“Health comes to a person through the eyes.” We have repeatedly seen the truth of the words of the remarkable Russian scientist I.M. Sechenov. After all, sometimes just one glance at a loved one, nature, the sun is enough—and fatigue, irritation, melancholy, and even physical pain disappear without a trace…
We can tell a lot about a person by their eyes: whether they are healthy or sick, calm or excited, interested or indifferent, happy or sad, truthful or dishonest. By their eyes, we recognize an old friend, even one who has changed greatly. By their eyes, we “judge” intelligence, charm, and beauty. After all, eyes are the “calling card” of our personality.
How often, when describing the “work of the mind” in a given situation, do we use “visual” verbal constructions: “to see the essence”, “obviously”, “insight”, “despite”, “point (angle) of view”, etc. Clarity, clarity, sharpness simultaneously serve as characteristics of both perfect vision and an excellent mind: “a clear head”, “a sharp mind”, “a diamond eye”.
The eyes and brain are directly connected. On the one hand, the brain recognizes, analyzes, and transforms the information received through the eyes. On the other hand, the result of the brain's work (be it memory or an immediate reaction) influences the work of the eyes: what we look at and how clearly and distinctly we see it. For example, when we are inspired and passionate about something, our mind works quickly and clearly, and our eyes see sharply and clearly. Conversely, when we are bored, stubborn, or tired, our minds become dull, and our eyes become completely blind. A clear interdependence emerges (especially noticeable in negative situations): if we see worse, we understand worse; if we understand worse, we become nervous, tired, or bored, and we see worse.
Is there a solution? Where to begin? With vision correction (choosing glasses) or with analyzing the causes of its deterioration? The cause lies in our restless psyche. After all, a “bad head” gives rest not only to the legs but also to the eyes. This is explored in a very figurative and original way in the book “Improving Vision Without Glasses” by the renowned American ophthalmologist and pioneer of a new method for the prevention and treatment of common vision disorders (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and strabismus), W.G. Bates. The Bates Method has stood the test of time (the book was written in 1920), has been developed (with many schools and followers worldwide), and has helped countless people (beginning with Bates himself).
My vision has deteriorated. What should I do? Let's start with the most common solution (and, most importantly, the easiest and most quickly achievable)—buy glasses. The question is, which ones? After all, “optical crutches” are a static concept, while our eyes, by contrast, are in a state of constant change. Research has shown that visual anomalies (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) are not constant; they can appear and disappear, even transforming into one another within a single day. People with visual impairments have periods when their vision returns to normal, while those with normal vision experience “bouts” of impairment. And this “inconstancy” of our eyes is a consequence of the fickleness of our psyche.
Central fixation is the ability to see best what you are looking at directly. The retina has an area of maximum sensitivity called the fovea, and visual acuity decreases with distance. A characteristic symptom of visual impairment is loss of central fixation. This means the eye cannot clearly see the object it is focused on, but can clearly distinguish objects located at some distance. Eyes with central fixation not only see perfectly but can also work for very long periods without fatigue. They are open and calm. Facial muscles are also relaxed, and wrinkles and dark circles do not appear around the eyes. Central fixation of the eyes is only possible when central fixation of the mind is achieved. Central fixation improves the function of all organs and systems, alleviates functional and organic eye diseases, and enhances the senses of touch, hearing, taste, and smell.
“The eyes are designed to see, and if they're open and not seeing, it indicates tremendous strain.” Numerous observations by ophthalmologists have confirmed Bates's fundamental thesis: the eye sees well only when relaxed, and any strain causes visual impairment. When a healthy eye is relaxed, it functions properly: it flattens, shortening its axis when looking at distant objects, and lengthens when looking at close objects. The extraocular muscles are responsible for this process. Strain prevents them from responding adequately. And if glasses take over the eye's work, the eye muscles are completely “unemployed” and gradually weaken.
In our stressful age, vision impairments are occurring not only in humans but also in pets. “A nervous dog with normal vision was given a piece of meat to sniff. The dog became excited, alert, and wagged its tail. The meat was moved away and placed in a box. A flicker of excitement flashed in the dog's eyes. It strained to see what had become of the meat. At that moment, a vision test revealed that the dog had become nearsighted.”
Eye strain is a consequence of mental stress. Observe yourself. When we're agitated, irritated, utter harsh words in anger, or harbor resentful, vengeful thoughts, our facial expressions change—our eyes squint, and our gaze becomes heavy and tense. And what do our eyes look like after we cry? Even in a state of “harmless” emotion, such as an eloquent moralizing, we sometimes turn into “wood grouse” or “blind people,” because we hear and see nothing and no one but ourselves. “Fear has big eyes,” but that doesn't make them see any better. Small children see well when their mothers are nearby, but as soon as the mother leaves, fear makes the child nearsighted. Another enemy of good vision is lying. In numerous experiments, subjects were asked to lie verbally or mentally, and the eye-monitoring device always showed visual impairment. For example, when a 25-year-old man with normal vision talked or imagined himself to be 24 or 26, he became nearsighted. And one more thing. Our eyes, or rather our psyche, prefer to interact with what is familiar, easy, and pleasant. When the eye examines an unfamiliar object, a visual anomaly is always registered. Everyone has noticed that interesting work tires the eyes much less than boring and difficult work. Many children can perfectly discern the letters of their favorite novel all night long under the covers with a flashlight, without feeling tired or a headache. And the day before at school, they can't see what the teacher has written on the board. Moreover, as ophthalmologists have shown using special devices, children don't pretend to be nearsighted; they actually become nearsighted while trying to read uninteresting and incomprehensible writing.
Interest, memory, and vision are interconnected. We see better and remember things that interest us. Boredom dramatically impairs both memory and vision. One girl with unusually keen vision (she could see Jupiter's moons with the naked eye) also possessed an astonishing memory: she could, for example, read a book once and recount its contents word for word. But if this girl was asked to solve a math problem (which she disliked) or read numbers, she became nearsighted. It turns out that when we are inspired by a task, when we feel interested in it, not only the psyche but also the eyes are rested (but by no means idle). But all this is theory. The book by Bates and his student M.D. Corbett is also remarkable in that it offers very simple and effective advice on how to help your eyes do what they were designed for—look and see.