Rico
Senior Member.
I am not sure if this quite belongs in the quackery section, though it does fall neatly into the alternative therapy category, and is something I am seriously hoping to get some skeptical opinion on. To be honest, the act of improving one's own vision naturally is something I am not entirely too keen on having debunked. I myself suffer from myopia/nearsightedness, where I cannot quite see things at a distance clearly. It is not bad enough to invalidate my aviation medical (thank god, but I wear glasses), but it is a condition that I had always hoped to improve without the more blunt and expensive methods like Lasik surgery. That said, there are a lot of information out there on methods such as "The Bates Method" or "Plus Lense Therapy" that make strong claims where one can completely discard their glasses and see clearly at 20/20.
Has anyone encountered these methods before?
There are sites a plenty out there that try to profit from such methods all with the promise of perfect vision. There are books, videos, and other resources like pinhole glasses that are available.
The most popular method seems to be the Bates Method. It was a method proposed in 1891, and a lot of the niche areas of the Internet and bookstores seem to refer to that method. Modern day scams and adaptations seems to cite the Bates method as well. Upon closer examination, the method doesn't seem harmful (mostly about seeing properly and relaxing the eyes), so I tried learning it myself. I don't see much results, personally, so this leads me to believe that either I haven't mastered the method, certain aspects of my life are incompatible, or in fact, the method just doesn't actually work.
I did encounter some free forums out there where there are people claiming that they have, in fact, restored their vision using the Bates Method or other techniques--and given that it's free, I am sure there are honest folk out there who believe in the system. Sites like iblindness.org contains some members who claim that such methods worked for them.
So when it comes down to it, I am just curious what some of you think about these methods. Are they all rubbish? Do some carry merit? Is there hope?
Has anyone encountered these methods before?
There are sites a plenty out there that try to profit from such methods all with the promise of perfect vision. There are books, videos, and other resources like pinhole glasses that are available.
The most popular method seems to be the Bates Method. It was a method proposed in 1891, and a lot of the niche areas of the Internet and bookstores seem to refer to that method. Modern day scams and adaptations seems to cite the Bates method as well. Upon closer examination, the method doesn't seem harmful (mostly about seeing properly and relaxing the eyes), so I tried learning it myself. I don't see much results, personally, so this leads me to believe that either I haven't mastered the method, certain aspects of my life are incompatible, or in fact, the method just doesn't actually work.
I did encounter some free forums out there where there are people claiming that they have, in fact, restored their vision using the Bates Method or other techniques--and given that it's free, I am sure there are honest folk out there who believe in the system. Sites like iblindness.org contains some members who claim that such methods worked for them.
So when it comes down to it, I am just curious what some of you think about these methods. Are they all rubbish? Do some carry merit? Is there hope?