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American ophthalmologist W.-G. Bates (1860-1931) developed his own system for improving vision, based on the theory that refractive errors are associated with pathological tension in the muscles surrounding the eyeball. Modern traditional ophthalmology, according to which visual impairment is caused by organic changes in the tissues of the eye and the lens, refutes the Bates method.
However, the Bates method has many supporters, and among its followers there are many examples that it works and brings real results.
The highly profitable eyeglass and contact lens and laser (surgical) vision correction industry does not recognize the possibility of correcting vision in natural ways, although it still cannot oppose the Bates method with any conservative and safe methods for treating myopia. Usually, a visit to an ophthalmologist comes down to the fact that he writes out the next “eye crutches” for a couple of diopters stronger for the patient.
Bates was the first to look for alternative ways to improve visual acuity and developed exercises to effectively prevent its deterioration.
The Bates vision correction method is based on two principles:
Mental stress is the main cause of visual impairment, because, following the psyche, the muscles of the eyes also tense up. Mental stress leads to a loss of mental control, physical and mental discomfort is always accompanied by refractive errors. This is how myopia, farsightedness, astigmatism and strabismus appear.
The main principle and basic exercise for improving vision is the complete relaxation of the eye muscles, which relieves spasms.
Shychko-Bates method
Over the past hundred years, the Bates method has been repeatedly used and refined by his followers. Currently, the Shichko-Bates method is widely advertised, the author of which is the candidate of physical and mathematical sciences V. G. Zhdanov.
V. G. Zhdanov combined two directions together: the theory of Bates and the methodology of the psychoanalyst G. A. Shichko, thereby strengthening the psychological component of the method.
G.A. Shichko discovered that malware is destroyed during sleep, if before that a person writes a special self-hypnosis in his diary. This is because the written word is ten times stronger than the heard, spoken or read word.
According to Shichko’s methodology, before going to bed, you need to write down verified phrases that, in general, make up a life program for restoring health and, in particular, vision. These psychological attitudes should not be formulated in abbreviated terms, but in expanded phrases and full words. For example: “I will correct my vision”, “Every hour I allow my eyes to rest”, “I feel every day that my vision is getting better and better”, “I see the smallest details around me”, and so on. After writing down such phrases, you need to do the palming exercise and go to bed.
Zhdanov formalized his method in the form of lectures and began to speak with him around the country, stating that the Bates method is ineffective without classes according to the Shichko system and related measures for separate nutrition, therapeutic fasting, cleansing the body, etc.
Of course, there is nothing harmful or dangerous in adhering to a healthy lifestyle or writing down certain phrases in a diary at night. But still, among all these additional manipulations, it is recommended to pay closer attention to the old proven method of William Bates.
Bates Method Exercises
In the conditions of civilized life, writes Bates, the human psyche is under constant stress. The reason for the progressive deterioration of vision in people cannot be that they began to read a lot and sit at the computer, since visual impairments in the near point (farsightedness) are almost as common as distance vision impairments (nearsightedness).
An eye with normal vision never makes an effort to see. Vision is ideal when the eyes are in a state of absolute rest, and any mental stress causes conscious or unconscious eye strain. Therefore, in order to see well, a constantly relaxed state of the psyche and the organ of vision is necessary.
Bates developed specific exercises for each type of refractive error. But there are also basic exercises that can be performed for all types of visual impairment (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia (senile vision). All exercises are performed without glasses. Otherwise, their effectiveness is almost zero.
Palming (dive)
Bates states that complete relaxation of the eyes is achieved by shielding them from the light that hits the retina. The word “Palming” is derived from the English “Palm” (palm). To perform this exercise, you need to close your eyes and cover them with your palms folded in a “house”, so that the fingers of both hands are crossed on your forehead. Before this, the palms can be rubbed together to warm up.
But even with the complete exclusion of light, the visual centers of the brain usually remain excited, which manifests itself in the form of residual light images before the eyes, a kaleidoscope of different shades of black. To get rid of this, you can mentally imagine black objects or black blots creeping onto light spots. Breathing should be measured and calm. The goal is to see a flat, completely black field. And this is possible only with complete relaxation.
Palming is the best way to relax the nerves of all the senses, including vision. When perfect relaxation of the eye muscles (which corresponds to the vision of perfect black) can be achieved, it will be completely preserved even after opening the eyes, and vision will improve for a long time.
You can do palming at any free time, an unlimited number of times a day, for 3-5 minutes, as soon as eye fatigue is felt. It is also recommended to do palming before going to bed.
Memories
When a person is able to recall any of the manifestations of the sense organs as vividly as possible, his psyche at that moment ideally relaxes. Any pleasant memory gives the psyche a rest.
An exercise: Close your eyes and try to remember a taste, smell, or sound, such as the ticking of a clock. If you can clearly remember something and immerse yourself in this memory, your psyche will come to a state of perfect rest. Then, if you cover your closed eyes with your palms, you will see absolute blackness. In the future, you can do this exercise with your eyes open.
Mental representation
When vision is imperfect, visual memory and representation are also impaired. The psyche adds its distortions to the imperfect image on the retina. Representation is closely related to memory, although slightly different from it. Representation follows recollection, since one can imagine a thing only when one succeeds in remembering it.
Exercise 1. While palming, imagine alternately a black dress, a black hat, a black curtain, etc., holding each item with your inner gaze for no longer than a second. You can go through all the letters of the alphabet in memory, representing them as completely black.
Exercise 2. Hang the vision chart 3-6 meters away from you in a well-lit area. Look at one letter from the lowest line that you can clearly and effortlessly see. Then close your eyes, palm and visualize this letter as dark as possible. After opening the eyes, this letter should look clearer, as well as those next to it.
Moving and swinging
Vision deteriorates when the eyes are fixed on one point for a long time. Conscious or unconscious movement of the gaze from side to side gives the eyes a rest.
Exercise 1. Look at any letter in the table, and then look at another letter of the same line, away from the first. In this case, the first letter should be visible worse. Move your eyes from one letter to another, looking at each and concentrating on it for a few seconds. In this case, the illusion of movement of the line from side to side should arise.
Exercise 2. Look at some large letter, and then at a smaller letter at a considerable distance from it, while the large letter should be less visible. When the exercise is performed correctly, the table seems to move up and down, and after the exercise, the vision of both letters improves.
Exercise 3. Look at one edge of the selected letter and then at the other. You can move from the top to the bottom of the letter, from one side to the other, or from one corner to a point behind another corner. There should be an illusion of the letter swinging. When this succeeds, visual acuity will improve.
You can also close your eyes, imagine any letter in black light and mentally shake it. Some people are better at mental rocking than visual rocking. But you can not swing the letters by force. They should swing as if by themselves.
Flashes or blinks
Close your eyes and do palming. Then open your eyes, look for a split second at some small letter on the test card, close again and repeat the relaxation. At the end of the exercise, squeeze and relax your closed eyes several times, remove your hands from your face, make several turns with your head from side to side, without opening your eyes and without rotating your eyeballs, and then blink quickly.
For some, one exercise will be more effective, and for others, another. The ways in which people strain their eyes to see are varied. Therefore, the methods used to relieve stress should also be varied.
Turns:
Exercise 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Rotate your shoulders, head and eyes at the same time 90 ° C to the right, while the left heel can be torn off the floor. Then turn left in the same way. Alternate these turns, which should be done continuously, easily and effortlessly. Breathing is calm and deep. The most important thing is not to focus your eyes on objects passing by, and remember that this is not physical education, but an exercise in relaxing the eyes and developing vision. You can do 50-100 such turns, in the morning after sleep and in the evening before bedtime.
Exercise 2. Place your index finger in front of your nose and turn your head from side to side, glancing past the finger. It will appear that the finger is moving. This sensation will intensify if you close your eyes and make turns in such a way that the tip of the nose touches the finger each time.
solarization
Contrary to popular belief, sunglasses should not be overused. You need to accustom your eyes to bright light. They need sunlight as well as a state of rest and relaxation. It supports the health of the eyes, strengthens them, stimulates metabolism, gives the look liveliness and shine.
Exercise 1. Close your eyes and expose your face to bright sunlight. Freely turn your head and body to the right and left. When the eyes are used to the bright light, you can briefly lift the upper eyelid of one eye, while looking down, so that the sun shines on the sclera. Then repeat the same with the other eye. If you see the slightest tension in your eyes, blink. Solarization should be carried out strictly dosed.
Exercise 2. Stand on the edge of a dense shadow, such as on the corner of a house or in a lighted doorway. Place one foot on a non-shady area, and the other on a brightly lit area. Close your eyes, raise your head, take a deep breath and begin to turn your head from side to side so that the closed eyes alternately pass through the sunny and dark areas. At the same time, you need to focus on the process, you can mentally repeat: “The sun comes, the sun leaves.” Do the exercise until the eyes adapt to the light.
Exercise 3. When your eyes get used to the light, you can cover one closed eye with your palm, and open the other. Continue to make turns, gliding with the open eye on the ground or floor and blinking continuously. Then raise your head and continue turning, blinking rapidly and looking directly at the sun. Repeat with the other eye, and then again with both eyes closed. In conclusion, do palming, the duration of which should be 2 times longer than that of solarization.
Instead of the sun, you can use a lamp or a candle. But sunlight is the most optimal and natural option.
Positive aspects and contraindications of the Bates method
Advantages of the Bates method:
The technique is quite effective for acquired refractive errors of the eye (nearsightedness and farsightedness) of a weak degree. If a person does not wear glasses, then with systematic and regular exercises, vision can be restored to normal.
The technique is useful in any case – if a complete restoration of vision is impossible, then Bates exercises that relieve eye strain are an excellent prevention of its deterioration.
Contraindications for classes according to the Bates method:
Retinal detachment or the threat of its detachment.
Postoperative period in surgical intervention on the eyes. You can start classes no earlier than six months after the surgery.
The results of classes according to the Bates method
The results of those who practice the Bates method are very different, just like the opinions of different people are very contradictory. Some were able to restore vision using this technique (especially in cases where the cause of poor vision was muscle spasm). Most manage to improve vision by several diopters. But there are also reviews about the complete absence of any result whatsoever.
The most important thing in this technique (as, indeed, in any other business) is to perform the exercises regularly and systematically. You can draw an analogy with strength training in the gym: if you quit training, then the accumulated results are lost very quickly. It is the same in this case: after the cessation of classes, vision can become the same as it was before they started, within a couple of weeks.
If the Bates technique helps someone to easily recognize familiar people on the street without glasses, without straining their eyes, to see the number of an approaching bus or a price tag in a store – perhaps most will agree that this is already a good achievement.
Opinion of an ophthalmologist
Recently, there has been an increase in interest in the Bates method, the essence of which is to improve vision without the help of glasses. The technique is recommended for patients with various types of ametropia: myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, etc. However, information regarding the Bates technique is often distributed on the Internet by amateurs who allow illiterate descriptions and comments. This causes a negative attitude towards the Bates method on the part of professionals, many of whom do not even try to delve into the essence of this method to restore vision.
However, if you look at the Bates exercises without prejudice, you can understand the following.
The essence of the method is to increase visual acuity by training the eye muscles responsible for focusing light rays. Therefore, if the human eye has muscles, then they can be trained in the same way as any other muscle in the body. There are different types of training: gymnastics for the eyes, changing the visual mode, etc. That is why long, motionless and intense looking at the monitor screen or TV is harmful, as it deprives the eye of natural movement and training.
At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the possibilities of the method are not unlimited. The muscles of the body can only be developed to a certain level: just as it is impossible to increase weights to infinitely huge numbers during strength training, it is impossible to get rid of high myopia with the help of Bates exercises. The really achievable result is an improvement in vision by 1-3 diopters. That is, a person with -3.0 myopia (or +3.0 hyperopia) has a chance to restore his vision and do without glasses in the future, but if a person wears glasses from 5.0 diopters or more, then he can significantly improve his vision, but glasses are all for him will still be needed.
The analogy between eye exercises and exercise in the gym is quite appropriate. Preliminary consultation with a doctor is necessary, and the classes themselves should be regular, with a gradual increase in load. After all, if a physically unprepared person immediately takes on heavy weights, this will inevitably lead to pain and injuries. The same principle must be followed when mastering the Bates method.
In conclusion, we can say that the Bates method is not some kind of miracle or panacea. It is recommended for mild visual impairments (up to -3.0 diopters), as well as preventive measures for people experiencing constant visual stress at close distances (students, schoolchildren, mental workers, etc.).
Source: The book “How to get good vision without glasses”