(Response to a question by Orbital in the "Blip Page Harmful to Eyes" thread.)
Orbital, the excerpt from Win Wenger I haven't read in years, and I was super reading and dipping through Relearning to See last night when I came across it the same concept.
The principle is two fold:
1. Centrilize the focus on one thing. This DOES NOT mean strain, just the opposite. It means relax but only try to see one particular object, the smaller the better. Don't try to see clearly with your peripheral vision. As a hunter once told me when bowhunting: "Don't look at the animal, look at his chest. Don't aim for his chest, pick one spot. Don't just pick one spot, pick an individual hair. Focus that specificly."
2. Move. Do not stare!! Focus on a point, then move to another, etc. the movement should be fluid, not rushed and jerky, and should incorporate different distances. RELAX.
Supposedly, their is a link to clarity of vision, specificity of focus, and memory. Focusing on a small and specific object, promotes clarity of vision, and promotes memory. The book list examples of people with extraordinary sight and equally powerful memories. I cannot attest the validity of this "exercise;" I can only relate what I have read.
This somewhat reminds me of an old trick I heard on how to develop a photographic memory. Look at something, then close your eyes and try to visualize what you were looking at, repeat over and over for 10 minutes a day until the image you create in your mind is crystal clear. Once again, never tried it.
I don't know what length of time constitutes staring (i.e. 5 seconds, 10 seconds) The key is to never strain.
I'll try to post as I read more of the book on natural eyesight. However, it seems that good eyesight directly relates to memory. This is relevant to reading in my opinion.
The stick and move drill seems to be similar to skittering in PR.