jankp's Full Review: Thomas Quackenbush - Relearning to See: Improve Yo...
With seven sections, thirty-one chapters, seven appendices, 506 pages in total and numerous pictures, graphs and charts, Thomas Quackenbush’s mind-boggling treatment of Dr. William Bates’ natural method of vision improvement, Relearning To See, has given me much to be excited about. I looked up this large-sized book out of curiosity when member melissasrn related her Lasik eye surgery experience and commented that her doctor warned her that she would need reading glasses, I think, down the road. Now after reading this titillary tome, I know that it’s because Melissa’s underlying vision problems of nearsightedness have not been corrected, but only covered up. (See page 90-91 for more info) To help you understand this, I must dispel, with Quackenbush’s blessing, many myths we’ve been led to believe by conventional optometrists.
First let me point out that this book is not written solely for optometrists or doctors in the vision field. It is primarily written for people of all ages and occupations who experience blurry vision, are not satisfied with corrective ‘machines’ as Bates called glasses and contact lenses, and would like to enjoy better or normal vision as they did when children. I rarely experience blurriness now after not using my glasses or contact lens for many years (I hadn‘t even read Bates!), but my vision could always be better and I’m sure it can be now that I understand how I see and what causes blurriness.
The first myth is that everyone will suffer poor vision (presbyopia, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and other degenerative vision problems) because of heredity, age, hardened eye lenses or the stress of living. The truth is that vision problems are caused by eyestrain which is caused by incorrect vision habits.
The second myth is that the Bates’ method involves eye exercises. Indeed he and Quackenbush constantly reprove their natural vision students for making any effort to see instead of relaxing their minds, necks and eyes as much as possible. Normal vision can only occur in a relaxed state. Our eye muscles don’t need strengthening; we need to relearn throughout our waking hours better vision habits.
The third myth is that corrective eyewear or surgery will address our vision problems caused by eyestrain. Eyestrain reshapes our eyeballs, causing elongation in myopes (near sights), foreshortening in farsights and an oval shape in astigmatics. The lens of the eye does not cause error of refraction; the cornea does, which is flattened with surgery (but the eyeball's shape remains misshapened).
The fourth myth is that we cannot correct vision problems through better vision habits. If they were caused by eyestrain (and most are), they can be. This may take weeks, months or a few years at the most.
So what are these correct vision habits, huh? Are we talking about not working so much at the computer or not reading or watching TV so much? No, we are not. Relearning To See does give excellent advice on how to greatly reduce eyestrain while doing those activities (reading by children and adults is given much attention), but the advice goes much deeper to the core of our vision problems. It goes against logic and what American society has taught us since at least the beginning of last century when Bates was practicing ophthalmology.
The easiest, important habit to get into is frequent, soft blinking. Yes, you read that right. You should be blinking every two to four seconds, more in windy conditions and while reading, to lubricate, rest, protect and shift the eye. Blinking often prevents staring, which is the worst vision habit and a major cause of eyestrain and vision problems. Constant movement rests the eyes.
The other important habits, all of which get their own chapter, are learning to centralize or focus rather than diffusing and to breathe from your abdomen. I’m not going to explain these because you really need to read the book and try the eye games suggested to understand how to centralize and follow the pictures to understand abdominal breathing if you don’t already. I’ve always breathed that way and I think I’ve always centralized too.
The roles of nutrition and sunlight are also covered, the latter most intriguingly. Bates despised sunglasses and points out that tennis players wear hats on bright days, not sunglasses. There are great health benefits to our eyes from sunlight and he teaches us how to adapt to bright light if we’re sensitive to it. I also found the comparisons of artificial light sources very helpful.
Final Comments
Many optometrists and natural vision students have in detail praised the Bates’ method in Relearning To See and some optometrists are today helping people improve their vision by reducing their prescriptions as Bates advised. I want to note that Bates prematurely published his book, Perfect Sight Without Glasses, in 1920 because he honed his method in the following years as he published his magazine, Better Eyesight. Quackenbush quotes much from both sources as well as other natural vision writers or teachers. Please also realize that the Bates’ method is an educational one and is non-medical. The author advises you to see an optometrist for serious vision problems.
I haven’t even mentioned how vision is a right-brain function and that our vision problems stem from our living in a left-brained society. People may very well become dyslexic because they are right-brained people confused by being forced to adjust to left-brained ways of doing or thinking and many headaches are caused by this and/or eyestrain. There is much I haven’t mentioned that is quite interesting, such as how cameras are similar to or different from the eye and how reptiles and nocturnal birds have a third, transparent eye, and is bound to be very helpful to people with certain vision or relaxation problems.
I’m sorry to say that the only people that cannot be helped by the Bates’ method are (small children and) people who have had corrective, laser surgery like Melissa. I hope that the rest of you will begin to improve your vision by purchasing this invaluable, in-depth book and incorporating the correct habits of normal vision.
As Bates frequently reminded us, how we see is a measure of how we live. To be able to see well, we need a supportive attitude and lifestyle. Aldous Huxley, writer of Brave New World and The Art of Seeing, relearned correct vision habits from Bates and is mentioned once in a while by Quackenbush. While I hated BNW, I do think I’ll check out his other book and another one recommended by Quackenbush. I am no optometrist, but the technical information in Relearning To See was comprehendable with concentration and convincing like his and Bates’ advice.
Here’s to better vision (and more yawning and blinking)!
In this accessible presentation of the famous Bates method, Thomas R. Quackenbush (who teaches the Bates method in California and Oregon) describes ho...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.