Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Blip page bad for your eyes?

So I recently bought a book called Relearning to See. The book is a ~500 page study on improving eyesight naturally via the Bates Method. Of the three central tenents, centralization of vision - the opposite of divergent vision (photofocus)step - is one. Furhter, the book states that using divergent (or in the book, diffused) vision is harmful to the eyes and one of the main reasons that people experience blurred vision.

I know I'm stepping on one of the main principles of PR, and this is not meant to flame the board, but I'm very concerned about my eyesight, which is quite poor. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I ordered the PR system and have been using it for a few months. I love it, have received good results and want to continue. However, I'm still unconvinced on the Photoreading step, and believe the most important aspect of the program is the multile pass through approach, which can be used without the Photofocus step.

I admit that I just bought Relearning to See and have not had it long enough to try natural vision improvement; thus, I cannot validate the concepts promoted in the book.

I have a book that is about the Bates method... not as long as yours, though. It is called "improve your eyesight" by Johnathan Barnes.

In it you are asked to use divergent gaze specifically to train focus:

[e.g.: draw a stick figure (without a hat) on one half of a piece of paper, then 2 to 6 inches over draw a hat (without a stick figure - thus, put the hat where it WOULD be, had you drawn a stick figure), then use divergent gaze to see the stick-figure with a hat in one image
...another one is to draw two slashes which when you diverge becomes an X
...a third example is taking two crayons or pens, e.g. one blue and one red and then diverging just enough that they are superposed on eachother. Then practice seeing first one colour then the other without shifting your focus]

Kosmik

One of the side effects from PhotoReading is that a few people have noticed it improved their eyesight. When exercising the muscle we benefit when we hold the muscle in a certain position too long we tend to harm them.

Photoreading requires the divergant gaze for about 5 minutes to a book, after that we do a short postview with our focused vision. So in effect we are exercising our eye muscles.

I agree if you hold your eyes in a peripheral focus all the time you would have blurred vision, that's why the print is often blurred when in photofocus

Alex

quote:

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Originally posted by Woody:
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However, I'm still unconvinced on the Photoreading step, and believe the most important aspect of the program is the multile pass through approach, which can be used without the Photofocus step.

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Borrow a book that someone has read but you have not. Just do the PhotoReading step after a short prepare, no preview then PhotoRead. Let it incubate 20 minutes or overnight and then have the person ask you questions about the book. Make the questions s yes or no or multiple choice. You'll be surprised what you learned from the book by just photoreading it.

Having experienced spontaeous activation, answered questions and talked about information that was in a book and only photoread. I know from experience the photoreading step is a vital part of the system. Activation is so much faster as a result of photoreading and some cases for me a 10 minute Postview fully activates the book for me. Something that is not possible from multiple superreading and dipping balone. I've spent 10 or more minutes with many books in a book store and never gained the level of knowledge or insight about the subject that I gain through photoreading books.

Alex

Well, I am still new to PR (a couple months though I do every chance I can) and i just starting reading the book on vision (which I photoread).

I wonder if vision would improve if I practiced both centralization and divergent gazing (what I would be doing in Photofocus anyway)? I have noticed that in the PR book, Scheele says that one should never strain and should relax, that one should not try to defocus. Relaxing is THE central premise of natural vision enhancement, so the methods don't seem exclusionary.

I enjoy photoreading and think it has merit. I hope to find a way to reconcile this issue. However, the Bates method specifically says that techniques geared to increase peripheral perception and see everything at once, are harmful to the eyes and increase strain.

Win Wenger, who promots PR, has said that a way to increase intelligence is to continuously focus on a specific point, then move to another, then move again. This "stick and move" technique is also recommended in Relearning to See. I'll continue to look into the issue and post more questions/answers as I come across them.

Woody, could you elaborate a little bit on the 'Stick and move' exercise? I'd like to try it out. Thanks.

Hey, could someone help me clarify something?

When I relax my eyes while PRing, my blip page can actually expand really wide to the point that it may strain a little. I just wonder if anybody has experience with this.

Yes, you can force the blip page to become very wide. "Force" is not recommended. In fact from time to time I deliberately PhotoRead without the blip page using only a soft gaze noticing the white of the page and the imaginary X technique, it's just as effective.

The blip page is only a key guide that you have photofocus it is a gentle gaze.

I've never come across the Bates system but years ago I've played with expanding my peripheral vision. The say that you can only recognise black and white in the outer limits. In the beginning I agreed but now I notice that I recognise colour in the outer regions just as well so I guess it's a case of using it.

I agree force is harmful. I consider the muscles of the eye much more delicate than say the muscles of the limbs where one can persistantly use a bit of force to strenghten the muscles. I never forced the periperal vision I just played with it from time to time now and again. Never to the point of tiredness.

Alex