Unlocking Natural Vision: 

A Comprehensive Look at the Bates Method

 

The Bates Method is a natural approach to vision improvement, developed by Dr. William Horatio Bates in the early part of the 20th century. It is rooted in the belief that most vision problems stem from tension and strain in the face and eyes. In this article we’ll explore how exercises that reduce muscular tension in the face could not only improve visual acuity, but might also reduce pain.

 

At the heart of Bates' philosophy lies a simple yet profound assertion: many common vision problems stem from habitual strain and tension in the eyes, and these issues can be addressed through natural means. Bates believed that the eyes, like any other part of the body, are capable of self-healing and adaptation when given the right conditions.

 

In his groundbreaking book, Perfect Sight Without Glasses (1919), Bates outlined a series of techniques aimed at relaxing the eyes, retraining visual habits, and ultimately improving eyesight naturally.

 

“In the course of time I discovered that myopia,

hypermetropia, and astigmatism… were not, as we have so long believed, associated with the use of the eyes… but with a strain to see distant objects… and that the lower degrees of refractive error were curable, while higher degrees could be improved.” ~ Perfect Sight Without Glasses

 

In 2002 or 2003 I got my second pair of glasses. Concerned about my deteriorating vision, I bought a book on the Bates Method. I read the book from cover to cover and enthusiastically started doing the vision exercises but soon got bored of them, and gave up after a month or two. I knew there was great value in these exercises so I promised myself I’d return to them. 

 

My second attempt came 20 years later. Looking back, I realize that the reason I’d failed wasn’t because the exercises were boring or I was lazy. I’d bought a generic book on the method by an author whose name I’ve long since forgotten. The book was well written with lots of illustrations, but the author didn’t explain the core principles and philosophy, and so I was doing the exercises mechanically without an understanding 

 

After reading belief 

 

Bates rejected the prevailing notion that poor vision was a fixed condition that could only be corrected with glasses or surgery. Instead, he observed that vision fluctuates throughout the day based on factors such as stress, posture, and emotional state. He theorized that refractive errors (like nearsightedness and farsightedness) result not from structural defects but from improper habits of seeing—specifically, undue strain in the eye muscles.

 

 

 

 

“I examined tens of thousands of eyes… of human beings and animal… the results of which convinced both myself and others that the lens is not a factor in accommodation … instead, it is a change in the length of the organ, this alteration being brought about by the action of the muscles on the outside of the globe. Equally convincing was the demonstration that errors of refraction, including presbyopia, are due, not to an organic change in the shape of the eye-ball, or in the constitution of the lens, but to a functional and therefore curable derangement in the action of the extrinsic muscles.”

 

Palming

 

Realizing that vision problems were caused by muscle strain, he looked for ways to relax these muscles, and found that the easiest and most effective way to do this was simply closing the eyes.

 

“All the methods used in the cure of errors of refraction are simply different ways of obtaining relaxation, and most patients, though by no means all, find it easiest to relax with their eyes shut. This usually lessens the strain to see, and in such cases is followed by a temporary or more lasting improvement in vision.

 

However, even thought the eyes are closed, a small amount of light still manages to pass through the eyelids, so he suggested placing the palms over the eyes to block out all light.

 

“Most patients are benefited merely by closing the eyes; and by alternately resting them for a few minutes or longer… But since some light comes through the closed eyelids, a still greater degree of relaxation can be obtained… by covering the closed eyes with the palms of the hands… which I have called palming.”

 

A session of palming may take a minute or it could take up to an hour. If you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue, you might find that holding your hands up to your face for an extended period of time to be too demanding. I suggest using a good quality sleep mask. It will make a huge difference. 

 

Remembering Black

 

Dr. Bates noticed that even in complete darkness some people still saw illusions of light. Generally, the more light they imaged they saw, the worse their condition was. 

 

Take a minute to do this exercise: put down your device, close your eyes, and then lightly cover your eyes with the palms of your hands so that no light can filter through. What do you see? Pitch blackness, a field of gray, or sparkling whites?

 

“But even with the eyes closed and covered in such a way as to exclude all the light… instead of seeing a field of black… as one ought normally to do when the optic nerve is not subject to the stimulation of light, the patient will see illusions of lights and colors ranging all the way from an imperfect black to kaleidoscopic appearances so vivid that they seem to be actually seen with the eyes.”

 

“The worse the condition of the eyesight, as a rule, the more numerous, vivid and persistent these appearances are. Yet some persons with very imperfect sight are able to palm almost perfectly from the beginning, and are, therefore, very quickly cured.”

 

“Any disturbance of mind or body, such as fatigue, hunger, anger, worry, or depression, also makes it difficult for patients to see black when they palm, persons who can see it perfectly under ordinary conditions being often unable to do so without assistance when they are ill or in pain.

 

“It is impossible to see a perfect black unless the eyesight is perfect, because only when the eyesight is perfect is the mind at rest.”

 

 

 

“The majority of patients may be greatly helped by the memory of a black object. They are directed to look at such an object at the distance at which the color can be seen best, close the eyes and remember the color, and repeat until the memory appears to be equal to the sight. Then they are instructed, while still holding the memory of the black, to cover the closed eyes with the palms of the hands in the manner just described. If the memory of the black is perfect, the whole background will be black. If it is not, or if it does not become so in the course of a few seconds, the eyes are

opened and the black object regarded again.

 

I believe that this observation is an act of genius equal in status to that of Archimedes, in circa 250 BCE, realizing the principle of buoyancy while bathing, and shouting "Eureka!" or to Isaac Newton, in the 1660s, seeing an apple fall from a tree, and conceptualized the law of gravitation. 

 

A Woman Holding Sleep Mask by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA