Bates Method

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The Bates method is a modern interpretation of William Horatio Bates' teachings. Contemporary practitioners of the method believe that using eye exercises to relieve eye strain will reverse myopia.

Bates was the first (recorded) physician to propose and promote a way to reverse myopia and reduce a persons dependence on glasses. His expertise and insights were built upon the knowledge that was available at that time.

A copy of his original work can be found here under "Original Issue of Better Eyesight, Nov., 1926 and Perfect Sight Without Glasses Pamphlet"

EndMyopia is based on the premise that a stimulus is necessary to induce a change. Bates' teachings, both found in his original work and the modern day spin-offs, do not provide such a stimulus. This renders the use of Bates Method hard (if not impossible) to fully get back to natural eyesight without using corrective lenses or laser surgery.

Similar to Bates' approach, EndMyopia is dependent on eye strain being eliminated. In that respect Bates' teachings provide for some relief. Ciliary muscle spasm is the primary culprit in what's known as "pseudomyopia/near induced transient myopia". Exercises present in Bates Method can be utilized to relieve eye strain and get rid of ciliary muscle spasm. EndMyopia proposes the use of Active Focus in conjunction with providing oneself with enough solid distance vision to relieve this muscle spasm.

Bates' eye exercises

Palming

Palming is placing hands over the eyes for a certain amount of time. This is done with the intention of reducing stress on the eyeball. This is a practice that can be disregarded, as it does not address the causality of how eyesight improves.

Like many Bates method practices, palming may be used to temporarily reduce eye strain. However, it is always better to resolve the core causes of eye strain, like uncorrected vision and bad close-up habits.

Swinging

Swinging is one of the exercises advocated by the Bates method.

There could be some rationalization for it : by allowing the Visual cortex to see different focal planes moving relative to each other, it gains information about the relative distances of those planes, which it would not otherwise have (due to Myopic blur). It might be able to use that extra information in some useful way.

It would do no harm to give it a try while you're looking out the window anyway, while observing the 20-20-20 rule. Let us know if you find it helpful. If nothing else, it will give the neighbors across the road something to talk about.

Further references

If you want to indulge yourself some more in myopia reversal history, having a look at the [work] of Dr. Harry Benjamin is definitely worth it. Although his work is based on many aspects found in Bates' teachings. You can find some noteworthy (rudimentary) concepts present in EndMyopia in that book.

See also

Wikipedia:Bates method

Wikipedia:William Horatio Bates