Ординатура / Офтальмология / Английские материалы / Relearning To See_Quackenbush_2000

There are truths which are not for all men, nor

for all times.

—Voltaire, 1761

"IT IS SCIENTIFIC A N D S U C C E S S F U L "

W.B.MacCracken, M.D., trained with Bates and taught natural vision improvement in Berkeley, California. In his excellent 1937 book, MacCracken writes:

This method has been proved. It is scientific and successful. It requires, however, that the student be receptive, earnest, and confident.

The story in this book is founded on these truths. Vision is the most precious of the senses, which feed the life and the happiness of the human

How long will it be before the minds of the children, who are beginning their lives, will be taught to use their own eyes, with the freedom and the power which belongs to them, and which will give them a new fullness of life?..}

The needless subjection of the eyes of the coming generation to the domination °f glass lenses must have an absolute and

malevolent influence on the mentality of any weak-eyed nation

In the United States the habit of wearing artificial lenses is increasing at such an astonishing rate, that it is fast becoming a remarkable national trait. A young woman from Australia, who came to me because she had heard of the Bates method there, told me that for the last three or four days on the ship, she was impatient, above every other thought, to get on the streets in San Francisco, to see if it was really true that almost everyone wore spectacles. She said she had tried to imagine how the people would look, and that in spite of her preparation, she never-the-less was astonished when she saw the procession of glasses. The shock made her more than ever determined to have the beginning trouble with her own eyes [reversed], so she would not be compelled to wear spectacles for the remainder of her life 2

The subject of this book is not an abstract exposition. It is not an academic discussion of public policies or class interests. It is not offering theory. The issue is simple and clear, and of the most vital interest. It has been established, during a period of over twenty-five years, that most of those who

I He handed me one of his professional I cards. On the back of this card was printed

'in small diamond type seven paragraphs stating seven fundamentals of perfect sight. He requested me to hold this card about six inches from my eyes, then close my eyes and form in my imagination or memory a smal letter "o" and to see it in my mind, very black with a white center. After doing this for a few seconds, I was to open my eyes and look at the letters on the card. I did this, and to my surprise upon opening my eyes, the letters were jet black and

remarkably distinct; but, for only a moment did this clear vision last. The letters soon faded away into a blur.

I This experience of getting a flash of clear \ision, though evanescent in character, was encouraging to me, because it suggested the i possibility of conquering this tendency to 1 blurring. In other words, if I could learn to sustain this primary normal position that my eyes relaxed into just before opening them, I would certainly achieve perfect vision. Dr.

Bates instructed me to practice what I had I just done twice a day. I did as he advised. At

I first I could not hold this flash of clear vision I more than a second or two. It was too sub­ tle. 1 could not get a hold on it. I continued, i however, practicing night and morning for several weeks with but slight improvement. 1At last, however, I became able to sustain the clear vision for about thirty seconds; but if I would wink my eyes while seeing clearly, my vision would fade into a blur. In time my \ patience was rewarded by more improve-

• ment,for now I am often able to read the whole card without a blur.

'Dr. Bates deserves much credit for the

'pioneer work which he is doing and for the

1аду he keeps on doing it in spite of the hostile criticism continually directed toward

( him. To know him is a privilege and I am I thankful to have had this experience.

O P H T H A L M O L O G I S T D A R L I N G ' S

T E S T I M O N I A L

From Better Eyesight magazine, December

1925:

[Editor's Note: This contribution from an oculist of twenty years' experience in one of the largest eye hospitals in the United States is of unusual interest. He is to be congratulated on his perseverance in going without glasses so long before his sight for reading had sufficiently improved to do his work properly. He has not told of the oppo­ sition and loss of many of his old friends, because he did not prescribe glasses for his clients. This is the article by Dr. Darling.]

AN OCULIST'S EXPERIENCE

by E.F. Darling, M.D.

I have been practicing medicine as an ophthalmologist for the last twenty years. During the period of eighteen years prior to 1923,1 spent a large part of my time putting glasses on my helpless clients. How­ ever, for the last two years I have been try­ ing to make amends by removing their glasses as rapidly as possible.

The first time I heard of Dr. Bates' work was from an article in one of the medical journals about fifteen years ago. The arti­ cle made some impression on me because it was entirely at variance with our accepted views as to the cause and reversibility of defective vision In the clinic I attend at one of the largest eye hospitals, most of the men seemed to know nothing about Dr. Bates. Some thought he was a quack, while oth­ ers said he was insane.

About three years ago, I received notice of the publication of his book Perfect Sight Without Glasses, and at that time I decided to purchase the book and see what it was all about. The thing slipped my mind for another year or so, when one of my old clients came into my office without her

glasses on, and said she had been working with Dr. Bates. Her vision was much improved, and she wanted to know if I could continue the same kind of education with her. I was obliged to confess that I knew nothing about his methods....

The next day I went over to the Central Fixation Publishing Company and bought the book. When I reached home, I started reading it and didn't stop until I had finished the whole thing. Here was a plain statement of facts accomplished, and I at once decided to test the matter with my own eyes.

I was wearing convex +2.25 DS for distance and convex +4.25 DS for reading. My distance vision had deteriorated in the eighteen years I had worn glasses from better than normal to about one-third of normal. My near vision had gone back so much that I was wearing the glasses that theoretically should suit a person sixty or seventy years old.

With the glasses off I could see only the largest headlines on the newspapers. While wearing the glasses, I had occasional headaches and eyeaches, and my near vision was at times very defective, so that I had difficulty in doing fine work of any kind.

The first day I went around without glasses, everything seemed blurred. But I felt somehow I had gotten rid of some particularly galling chains. It was pleasant to feel the air blowing against my eyes, and I walked around the whole afternoon trying to get used to the new condition.

In carrying out the suggestions in Dr. Bates' book, I had a great deal of trouble with the first week or so, especially with the mental images. This was simply due to my extreme eye strain. In spite of this, my vision steadily improved by palming, so that at the end of three weeks, I could read the

10/15 hne instead of the 20/70 line. I had only an occasional eyeache when I had forgotten to use my eyes properly.

In improving my near vision, I had to make several visits to Dr. Bates, and he overcame most of my difficulties at once. I used many of the methods he advocates in this near work, but it was about three months before I could read fine print. It seemed an extremely long, long time to give up reading. But knowing now the advantages after an experience of two years without glasses, I would be willing to go without reading for a much longer period.

Many people the same age get results in a much shorter time than I did. I feel more and more strongly that a person will not have full control of his mental faculties until he gets rid of his glasses. Whether it takes two weeks or two years, the results will pay for the deprivation.

At present, I usually read an hour or so in the daytime, and three or four hours at night with no eyestrain whatever. Previously I used to walk along with my eyes fixed on the pavement because of the discomfort in taking note of passing people or objects. Now, it is a great pleasure to examine things minutely.

In my work I can go nine hours with about the same fatigue as I felt before in three or four hours. In other words, Dr. Bates' work has changed me from an old man of forty-eight to a young man of fifty. I now enjoy the practice of medicine for the first time since finishing my hospital internship. As I am absolutely certain that if students will carry out my directions, their whole condition will be improved.

In no case can the time required to obtain normal vision be definitely stated. People of the same age and wearing the same strength of glasses vary in time required as much as they differ in color

of their hair or size of their appetites. Some get quick results; others drag along indefinitely before they get where they should be. These slow cases require lots of encouragement, and it sometimes takes all of their own and the teacher's perseverance to keep them going.

iVo/fev It is not necessary to completely eliminate glasses immediately to succeed. However, the less glasses are worn, the faster the progress.

OPHTHALMOLOGIST M. H. S T U A R T ,

M.D.-IMPROVEMENT A N D T E A C H I N G

Better Eyesight magazine, September 1920:

... Slight as my error of refraction was, I was not able to leave off my glasses for more than an hour or two without suffering from nervousness and the feeling of tenseness in the spinal cord alluded to above.

...Recently I read, in the May (1920) number of Better Eyesight, Dr. Arnau's story of how his headaches were relieved, and I was so impressed by it that I determined to try the relaxation method upon myself. I palmed for five minutes and then read the card three times with each eye as far as I could without effort. I did this six times a day for five days, and at the end of this time I had gained a very decided degree of relaxation. I had, of course, discarded glasses, and, although this caused me a little discomfort at first, I was able, about a week later, to perform, without them, three tonsillectomies and one operation for cataract, and to remove two blind eyes. At the same time I went through my daily routine of treating ten to thirty patients, examining eyes, ears, noses and throats, much of which work requires extra good vision....

I was so pleased with the results of the new method in my own case that I have since taught centralization to about forty of my patients, and in only about two did I fail to improve the vision at the first sitting—

[After describing several case histories of improvements with students he taught, Dr. Stuart concludes with:]

I was particularly pleased to be able to relieve these little girls of a disfigurement which means so much more to them than it would mean to a boy, and I was much interested to note how much prettier their eyes were, apart from the disappearance of strabismus, after a few sessions. They were wide open, softer-looking, in short, relaxed.

MORE PROOF

Janet Goodrich offers proof of vision improvement of her students in three different cases in her book Natural Vision

Improvement:

1.A group of nine students monitored by optometrist H. H. Friend in Australia;

2.A group of eighteen students monitored by ophthalmologist Dr. J. Soorani in Los Angeles; and

3.A group of twelve students monitored by Coralie La Salle, who was awarded a master's degree from UCLA on her thesis, titled, "Some Psychophysiological Influences in Myopia."6

I have personally talked with one ophthalmologist and two optometrists who teach natural vision improvement.

Mary Dudderidge reports in Scientific

American:

The problem of [reversing] errors of refraction, therefore, is to induce the eyes

to take it easy, and look at things without effort

More than one thousand children with defective sight have regained normal vision by [Bates' educational] means. In one class in which there had been 27 eye defectives, 25 were reported [reversed], while one tru­ ant and one incorrigible had become good students, because they were now able to study without pain.7

See also Chapter 23, "Children and Schools," section "Definite, Irrefutable Proof."

( A L M O S T ) 100 M E S S A G E S F R O M N A T U R A L V I S I O N S T U D E N T S

Following are parts of some messages left at or delivered to the Natural Vision Center of San Francisco by my natural vision stu­ dents (a couple of exceptions are noted) between September 1984 and August 1996. They have been edited for clarity of under­ standing. Irrelevant and redundant parts have been removed.

Note that many of the improvements of sight have been validated by the student's eye doctor.

1. NT: I have very good news after having gone to my eye doctor to have my eyes checked yesterday. He says that out of the glasses that were reduced the middle of last April to 20/40,1 am now seeing 20/25,s0—Iam s0 excited about this—I am now getting new glasses that are dropped one diopter in one eye and one and a quarter diopters in the other eye. So, I couldn't wait to tell you about that.

2.E. R.: On the way home I had some really nice clear vision flashes for a little while. (Comment: This student has had serious vision problems since birth.)

3.Z. R.: I just wanted to let you know I

went back to my eye doctor and my vision has improved a whole lot. I now have four and a half diopters, and I started with seven diopters.

4.K. R. (Z. R.'s sister): I just wanted to tell you that I can see—and I am very happy! Thank you. Bye.

5.О. E.: I just called to tell you I am really excited. I went to my eye doctor today. I see 20/40 [without glasses] and he did not see the need for me to get any more glasses because he said there is no need to reduce them—which makes me think I have just thrown away my glasses that I have worn for twelve years ... I am really ecstatic and also really grateful. (О. E. is a Natural Vision teacher.)

6.О. С: I saw my eye doctor this afternoon and my 20/80 glasses had turned into 20/30. So, I got reductions and he took out all of the astigmatism correction, and I am very, very happy!

7.D.T.: I went to see my eye doctor today, and he was quite impressed, and I got another reduced prescription. So, I am real excited about that. I was see­ ing better today just knowing that.

8.R. E: I have improved one diopter in each eye, which was great news to me. I was so excited, I thought someone gave me a brand new gift of some kind. I am one step away from perfect vision, by the way. I catch myself staring more than I ever have before, so that must be a good sign. (Comment: Students become more aware of when they are staring as they improve.)

9.P. W.: I wanted to tell you that my

20/4OS are 20/20-, and my 20/80S are now 20/50. So, I am so happy!

X L.: I am calling to tell you that I took my driving test today, and I passed!

,1# C. N.: I saw my eye doctor today and I am getting new glasses. I'm real excited. The new reduced glasses are both

below -10 diopters. One is -8.5 and the other is-9.5. My optometrist is pretty excited. So, I'm pretty excited. (Com­ ment: Before the classes, С N. wore

0D:-i3,and OS:-12.)

12. K. L: Wanted to let you know my eye doctor is again reducing my prescrip­ tion. I started out at -3.50 and -1.50 for astigmatism. Ihe first reduction was -2.75 and -0.75 for astigmatism. He is now moving me down to -2.00 and leaving the astigmatism correction the same I am very pleased.

13.1 W.:My eyesight has really taken off. I just cannot get over it. Everything has become very three-dimensional and so much better as far as clarity goes. Thanks.

14. D.B.: I wanted to tell you the good news. I just went to see my eye doctor, and my 20/40 lenses are now 20/25. So we are reducing down the next step.

The 20/80S only went to 20/60, so we are going to keep those for a while. I'm thrilled! I will be attending the next Review class.

15. R.G:. I am calling the "staring hotline," basically just to say that I am very excited with my vision this morning and all the bright colors that I have been seeing since I first opened my eyes.

Й». 0 N.: Thank you very much. I haven't reduced my glasses [for a second time] yet. My optometrist says my eyes have not improved that greatly to do

another reduction. There was only a slight reduction during my trip. But I did not wear my glasses at all during my trip, which lasted about three weeks. And, I did a lot of fantastic things—without my glasses!

17. N. Z.: I am doing so well. I really don't need glasses that much in the house. And only when I go to strange places do I wear glasses, or when I am driving. Otherwise, I do not need glasses. I am doing so well. I am so thrilled. I just wanted to let you know. Thanks.

18.W. Т.: I just saw two poles hanging from the Vision Halo. (Comment: W. T. only saw one pole when she first used the Vision Halo, which is discussed in Chapter 18, "Stereoscopic Vision.")

19.M. L.: I called to tell you I just got a re­ duction, and I'm just so excited, I don't know what to do. And I just thought you would like to know about it.

20.L. W.: Good news—I went to see my

eye doctor, and my vision has improved from 20/300 to 20/200. Not bad, eh?

Sketch, breathe, and blink!

21.R. D.: My vision tests at 20/20 now. See you tonight at the Review class. Thank you.

22, K. N.: I am definitely having the cen­ tralizing realization, and understanding that diffusion is confusion. As far as my close-up vision, I am seeing that if I really slooowww doooownnn, I can see close-up. So, I can actually read your phone number off of your flyer when I was calling you. If I don't strain, and if I just slooowww doooownnn, and take the time, then I can see. Thank you.

23. K. N., again: I can see in areas that I could not see before, not all the time,

but I do not have to put my glasses on always for close up. It is not as clear as I would like it to be.

24. K. N., again: I am brushing and breath­ ing and blinking as I drive back to Lake Tahoe. I had a really good meditation last night, and part of what I see is the significance of reversals—beyond eye­ sight—just the significance of going back and healing, and then coming for­ ward again.

25. K. N., again: I am really going through some stuff now. I'm seeing some of my patterns. Fear of authority. Fear of humiliation. And overwhelm. I have my little reminders around my house. And I am really seeing a lot better; not all of the time, but sometimes. It is very excit­ ing. When I slooowww doooownnn enough to take the time to do them (the habits), if I really take the time I can read even the fine print on the page.

26.N. Т.: Yesterday I went and had a mas­ sage. And when I was done with the massage and I came out into the light, I thought, "Wow! Everything just looks so bright!" But I thought it was because I had my eyes closed for an hour. And I just noticed everything was bright on the way home. And then I went on with my daily business, and then I noticed that objects just seemed to be jumping out at me. My depth perception is incredible! And, anyway, I went to bed last night, and I woke up this morning, and it is the same! I see colors so brightly that I can't get over it. Wow! I can't even tell you how exciting this is. Things have texture! (Comment: Many qualities of the visual system reactivate with natural vision improvement.)

27.K. N., again: I am doing very well— some total major breakthroughs, as far as self-love and self-confidence, and just feeling good about myself. I am, I must admit, forgetting sometimes to sketch, breathe, and blink, but like you said, previously I did not even know such things (habits) were available.

28.O. G.: I just wanted to call, and tell you for the first time I can see crystal clear out of my glasses that used to be 20/40. Now I think I can see 20/20 out of these glasses. I was so amazed. (Comment:

O. G. is a Natural Vision teacher.)

29.K. G.: Although I stuck my glasses in my pocket to go to vision class last night, I don't think I got home with my glasses. I don't remember taking them out of my pocket at all during class. This will now be my seventh pair of mysteriously disappearing glasses.

Hmmm, it is so strange. I am not quite ready to do without them yet. But it's my old childhood story of losing my glasses. And so, this is it, my seventh pair lost this year. Hmmm. I am just hoping I left them in your classroom, but I think you don't have them. I will just keep looking, but weird, weird things happen to me with this. (Com­ ment: Losing the glasses again was a reversal process.)

30.D. E: In spite of stress, which actually is resolving itself, I am down to some­ where between 20/40 and 20/100 depending on what the light is. The optometrist pegged me at 20/70 and gave me -1.50 diopters. This part of my life is probably the best part of my life—except maybe T'ai Chi. Bye.

31.T. N.: Some things are changing for me

vocationally. It is difficult to stay in a stressful work environment when your life is about relaxation.

32. N.N.: I am so excited with what is hap­ pening with my mother. She can now see the numbers on the kitchen timer— of course, with her glasses. But before, she used her glasses and her magnify­ ing glass—and still she wasn't sure of numbers. Now she can also see the little arrow on her sewing machine. Thank you. (Comment: N. N. and her mother attended vision classes.)

33. B.T. (before attending classes): I was thinking about stress and eyesight, and I was thinking about the time when I realized I had cataracts, and I had blamed it on working in an office with two chain smokers and all the smoke drying out the lenses of my eyes. But I realized it was most the stressful job I had had in my whole entire life. I was so tense in that job. And then another time, when I was a student, I was far away from home, and I was homesick, and I almost went bUnd. And that was another stressful year of mine, and, God!, now when I put two plus two together, I keep thinking about stress, and my eyes always get worse when I am under stress. And all of the people in my retinitis pigmentosa group say their eyes get worse, too, when they are under stress.

Зф O.H.: I want to share briefly a story with you. Today I picked up a book, and started to read the book, and realized I was not using my glasses! I was very excited by that! Things are moving!

35- B. U: My clarity is coming back, after a

lot of resistance. I notice my ov»n will­ ingness to relax, and vision does get clearer and more mobile every day. And, in fact, I have gotten over a hump of resistance. And I probably will encounter some more humps in the future. But it is truly very energizing and clarifying for my mind and emo­ tions and vision to give in to the process of letting my clarity return.

36.К. I.: I went to the eye doctor, and I went through the whole exam, and I knew that my eyes had improved. He

told me that with my (former) 20/40SI could now see 20/25. And my (former) 20/80S are definitely too strong for the computer, which I knew. So, it was really exciting to see how much my vision had improved!

37.M. К.: I have exciting news to tell you. I understand centralization! About two days ago, I started seeing a single point clearly. I tip my hat to you! Thank you very much.

38.D. N.: Just to give you an update. I am doing fine. I am reading in the sunshine without glasses a lot of the time. And, really, I am doing well with these +1.50S, although sometimes I have to get into a good light, because light has a lot to do with it, I discovered.

39.К. Т.: I went to my optometrist this

afternoon, and he said that the glasses he had prescribed for me to see 20/40, now I can see almost 20/20 through them. So, he is going to prescribe another pair of glasses for me. So I am really excited now—not that I wasn't excited before—but now I am really excited. I just want to tell you the good news. Thanks a lot.