It is as natural for the eye to see as it is for the mind to acquire knowledge, and any effort in either case is not only useless, but defeats the end in view.
He discovered that the glasses, or eye crutches, actually prevents the eyes from healing itself naturally. His more than 30 years of research to find an alternative to eye glasses was published in "Perfect Sight Without Glasses".
Dr Bates had helped thousands of adults and children to perfect sight without the use of glasses. The Bates Method is taught in many countries around the world by Bates teachers who are in one way or another had been taught by Dr Bates, his wife, Emily Bates or their disciples over a 80-year timeframe.
in his writings, Bates discussed several techniques which he claimed helped patients to improve their sight. He wrote that The ways in which people strain to see are infinite, and the methods used to relieve the strain must be almost equally varied emphasizing that no single approach would work for everyone. His techniques were all designed to help dissociate this "strain" from seeing and thereby achieve "central fixation", or seeing what is in the central point of vision without staring. He asserted that "all errors of refraction and all functional disturbances of the eye disappear when it sees by central fixation" and that other conditions were often relieved as well
The Bates Method was developed to help school age children absorb more knowledge without straining their eyes. Dr. Bates learned that most bad habits and eye problems begin in school age children. Children have a natural curiosity to learn new things. However, when material is constantly shoved down their throats and they are forced to memorize tons of uninteresting information, the mind gets tired and the eyes start to strain.
Likewise, looking at new information causes the eyes to strain in order to commit it to memory. All day, every day children are forced to absorb new material, whether it interests them or not. They are not given a chance to allow the eyes to relax or take a break. This is where the Bates Method comes in.
Bates’ Method is actually quite simple. He created a large chart full of common shapes and letters. The chart was placed on the wall in the front of the classroom and the children were encouraged to look over at the chart whenever they felt overwhelmed. Even looking at the chart for three minutes a day, takes the strain away from the eyes.
The Bates Method was implemented in a few schools and the teachers noticed a vast improvement in concentration and progress. The eyes were able to relax and the strain was removed. Unfortunately, the school board felt the method was too distracting and the method is no longer in practice. In fact, China is the only country that teaches students vision training.
The Bates Method can be used by just about anyone though. You could create your own chart and place it in your office. Glance at the card several times during the day to keep the eyes relaxed and alleviated the strain on the eyes. Training your eyes to relax will help improve vision today and for the rest of your life.
If you would like to learn more about the methods mentioned above, please be sure to visit
Improve eyesight
