Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Pete Bissonette Q. -- Divergence vs. "cross-eyed" divergence?

I have a question concerning divergence. There are two ways to diverge the eyes. It all depends on the focal point.

Divergence 1.
Two objects in your view. Object1 in back of Object2. Your focus is on object1, while object 2 happens to be in front of the object1.

(object1)
Object 1 is in focus.

(object2)
Object 2 is in divergence.

(left eyeball) (right eyeball)
eyeballs going outward.

Divergence2.
Your eyeballs come together rather than go outward. Not really to the extreme of an actual cross-eyed (which i think causes a feeling nausea), but enough to keep a diverged state.

(object 1)
Not important.

(object 2)
Is in divergence

(kind of like looking at an imaginary object IN FRONT of object 2 rather than having your focal point IN BACK of object 2 [the focus then being on object 1, in relation to this diagram])

(r. eyeball) (left eyeball)
eyeballs come inward a bit, rather than outward.

The "Magic Eye" 3d illustrations which uses the divergence technique acknowledges both divergence method. It calls the second divergence method the "cross-eyed technique." Using the cross-eyed technique, however, the 3d images come out inverted (it pops down rather than pop-up).

For me, I have been praciticing trying to get the wide focal point divergence (divergence 1 in my examples), but the cross-eyed divergence technique is very easy for me to do and i am able to keep that state as long as i want (and i haven't noticed any signs of nausea using the cross-eyed method).

Is there any downside in using the close/narrow focal point divergence (cross-eyed technique). Will that hinder the wholemindsystem in any way?

I can literally have the text come so close together and pop out from the pages using the cross-eyed technique. However, the wide eyed divergence is much harder for me to hold, and getting the text to pop out and verge together is reduced when compared to what I can do using the cross-eyed technique.

Your input?

Thanks. =]

Hi justmarvin,
Divergence2 (as you call it), is actually a convergence of your eyes and is not desireable for PRing because convergence can cause eye strain by overworking the tiny muscles of the eye creating headaches. With practice true divergence is easy and very relaxing.

Sincerely,
Gregory

Thanks Gregory for the reply.

I've searched earlier topics on this board and read the discussions concerning this.

I am getting the hang of divergence.

However, concerning Convergence, as you defined it, I understand how you can strain your eyes IF done improperly.

I can 'converge' my eyes any time desired. What I do is simply evoke a relaxed soft gaze and let the object or written text diverge (split a part, or pop-out/come-together when it comes to a book). There is no strain whatsoever and I can hold this type of view for as long as I want. It's a relaxed soft gaze state that does the same thing as divergence. How do I know the difference if it's exactly the same thing? Well, first of all I sense the focal point going slightly inward than remaining straight or going outward. Secondly, I could simply grab a "Magic Eye 3d" book that is composed of 3d images by method of diverging the eyes... and i can enter the state of relaxed convergence where the images pop-inward rather than outward.

Well nonetheless I've gotten better at diverging my eyes. I guess as one of the learning strategies admin's stated, i'll just see what works best for me.

Exactly, after mastering all of the basics, experiment to see what works best for you.

Good luck. I'm loving the system and glad I could help in some small way.

A possible explination why convergence is easier than divergence:

People eyes are often slightly misaligned. My right eye is slightly up and out from my left by about 1.0 deg IIRC. When I relax my eyes they tend naturally to diverge. I wonder if yours could be slightly convergent?

on a side note/question, I was just turned onto PR and am just now starting.

I have a very strong stigmatism and am finding difficulty entering the photo focus state with my glasses on (the words never quite come back into clearity), but they do when I remove my glasses and bring the book to about 5" from my face. What I've noticed though is that only one of my eyes come back into clearity the other remains ot and feels similar to a regular focus on the page. I should possibly mention that my eyes are about 2600 in both eyes and have a dual prisim which they are sensitive to. Hense removing the glasses and the 5" focal length.

Can anyone offer suggestions? glasses on/off? distance to page?

Best regards,

EBo --

ebo,

You can do the PhotoReading step with your glasses on or off. Whichever way is more comfortable for you. As long as you are giving your awareness to the outside borders of your peripheral vision and the outside white margins in your book, all of the patterns of text will be imprinted in your "other-than-conscious" mind. And, hold your book about a foot or so away from your head while flipping.