Bates Methode

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Op dinsdag 22 april 2003 17:27 schreef HeyFreak het volgende:

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ik ben al een beetje aan het rondkijken op internet, aangezien de topicstarter toch niets van zich laat horen, maar wat ik tegenkom zijn allemaal sites waar ze geld vragen voor lessen in de bates methode...

ik draag al ongeveer 10 jaar een bril, zou het dan bij mij wel helpen? ik ben nogal sceptisch over de meeste 'alternatieve' geneesmethoden....

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The Bates Method for Improving Eyesight is a method discovered at the beginning of this century by Dr. W. H. Bates, M.D. (1865-1931), a prominent American ophthalmologist, and developed by him and his followers to improve sight and restore natural habits of seeing, which have been lost through strain, tension and the resulting misuse of the eyes. Thus the aim of the method is to teach people with problems of vision the faculty of easy and attentive seeing whereby the eyes and mind work together harmoniously to give good sight.
Since the Bates Method is a means to improve sight and restore the natural use of the eyes by re-learning the art and skill of seeing, it is not, therefore a medical treatment, but a method of re-education, in the form of both active learning, such as learning a skill like drawing and painting or how to play tennis, and also the receptive awareness of how to appreciate what we see, such as the appreciation of a painting, a beautiful garden or a cathedral.

Good sight is thus the result of a relaxed state of mind and body, whereby the individual person feels a direct contact with the surrounding world through the five senses. Poor sight, on the other hand, is the result of tension, where the person is, to a greater or lesser extent, isolated from the outside world through being locked in a pattern of psycho-physical tensions, such as worry, anxiety, rigidity, day-dreaming, boredom, confusion, impatience, etc.

The practical benefits of the Bates Method are imparted by means of a pupil-teacher relationship wherein the pupil is shown, first, relaxation of the eyes, then the body, and then the body and eyes, whilst seeing. As the relaxation progresses, the mind, the eyes and the body begin to focus together more harmoniously, allowing the sight to improve naturally, by itself, as does the health of the eyes, whilst already good sight can be preserved.

Dr. Bates was a graduate of Cornell University and of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He worked at various times at Belleview, Harlem Hospitals, Manhatten Eye and Ear Hospital and New York Eye Infirmary. He also taught ophthalmology at the New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital.

It was as a result of this work, examining thousands of pairs of eyes a year and observing many cases where the sight either recovered spontaneously or changed it's form in inexplicable ways, that a burning desire was aroused to elucidate why the sight changed in these cases. It was from these researches that Dr. Bates discovered that the sight can be be intentionally improved by natural methods, without the use of glasses. In the succeeding years, he discovered and developed the principles and practices to realise this discovery and they became the basic foundation of the Bates Method as it is practised today throughout the world.

According to Dr. Bates researches, the focusing of the eye is accomplished by the action of the extrinsic muscles surrounding it. These muscles are comparatively finely balanced and are easily disturbed by conditions of nervous stress and emotional pressure so that errors of refraction are produced. However, the muscles of the eyes are not amenable to direct physical re-training since, according to Kinesiological research made in the U.S.A., stressed or fatigued muscles are made weaker by exercise. It is therefore not part of the Bates Method to 'strengthen' eye muscles by exercising them, despite recommendations given in popular books and articles on the subject. Relaxation will always precede exercise.

It is necessary to realise that the eyes are completely passive. They have no volition of their own but, instead, follow the interests, and mirror the activity, of the mind. They are in principle willing servants, but in so many cases are unconsciously treated as unwilling slaves, starved of nourishment and constantly abused. Therefore, to periodically close the eyes, let them rest, listen to them and ask them what they need, can be the first step in re-establishing a normal equilibrium in their use.

The eye sees best what it looks at directly whilst at the same time there is a continuing awareness of the whole field of vision. This can be summed up as a state of attentive awareness, which is reflected in the extraordinary structure of the light receptive cells of the retina, consisting of two separate but complementary functions: the minute depression in the centre of the retina, called the fovea, which is the point of maximum clarity; and the surrounding area of peripheral vision, by far the greater part of the retinal area. The fovea in the normally seeing eye picks up the finest detail and is constantly shifting, vibrating in tune with the attentive interest of the mind on what it wants to see. This can be called the active part of seeing, responsive to touch, contractive. It is supported by the receptivity of all the rest of the rods and cones, the vast majority in number, which receive the whole field of vision and can be called the passive part of seeing, which is responsive to movement, space, and is expansive. These two processes are mutually complementary and are analogous to the Chinese idea of Yin and Yang, whole field and point of focus. Together, they constitute the world as we see it. When the eye is under stress, the centralised seeing loses it's point of focus and enlarges, the vibratory shifting slows down and becomes a rigid stare, whilst the visual field contracts. The eye ceases to be a channel for the energy of attentive awareness.

Since in most cases of faulty sight interest in seeing has been replaced by straining, trying to see, or boredom, self-criticism, etc., the first step in improving the sight is to stimulate interest by suggesting the pupil replaces the attitude of trying to see by that of looking for something, for example different colours, trees, birds, flowers - whatever is suitable and is accessible to the particular state of sight without glasses or lenses. From this point, the pupil is beginning to learn how to do without glasses, wholly or partly, depending on need, since it is axiomatic that the sight cannot improve whilst glasses are worn.

The circulation through the eyes is stimulated by encouraging blinking, and splashing the closed eyes with water, morning and evening. The eyes are also nourished and relaxed by the use of light, letting the head swing with closed eyes facing the sun or a lamp. Needless to say that the sun is never looked at directly. The eyes are always rested by palming after taking the light.

The fundamental way of relaxing is by palming. Palming is the practice of covering the closed eyes with the palms of the hands whilst sitting upright, so that the eyes are rested in darkness, relaxed by the warmth and healing energies passing through the hands. The mind needs to be engaged in some useful or interesting activity like talking with a friend, listening to the radio, thinking or visualising, so that it does not interfere with the eyes and stop them from relaxing. Palming usually results in an immediate but temporary improvement in the sight. The continued practice of palming often leads to great changes for the better, and is the best single means for helping the eyes.

The sight is further helped by learning relaxation in movement through the use of various types of swinging movements, which also help to re-establish the natural vibratory movements of the eyes as well as expand the awareness of the visual field. First, the pupil stands with feet apart and rhythmically swings from side to side, allowing the relaxation to deepen. Next, the pupil turns the body right and left, letting the whole body, including the eyes move as one. Awareness of movement in the visual field is a sign that the swinging is being well done. A simpler but more versatile way is to swing the head and neck only. This is very helpful in releasing tensions in the neck, which are often associated with poor sight. Further observation of the pupil often reveals poor co-ordination in movement, of hand and eye, of both eyes together. These difficulties respond to deepening relaxation and the development of attention and awareness, and are further helped by providing a focus for the mind with such activities as juggling, drawing, dancing, ball games, etc. As the pupil progresses, more specific approaches can be shown according to need, through working with charts, reading practices, techniques to encourage centralisation of sight, such as counting, looking for, comparing, edging, tracing. But it must be emphasised that no good will come from trying to see, the all too common reaction of the pupil when being presented with the challenge of identification of letters or reading. It is always necessary to avoid useless struggle and to do the best one can, accepting whatever is seen, no matter whether it is clear or blurred.

Meanwhile, other relevant aspects of the pupil's life can be considered such as health, diet, exercise, interests, anxieties and worries, and appropriate suggestions made where necessary, as, for example, the importance of sleeping well, of eating wholesome foods, of taking enough exercise.

Thus, through the practice of relaxation, movement and focusing of attention under the direction of interest and awareness, the pupil's sight can be restored to it's natural and normal state, although the time needed is very variable. Much depends on the understanding and quality of energy of the teacher, as well as the patience, persistence and interest on the part of the pupil.

Eyesight can change, for either the better or the worse. Poor eyesight is caused by the strain to see. The way to better eyesight is through relaxation of both mind and body. Below, I shall detail the principal exercises of the Bates method. Practise them and you will be doing yourself a big favour.

Scientific validity
Despite its long history (and critics over the decades), no one has yet proven nor disproven the Bates method. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no long-term clinical trials on the Bates method. It may all sound very unsubstantiated and "alternative", but there has been thousands of anecdotal accounts of success. We must explore every possible weapon in the fight against the epidemic that is myopia. If there is a vision scientist or psychologist out there reading this, please propose a clinical study of the Bates method. The possible benefits are too big for us to ignore.

Ready to learn about the Bates method? Just go to one of the 5 main techniques listed below:

Palming | Centralisation | Sunning | Swinging | Test card practice

Palming
Background and rationale
"Palming" was originally a yoga technique. After Bates noticed its beneficial effects on the visual system, he "borrowed" it and incorporated into his system of vision improvement.

Palming works by calming the visual system. Our eyes see by receiving light signals. If there were no light entering the eyes, one should expect to see nothing. Instead, in eyes with defective eyesight, there appears swirling patches of colours, creating pictures where there should be none. This is a symptom of the eyestrain causing defective vision.

The act of palming makes people aware of the strain. The warmth from the hands helps relaxes the tense eyeballs. Some people claim to be able to the "inner energy" or "chi" emanating from the palms. I think we can safely dismiss those claims.

How to do
Place your palms over your closed eyes, letting the fingers cross over at the forehead. Slightly cup your palms such that you are not pressingon the eyeballs. Feel the warmth of the hands radiate and diffuse gently into your eyeballs. Think of the most peaceful scene that you can imagine. Relax...

A few things to note
Do not press against the eyeballs with your palms. This will put pressure on the blood vessels in the eyeballs and reduce circulation of blood and nutrients.
Make sure that as much light as possible is blocked out by the palms. The exact position of the palms is up to the individual. Crossing the fingers at the forehead usually helps.
Put yourself in a comfortable and proper posture e.g. don't slouch
Remember to keep your eyes closed, behind the palms.
And keep your hands clean, otherwise there will be the attack of the pimples!
The most important thing is to relax. Of course, one can't try to relax. The harder you try, the more tense you become. The trick is to imagine pleasant scenery such as floating clouds in a blue sky, a peaceful sunrise at the top of the mountains.

Advantages of palming
Physical and mental relaxation
Relief of eye strain
Can be used in conjunction with imagery
Physical and mental relaxation
At the beginning, you may see swirling colours or grey patches. As you relax, you will notice the visual field becoming blacker and blacker. This is a sign that both your mind and body have relaxed, and your visual system is working harmoniously. Once you are able to achieve perfect blackness, clarity returns.

Relieves eye strain
Do it as often as you can, whenever you feel that your eyes are tired. Palming helps a lot in refreshing bleary eyes.

Promote visual imagery
While you are palming, you can visualise anything, as long as it doesn't cause stress. For example, you can visualise your plans for the today when you are lying in bed. Make the images as vivid and real as possible. Feel yourself getting drawn into the images that you conjure up in your mind.

This use of visual imagery activates your right-hemisphere and may increase creativity and promote imagination. ( By the way, a left-right dichotomy of the brain is too simplistic as there are many overlapping areas of functions i.e. the left can take over for the right and vice-versa. )

Palming | Centralisation | Sunning | Swinging | Test card practice

Centralisation
This is an exercise to promote correct use of the eye. More accurately, it should be named "vision habit" for the simple reason that you do this "exercise" throughout the day, not just during the session.

According to the structure of the eye, there is a small point known as the fovea centralis. This is where vision is sharpest: in the middle of the visual field straight in front of you. By centralisation, one should focus one's visual attention at a single point in front of you. When looking at an object for example, look at it part by part; bit by bit. Trying to see the entire scene clearly simultaneously is going beyond the limitations of the physical eye, thus creating strain, which is suposedly the root cause of bad eyesight.

Focus at a single "eye", seeing only that one very clear and bright. Let all the other "eyes" become dull and soft. Move your gaze gently around the bright shining "eye".

When you have accomplished this, focus on a different "eye". Now, this will become bright and colourful while others become dull (including the first eye you looked at initially).

Have you tried the exercise? The experience of seeing only the central part of the visual field clearly is called "centralisation". Apply what you have learnt here to all waking hours. Make it a habit and encourage correct use of the eyes: an important part of vision improvement.

Palming | Centralisation | Sunning | Swinging | Test card practice

Sunning
Rationale
The Sun is important for our health. Sunshine enables us to manufacture the Vitamin D that we need. Eyes that have been deprived of sunshine are pale and lifeless. Extreme sensitivity to sunshine is called photophobia. People who are sensitive to light and glare usually solve their problem by wearing sunglasses. But is that a long-term solution or just a stop-gap measure?

Sunglasses prevent our eyes from getting adequate sunlight and causes even greater light sensitivity. The more we wear them, the more we are sensitive to light. Hence a vicious cycle develops.

Benefits of sunning
Bates recommend that we sun our eyes. We can reduce our sensitivity to light and sharpen our eyesight. Many people have reported that their vision improve after sunning. If you are worried about the effects of ultraviolet radiation causing skin cancer or cataracts, you don't have to worry if you go by the following guidelines:

Only do sunning in the morning or evening, never during the hot afternoon sun.
Do a moderate amount for each session. There is no need to sun your eyes until you are sun-burnt.
How to do
Close your eyes and face the sun directly. Slowly move your head left and right to let the sunshine reach every part of your retina. Notice the sun moving in the opposite direction. Breathe deeply and slowly.

After this, you can do a variation. Imagine that your eyes shoot laser beams. Using your "eye lasers", trace around the edge of the sun. First do in a clockwise direction, then change direction.

After sunning, finish up the session by palming for about 2 minutes.

Palming | Centralisation | Sunning | Swinging | Test card practice

Swinging
Rationale
Bates postulated that one of the main culprits of bad eyesight is rigidity of the eyes. Staring is harmful for the eyes. The eye usually vibrates very quickly. This allows images formed on the retina of the eye to be sustained. If the retina is made motionless, either by injection of drugs or hard staring (try it for yourself if you are not convinced) , then visual images will fade and you will see an empty grey field instead. To break this habit of rigid staring, Bates used the technique of swinging to make the eyes mobile once again. There are a few variations of swinging:

short swing ( move the head alone )
long swing ( move the entire body )
In both techniques, the aim is the same. Try out the long swing to experience the feeling. Then you will understand.

How to do
Stand wth your feet shoulder-width apart. Face the front and do not move the head nor the eyes throughout the exercise. Gently swing your entire body towards the left, lifting your right heel as you do so. Once you have turned 90 degrees, stop. Did you notice that the room seems to be moving? As you move left, it appears to swing in the opposite direction, in this case right.

Now, gently swing towards the right, this time lifting the left heel but still keeping the foot on the ground. Stop once you turn 90 degrees. I know this can be a bit confusing (get your lefts and rights sorted out first!), but this is definitely worth the trouble to learn.

Benefits
Relax your body, especially the spine and the eyes
Teach your eyes to work properly
The swinging motion in the long swing loosens up the spine. The spine can store a lot of stress and tension after a hard day's work at the office. Do the long swing to un-creak those bones!

But the main benefit comes from seeing the scenery move in the opposite direction. If you don't do it correctly, the view will appear to swing in the same direction! Properly done, this will encourage relaxation of the eye, enabling to vibrate in a smooth and relaxed fashion.

Tip for doing the swing
Do not glaze your eyes nor look hard at the surroundings while doing the swing. Instead feel the illusion of the swing, let the world pass you by. When I first started doing the swing, I made the error of glazing my eyes, and focussed on nothing. I first realised this when I noticed double images during the swing, which meant that I was unconsciously crossing my eyes. So, do take note of this!

Palming | Centralisation | Sunning | Swinging | Test card practice

Testcard practice

Rationale
One of William Bates' recommendations was to let school-children practise reading eye charts every morning. He discovered that practice does make perfect. In one of his experiments, he discovered that practising reading eye charts improved children's eyesight.

Some critics have pointed out that due to the "learning effect", people may have simply memorised each letter. However, it is not a matter of memorising the chart, as a different one was used during each eyesight examination. Bates concluded that the stress of the eyesight examination had a detrimental effect on one's vision. Through constant practice, one will get used to the testing procedure and approach the eye-test in a worry-free fashion.

How to do
Get yourself a small eyechart, preferably on a cardboard base. Look at a letter that you can see clearly. Go around the edges of the letter, slowly tracing the outline.

Close your eyes and visualise the black letter for about 10 seconds. After that, repeat with other letters. Breathe slowly and deeply all the while.

Finish up the eye exercise with a palming session. After regular practice, you will notice that the letters seem clearer and blacker. Yet some others have said this is due to the phenomenon of "blur interpretation". Any improvement in clarity is simply due to our own imagination. Well, try it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.