with meditation, mantra or a pre-programmed mind machine.