Moving, rocking and eyes

When the eye sees with normal vision any letter near or in the distance, it can appear to be vibrating or moving in different directions: from side to side, up-down or inclined. When a person looks from one letter of the check table to another or from one edge of the letter to another, not only the letter, but the entire string of letters and the entire check table, may seem to move from side to side. This apparent movement is associated with the movement of the eye and always occurs in the direction opposite to its movement.

If a person looks at the top of the letter, the letter will be below the line of sight and, therefore, seem to move down. If a person looks at the bottom of the letter, it will appear above the line of sight and appear to move upwards. If you look to the left of the letters, it will be to the right of the line of sight and appear to move to the right. If you look to the right of the letter, it will be to the left of the line of sight and appear to move to the left.

People with normal vision rarely realize this illusion and can meet with difficulties in demonstrating it. But in all cases that I met during research, they always managed to master the ability to produce this illusion after a more or less long period of time. When sight is imperfect, the letters remain stationary or even move in the same direction as the eye.

The eye can not fix any point more than a fraction of a second. If you try to do this, your eye will start to strain, and your eyesight will get worse. This is easy to verify, trying to keep one part of the letter for a certain amount of time. Regardless of how well vision is, the letter will very quickly blur or even disappear. Sometimes the effort to hold it will cause pain. In exceptional cases, the point may appear to be held for a considerable period of time. People at the same time think that they are holding it, but this is only because the eye unconsciously moves. The movements are so fast that the objects seem to be visible all at once.

Moving of the eye with normal vision is usually imperceptible, but it can always be determined by direct examination with the help of an ophthalmoscope. If one eye is examined by this instrument, while the other is examining a small area directly in front of him, the examining eye that follows the movements of the other will be seen moving in different directions, which are usually impermanent-from side to side, up and down, in a circle. If vision is normal, these movements are extremely fast and not accompanied by any manifestation of effort. The displacement of the eye with imperfect vision, on the contrary, is slower, the amplitude of their movement is wider, they are jerky and are made with obvious effort.

It can also be shown that the eye is able to move at a speed that can not be noted with an ophthalmoscope. A normal eye can read 14 letters of the bottom line of Snellen's test table from a distance of 10-15 feet in dim light at such a speed that they seem to be visible all at once. In addition, it can be demonstrated that in order to identify letters under such conditions, it is necessary to make about four displacements in each of them. At the near point, despite the fact that one part of the letter is seen better than anything else, the remainder can still be seen well enough to be recognized. But at a distance it is impossible to identify a letter if the eye does not move from top to bottom and from one side of the letter to the other. The eye, in addition, must move from one letter to another, producing about 70 movements in fractions of a second.

The string of small letters in the Snellen checklist can be smaller than a foot long by a quarter of an inch in height. If in order to see it as it seems all at once, it takes about 70 eye movements in fractions of a second, then to see an area the size of a cinema screen with all the details of images of people, animals, houses, trees, etc.on it, thousands of such movements are required. To see 16 such areas per second, what we do when watching movies, we need a speed of movement, which is difficult to imagine.

It's not just that the human eye and his brain are capable of such speed of action without any effort or strain, but that the state of rest of the eyes and the brain is a condition for such speed and maximum efficiency of their work. It is known that any movement of the eye produces an anomaly of refraction, but when this movement is short, the magnitude of the anomaly is very small. Usually these movements are so fast that the deviation of refraction from the norm does not last long enough to be noticed with a retinoscope. Its existence can be noted only when the number of motions decreases to less than 4-5 per second. The period during which the eye is at rest significantly exceeds the period of production of the refraction anomaly. Therefore, when the eye movements are normal, no refraction anomaly appears. The higher the speed of unconscious movement of the eye, the better the vision. But if a person tries to realize any particular extremely fast movement, there will be tension.

Normal vision is impossible without continuous movement. This movement serves as a vivid example of the mental control necessary for normal vision. This control should be ideal, in order to have time to think about thousands of things in a split second. In this case, each fixation point needs to be comprehended separately, since it is impossible to think two things at once or two parts of the same thing. The eye with imperfect eyesight tries to do the impossible, trying to fix one point for a fixed period of time, ie,intently. When he looks at an unfamiliar letter and does not see it, he continues to look at it, making an effort to see it better. Such an effort always ends in nothing and is an important factor in the deterioration of eyesight.

One of the best methods for improving vision, as we have discovered, is the conscious imitation of the unconscious movement of the normal eye and the awareness of the apparent movement( swinging) produced by such movement. Normal vision or not, conscious movement and swaying are of great help to the eye and benefit. This way you can improve not only bad, but also normal vision too. When vision is imperfect, moving, if done correctly, gives the same rest to the eye as palming and always leads to a decrease or correction of refraction anomaly.

The eye with normal vision never tries to hold the point more than a fraction of a second, and when it moves, it always sees the previous fixation point worse. When the eye stops moving quickly and sees the point with which it moved, the sight is no longer normal, the pitching of the letter either does not come at all, or it is prolonged, or sometimes it is the opposite of what it should be. These facts formed the basis of treatment using the displacement method.

In order to see the previous fixation point worse, the eye with poor eyesight should look away from it further than the eye with normal vision does. If the eye, for example, moves only by a quarter of an inch, it can see the previous fixation point as well or even better than before, and instead of getting rest as a result of such displacement, its tension will increase even more. In this case, no pitching of the letter will be noted, and vision will deteriorate. At two inches, he may be able to get rid of the first point and, if the point does not hold for more than a second, the eye as a result of the movement will get rest. At the same time, the illusion of pitching letters can be achieved. The shorter the movement, the greater the benefit, but even a very long movement - for example, 3 feet or more - will help those who can not make a shorter travel.

On the other hand, when a person is able to make a short movement, a long movement impairs vision. The roll of the letter is evidence that the movement is being done correctly, and when this happens, the vision is always improving. You can move your eyes without improving your eyesight, but to create the illusion of pitching letters without improvement is impossible. When this can be done with a long displacement, the movement can be gradually reduced until the person can move the sight from the top of the smallest letters on the check table to their bottom( or something else), while maintaining the illusion of pitching. Later, he will be able to realize the pitching of letters without consciously moving his gaze.

Regardless of the degree of vision perfection, as long as the previous fixation point is seen worse, there is always the possibility to move and to swing. Even diplopia and polyopia( correspondingly, a vision of double and multiple images) does not prevent swinging with some improvement in vision. Usually the eye with imperfect vision is able to move from one edge of the check table to the other or from some point on its top to the point at the bottom of the table and observe while in the first case the table seems to move from side to side, and in the second case- Up and down.

When people suffer a high degree of eccentric fixation, in order to see the previous fixation point worse after shifting from it, you can use some methods. However, usually people who can not be seen worse when moving to remote sites can easily achieve this near, since their vision at this point is better than in any other, not only with myopia, but often with hypermetropia. When the swing effect is reached at the near point, the distance can be gradually increased until the same thing can be done from a distance of 20 feet.

Movements and illusions of rocking are often more successfully achieved by giving your eyes a rest by closing them or by making a palm. By this method of alternating eye rest with moving movements, people with very imperfect eyesight sometimes achieved temporary or permanent vision improvement within a few weeks.

Moving can be done slowly or quickly, depending on the state of view. At first, a person will probably strain, if he makes the move too fast. In this case, the point at which it moves will not be seen worse. Will not be seen and no pitching. As the state improves, the speed can be increased. However, it's usually impossible to realize the pitching of an object, if the movement is faster than 2-3 times per second.

The mental image of any letter, as a rule, can be made exactly the same as the letter from the check table. For most people, the mental swaying of an object at first is easier than visual( although there are people who have the opposite).When they learn how to swing letters in this way, it will be easier for them to swing letters on the checklist. The alternation of mental and visual swings and movements can sometimes lead to rapid progress. As the relaxation deepens, the amplitude of the mental swing can be reduced until it becomes possible to imagine and swing a letter the size of a point in the newspaper. When this can be done, in execution it is easier than the buildup of a capital letter. Many people benefited greatly.

All people, regardless of the magnitude of the refraction anomaly, correct it partially or completely( as confirmed by the retinoscope) for at least a fraction of a second when they manage to successfully carry out the movement and swing. This time may not be enough for a person to realize an improvement in vision, but he can imagine this, which will facilitate the preservation of relaxation long enough to realize an improved vision. For example, looking first away from the check table, a person can again look at the large beech "C" on it. In this case, for a fraction of a second the refraction anomaly may decrease or be corrected, as shown by the retinoscope. However, he may not realize the improved vision. However, realizing that the letter "C" is visible better, the relaxation can be prolonged sufficiently to have time to realize it.

When swaying, mental or visual, successfully, a person can experience a feeling of relaxation, which manifests itself in the form of a sense of universal swing. This feeling is associated with any object that is realized( felt) by a person. This movement can be represented in any part of the body to which attention is directed. It can be tied to a chair on which a person is sitting, or with any object in the room, or with anything else that comes to mind. The building, the city, the whole world may seem to be swinging. When a person realizes this universal swing, he loses the memory of the object from which it began. But while he is able to maintain the sensation of such a movement in the direction opposite to the true movement of the eyes, or the movement represented mentally, the relaxation will persist. However, if the direction of this movement changes, then there will be a voltage. Presenting a universal swing with closed eyes is easy. Some people soon manage to do this with their eyes open. Later, the sense of relaxation that accompanies the swing can be achieved without comprehending the latter, whereas the swing effect can always be achieved only when the person thinks of it.

There is only one reason for failure in achieving the illusion of swing. This cause is tension. Some people try to force the letter to swing. Such efforts always end in nothing. The eyes and the brain do not swing the letters, they swing by themselves. The eye can move arbitrarily. It is a muscular act that is the result of a motor impulse. Rocking will come by itself, "gravity", if the movement is normal. It does not create relaxation, but it is his testimony. Despite the fact that in itself it has no value, it is valuable in that, like a point, it serves as an indicator that relaxation is preserved.

In various cases, the following displacement methods were found to be useful:

N 1

a) look at any letter on the check table;

b) move to another letter on the same line at a sufficient distance from the first, so that it could be seen worse;

c) Look again at the first letter, seeing the second worse;

d) alternately look at these letters for a few seconds, seeing worse than that letter, which is not aimed at.

When this exercise can be done, the vision of both letters improves. They thus seem to move from side to side( swinging) in the direction opposite to the movement of the eye. A) look at some big letter;

b) Look at the smaller letter at a sufficiently large distance from it. The big letter will then be seen worse;C) look again at the big letter and see it better;D) repeat 6 times.

When this exercise succeeds, the vision of both letters improves, and the checklist seems to move up and down.

N 3

Moving with the methods described above allows a person to see one letter on the line better than other letters, and usually allows you to distinguish it with glimpses. In order to see this letter continuously, it is necessary to learn how to move from its top to the bottom and from the bottom of the letter to its top, seeing a worse part not considered directly, and creating the illusion of rocking:

a) look up above the letter to a point sufficiently remotefrom the top of the letter to see its bottom or the whole letter worse;

b) Look down from the letter to a point sufficiently far from the bottom of the letter to see its top or the whole letter worse;C) Repeat 6 times.

If this succeeds, the letter will seem to be swinging up and down, and vision will improve. This movement can then be reduced until you can move between the top and bottom of the letter, keeping the swing. The letter will now be visible permanently. If this method does not succeed, let your eyes rest, do the palming and repeat the exercise again.

You can also practice moving from one side of a letter to a point on the other side of the other side or from one corner of the letter to a point at a different angle. AD) look at any letter from a distance from which it is seen best. With myopia this distance is a foot and less than that from the face. Move from top to bottom of the letter until you can alternately see each of them worse, the letter does not seem blacker than before, and there will be an illusion of rocking;

B) close your eyes and move mentally from the top of the letter to the bottom;

c) look, opening your eyes, on a blank empty wall and repeat the point( b).Compare the ability to mentally move and exercise the swing with the ability to do the same visually at the near point;D) then look at this letter in the distance and move from its top to its bottom. If this works, then the vision of the letter will improve and an illusion of rocking will appear.

N 5

Some people( especially children) can see better when someone points to letters. In other cases, it's the other way around, distracting. If the pointing method proves to be useful, then it is recommended to proceed as follows:

a) let someone put the tip of your finger three or four inches below the letter. Then to the person restoring his vision, it is necessary to look at this letter and move to the tip of the finger, seeing the letter worse;

b) shorten the distance between the finger and the letter first to two to three inches, then one to two, and finally to half an inch, each time as indicated in( a).

If this succeeds, the patient will be able to translate the view from the top to the bottom of the letter and back, seeing alternately each of them worse and creating the illusion of swinging. Then it becomes possible to see the letter continuously.

N 6

It often happens that when you look bad at a letter, some of the big letters on the lines above this or the big letter "C" at the very top of the table appear blacker than the letter in question. This makes impossible the ideal vision of smaller letters. To get rid of this eccentric fixation, look at the letter that is better visible, and move to the smaller letter. If you succeed, the small letter will appear blacker in a few moments than the larger one. If, after several attempts, this can not be achieved, let the eyes rest, closing them and making a palm, and then try to get it again. You can also move from the capital letter to a point at a distance below the small letter, gradually approaching it as the vision improves.

N 7

It is often useful to remove from the test table from a distance of 3-5 feet to a distance of 10-20 feet, since the unconscious memory of the letter seen at the near point helps to identify it at a further distance.

Different people will find different methods of movement more or less acceptable to themselves. If any method fails after one or two attempts, it should be discarded and you should try to apply something else. It would be erroneous to continue the application of the method, which does not give quick results. The cause of failure in such cases is tension, but this is not good.

If you do not have the opportunity to train with a test table, you can use other objects. You can, for example, move from one window of a building to another, from one part of the window to another part of it, from one car to another, or from one part of the car to another, creating in each case the illusion of movement of objects in the direction opposite to the movement of the eyes. When talking with people, you can translate the view from one person to another or one part of the face to the other. Reading a book or a newspaper, you can, with the knowledge of this, move from one word to another, from one letter or part of it to another.

Moving and swaying, as they give a person the ability to do something specific, often more successfully achieve the goal than other methods of gaining relaxation. In a number of cases, excellent results have been achieved by simply showing that a closer look impairs vision, and a shift in sight improves it. One of my patients, a girl of sixteen with progressing myopia, was very quickly cured by the method of displacement. She came to my office with glasses, painted in pale yellow with darkening on the sides. Despite such protection, the light so much annoyed her that she almost completely closed her eyes and could hardly find her way in the room. Her vision without glasses was 3/200.Any reading frightened her, playing the piano on notes was simply impossible. She had to part with her college entrance plans.

The sensitivity of her eyes to light was reduced in a few minutes with the help of sun treatment. Then she was put in front of the test table and asked to look away from her, give her eyes a rest and then look at the big letter "C".For a split second her eyesight improved. Repeated presentations made it clear to her that any effort to see the letters always impairs vision. Alternately looking to the side, and then back to the letters for a split second, her vision improved so quickly that over a half-hour course it became almost normal for the distance.

Then she was given the font to read the diamond. The attempt to read it immediately inflicted severe pain on her. Then she was asked to do the same thing as when she read the checklist. For several minutes, alternately looking to the side, and then to the first letter of each word in turn, she was able to read without any feeling of fatigue, discomfort or pain. She left the office, having already removed her glasses and easily finding her way. Also, other patients quickly benefited from this simple method.