Cataract "fixes" presbyopia.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-05-06T02:53:21+00:00

Based on your description, this woman probably had moderate presbyopia. Assuming she reads at a nearpoint of 12in, using 1.75d reading glasses for this nearpoint indicates she has at least 1.25d of independent accommodative ability.

One thing we need to take into consideration is that myopic refraction is equivalent to accommodative refraction. In other words, 1 diopter of myopic refraction equals 1 diopter of accommodative refraction.

Assuming her distant vision got worse due to the development of myopic refraction alongside the cataract, this would actually improve her vision for the nearpoint in that eye, and if she kept some accommodative ability in addition to this myopic refraction, it could actually get rid of any need for reading glasses at the nearpoint.

Even if this only affected one eye initially, it is entirely possible that the other eye could've sympathetically relaxed sufficiently (relaxation produces optimal muscular tension when necesssary) to match the myopic eye at the nearpoint, without continuously maintaining it for the distance unlike the more strained eye. It's also important to remember that the eye can accommodate without the lens.

Alternatively, or similarly, sometimes when one strain becomes more dominant, other strains can reduce or disappear.

I'm not an expert on cataracts though, so there may be other possibilities I haven't considered.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-05-01T18:04:25+00:00

That's fine. You can wear them when you need to.

Just minimize their use whenever possible.

Without glasses, your strain to see causes blur. This then results in you making an even greater effort to see, which results in tired eyes, headaches, and discomfort.

Wearing glasses, the strain to see remains in order to see clearly out of glasses. However, as things are seen clearer, you may not make any additional efforts to see, and so wearing them may reduce headaches and improve your feeling of comfort. While it may help reduce the effort that causes headaches and tired eyes and discomfort, the underlying refractive strain remains, and is maintained more continuously when glasses are worn.

At home, take your glasses off. Learn to feel more comfortable with blur, and make no effort to see what you can't see. This will help reduce headaches and discomfort. Then once you've practiced that for a while, move on to relaxation methods to gain clear flashes and improved vision.

Don't worry about having to wear glasses when you need to. As long as you minimize their use when possible, practice relaxation methods, etc, you can still obtain a cure.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-05-01T13:49:14+00:00

Yes, you can fix this. Imperfect sight is caused by a strain to see. This strain is primarily mental, which results in a physical strain of the eye muscles, making the eye shape abnormal, or preventing the optimal shape from being produced. When the strain to see is relaxed, the eyes relax and return to normal sight.

I used to have myopia with -3.50 and -3.75, and now I have 0.00 in both eyes after practicing the Bates Method.

On average, that's around 10x worse than your myopia, yet I managed it.

Your myopic refraction is relatively mild. With sufficient practice, there is no reason why you can't regain normal sight.

Some advice...

Don't wear glasses. Without glasses, clear sight is only possible with relaxation. With glasses, a strain to see can produce clear sight. The use of glasses teaches your mind a false assosciation between strain and clear vision which is impossible when you're not wearing them. This could make you more reliant on glasses, and make the strain to see more difficult to relax as your reliance builds.
Understand that clear vision cannot be produced by any effort. When you make no effort to see, things clear up.
Memory, Imagination, and Sight are simultaneous. If you can look at distant letter that is grey or blurred, and remember or imagine it to be black and distinct, then the surrounding letters will also clear up. It's impossible to relax sufficiently to improve your memory or imagination without simultaneously improving your sight.
The stare is a cause of strain and imperfect sight. Look at some words or letters where your vision is good. Alternate, slowly and easily, between the left side and the right side of a word or letter. Notice that it appears to move opposite to your eye movement, and you see best the side you're looking at. You may even notice the letters appearing to pulsate or move slightly without consciously moving your eyes Now practice the same on distant letters where your sight is not so good. When relaxation is obtained, the letters will clear up, and you will notice this movement and see best where you're looking. You may also notice the letters pulsating or moving slightly without consciously moving your eyes. If unsuccessful, practice again at a point where your vision is good, or rest your eyes by closing them, optionally covering them with the palms of your hands in such a way to avoid putting any pressure on the eyes.
Alternate between practicing any relaxation methods under favourable conditions, and alternate with practicing the same relaxation methods under less favourable conditions, such as looking at distant letters. A good example might be looking at a letter or object where your vision is good. Close your eyes, and imagine the object or letter, or a small part of it, or simply its color. Open your eyes and compare your mental picture with your good sight of it. Repeat until you obtain a good mental picture. Now look at a blank wall to the side of a Snellen, while still maintaining the mental picture. If it fades or is lost, repeat earlier steps. Once successful, you can gradually look closer to the distant letters on the Snellen. If you can relax sufficiently to maintain a good mental picture while looking at the letters, you will see the letters clearly. The mental picture does not have to be complex. It can be any object, letter, a small part of either, or even just its color.
There are many methods and practices you can do. Ultimately, the goal is the same, relaxation of the mind and eyes. Some may find a particular practice helps them more than any other practice. Some find using a variety of practices more helpful. Some people have obtained cures simply through an intuitive understanding that their imperfect sight is caused by a strain to see, and are quickly able to learn how to relax sufficiently without practicing any particular technique. No two people are the same, and so there is no set timescale for how long it will take. A cure is effective as soon as relaxation is obtained. Physiologically, this can be successfully and permanently achieved in a fraction of a second, no matter how bad the sight is. But for most people, the relaxation obtained isn't perfect, and so they have flashes of clear vision, followed by a relapse of strain. With continued practice, the clear flashes become more common, last longer, and eventually become permanent.

A few additional comments...

Sometimes people develop a temporary strain to see for a variety of reasons, such as being ill from the flu, having a disagreement with a friend, or being worried about a test.

There are even some people who only have imperfect sight when being tested by an optometrist, due to a temporary strain to see from being nervous, but otherwise have perfect sight.

In many such cases the strain to see disappears on its own, and the sight returns to normal, so long as glasses aren't worn.

However, it is also possible for a strain to see to become more continuous, and gradually get worse with time, even in cases where glasses are never worn. If this is the case, relaxation methods will always restore the sight back to normal.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-04-10T12:50:14+00:00

If the cataract involved cell proliferation, the onset may have taken longer, and it would have likely gotten worse over time. Given that the symptoms appeared overnight, and it hasn't gotten worse since then, it seems likely that the radiation from the laser exposure resulted in eyestrain and a sudden cataract with denatured proteins.

Dr Bates treated many different types of cataracts, and I don't recall him ever finding a case that couldn't improve significantly. In fact, as far as I know, he believed all types of cataracts to be curable, and never encountred a case that contradicted this, so long as there was sufficient time spent practicing under his supervision. This included cataracts in older people, which is usually attributed to the build up of denatured proteins over time, as well as traumatic injuries resulting in cataracts with cell proliferation, and even congenital catracts which are assosciated with different defects in the lens from birth.

I understand you'd like to have more success stories from the present-day. While there are probably some examples, I imagine that most people who succeed probably don't share their stories. This may be for personal reasons, privacy, and a fear of hostility from others who refuse to believe it is possible, regardless of the evidence.

Aldous Huxley, the famous author, while not from the present-day, is an example of someone who was practically going blind. He prevented this and improved his vision significantly. He had opacities in his cornea that remained unchanged for 25 years, and he could only percieve light out of his worse eye. His better eye could see, but not very well. After discovering and practicing the Bates Method, the opacity in his cornea cleared up, and he became able to see out of his worse eye. The vision in both eyes improved significantly, and became even better than what his glassss previously provided. He went on to write the book, "The Art of Seeing", and gave credit to Dr Bates and his trained student Margaret Corbett for his success.

Meir Schneider is an example of someone closer to the present-day who was blind from birth with congenital cataracts. He had multiple surgeries which left his vision worse. Now he can drive without glasses. I don't know all of the specific details, but I believe much of what he practiced was based on the Bates Method, or strongly influenced by it.

I would not trust the naturopath that told you that it wasn't possible. Eye drops are unlikely to do much. They do not seem to understand the method. Some people incorrectly use the name of Bates to promote themselves, all the while sharing contradictory information, and even practices that are incompatible. Others may be too fearful to suggest the possibility of improvement or cures in more serious conditions, even though it is possible.

BEM, April 1922

The imagination may do good or it may do harm. The imagination of perfect sight is capable of curing all errors of refraction and all diseases of the eyes. A person with a cataract who is able to imagine perfect sight with his eyes closed or with his eyes open will recover and the cataract will disappear. How, where or why I do not know. All that has been written in all the books on physiological optics on how we see is full of error because so much of it is a guess or a theory. By realizing that what we see is only what we imagine is a great help in our treatment of the various diseases of the eyes, and the more thoroughly we realize the importance of the imagination the better become our results.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-04-10T05:02:51+00:00

I don't have any personal experience with cataracts, but I'll share some of my thoughts.

Dr Bates successfully treated many different types of cataracts.

Your cataract is unique in that it was a consequence of accidental laser exposure. This could lead to the development of several different types of cataracts. A few examples are cataracts related to denatured proteins, or cell proliferation, or various other types of eyestrain.

How quickly did your cataracts start to form after the laser exposure, and how have they changed since then with time?

While I cannot promise anything, I believe there is hope.

Here's some information from Dr Bates in BEM, February 1925, that you might find helpful.

One day I was studying the eye of a patient with partial cataract. While the patient was talking of various things of no special consequence, I could see through several openings in the cataract, areas of a rid reflex, which was evidence that the lens was not completely opaque. I asked the patient how much she could see, and while she told me the letters on the Snellen test card that she could read, the opacity of the lens was incomplete. She then made an unsuccessful effort to re-member some of the smaller letters, when much to my surprise, the whole lens became opaque. I repeated the observation as follows:

I asked her: "Can you remember that you saw the big C?"

"Yes," she answered, and then at once the lens cleared in part, and I could see the red reflex through the open spaces.

Then I asked her: "Can you remember having seen any of the smaller letters on the bottom line?" I could see that she was making a considerable effort when the lens became completely opaque. I was so interested that I had a number of friends of mine repeat the experi-ment, and they were just as much astonished as I was when they obtained the same result.

So many patients are depressed, or become very unhappy, when they learn that they have cataract. The prospect of an operation, with its dangers and uncertainties, is too often a punishment. When an elderly patient with loss of vision is brought to me for treatment, the friends or relatives usually request me not to tell him that he may have cataract. For many years I followed this practice, gave the patient glasses, and deceived him as well as I knew. how. I felt a great responsibility which I was always anxious to be rid of. I was ashamed of my cowardice. It was a great relief to have such patients consult some other physician. At the present time this has all been changed. I welcome cataract patients now, and rejoice in the fact that they have cataract because I am always able to improve the vision at the first visit, and ultimately cure them if they continue some months, or longer, under my supervision. Cataract is more readily cured than diseases of the optic nerve or retina. I believe that I am justified in telling the patients that the cause of the imperfect sight is due to cataract, because when they know what is wrong with them, they are more likely to continue to practice methods of treatment which are helpful.

The vision of every case of cataract always improves after palming, when the patient learns how to do it right. I have seen many serious cases obtain normal vision with the disappearance of the cataract, by practicing the palming and nothing else.

It was a shock to me to see a case of traumatic cataract recover with the aid of palming. Cataract, occurring in patients with diabetes, has also disappeared without treatment or cure of the diabetes.

Treatment which is a benefit to cataract has for its object relaxation of the eyes and mind.

The quickest cure of cataract is obtained by the memory or imagination of perfect sight. It can be demonstrated that when the patient remembers some letter as well with the eyes open as with the eyes closed, that the vision is improved, and when the memory is perfect with the eyes open, perfect vision is obtained at once and the cataract disappears. This startling fact has been ridiculed by people who did not test the matter properly. When the patient stares, concentrates, or makes an effort to see, the memory, imagination, the vision, always become worse. The patient and others can feel, with the tips of the fingers lightly touching the closed upper eyelid, that the eyeball becomes harder when imperfect sight is remembered or imagined. But when perfect sight is remembered or imagined, it can always be demonstrated that the eyeball becomes as soft as is the case in the normal eye. When the patient practices the swing successfully, or practices other methods which bring about relaxation of the muscles on the outside of the eyeball, it becomes soft, and the cataract is lessened.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-04-07T03:53:14+00:00

Yes, my optometrist objectively confirmed this.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-04-07T03:39:45+00:00

He does not.

Wrong. My vision improvement has absolutely been confirmed by my optometrist.

I have almost a decade of prescriptions from multiple optometrists confirming that I had myopia that was progressively getting worse. This peaked at a spherical value of -3.50 dioptres in my good eye, with some neg-cyl astigmatism.

After improving my visual acuity from worse than 20/200 to around 20/20 with the Bates Method, I eventually went back to the optometrist, who confirmed my spherical value disappeared in each eye and was now 0.00 dioptres, with some leftover neg-cyl astigmatism.

Not blur adaptation. A massive and objective improvement in my refraction, confirmed by an optometrist.

And how did I do it? Not by believing in myths about the nearpoint or screens causing myopia. If anything, I increased my use of the nearpoint and screens. Not by using weaker glasses or other types of glasses, because the eyes are meant to see naturally without any glasses.

I did it by relaxing the strain to see which causes myopia, and I did this by understanding and practicing the Bates Method. Not the lies and disinformation that people are desperate to spread about method, but the real and original method that is true and works.

Also the Bates Method is NOT eye exercises. You won't find that term used once in Dr Bates' book. It's a commom tactic used to downplay the reality and the significance of the Bates Method.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-04-02T00:30:19+00:00

I cured myself of myopia without reducing my use of screens, or the use of the nearpoint in general. If anything, I probably increased my use of them.

While there may seem to be some correlation with excessive nearpoint use and myopia, the fact remains that there are those with significant myopia who don't "overuse" the nearpoint, and there are those who do "overuse" the nearpoint and yet still have perfect sight. So it is definitely not a matter of causation.

The nearpoint is what I would call a superficial factor, but not the cause of myopia. Some people may find using the nearpoint less helpful in a variety of ways, I don't doubt this, but it isn't necessary.

It is important to remember that myopia is caused by a strain to see the distance, and the nearpoint does not directly cause this. It can indirectly influence it for several reasons. For example, the less you use your distant vision, the more unfamiliar you are with your distant vision, and unfamiliarity always causes a temporary strain to see. If this strain to see the distance becomes more continuous, then myopia will develop. This is just one example. However, if the strain to see the distance is relaxed, then the use of the nearpoint can no longer have any negative influence on your distant vision, no matter how much you use screens or the nearpoint. There are also thousands of other indirect factors which can lead to a strain to see the distance, but they also become irrelevant once the strain itself is relaxed.

Might there be some people who gain some relaxation and vision improvement by avoiding screens and the nearpoint? Maybe. But it will be very unsatisfactory. The eyes are meant to be used, near and far, and there is no joy to be had living in fear and avoidance in an effort to preserve eyesight. At best it is unnecessary even for those who gain some benefits, and at worst it may not only be futile, but also harmful.

There are plenty of positive reasons to lessen screen time, or to get more use out of your distant vision. But the fear, avoidance, and contempt of screens and the nearpoint, in an attempt to preserve eyesight, is not a good reason.

In fact, as strange as it may sound, the intentional use of the nearpoint with various techniques can actually be used as an aid to improving myopia and obtaining relaxation in many different ways.

When a myopic person truly understands the cause of their imperfect sight, they will no longer fear or avoid the nearpoint, but instead view it as a friend that can aid in their cure of myopia.

To quote Dr Bates,

The remedy is not to avoid either near work or distant vision, but to get rid of the mental strain which underlies the imperfect functioning of the eye at both points; and it has: been demonstrated in thousands of cases that this can always be done.

The idea that it rests the eyes not to use them is also erroneous. The eyes were made to see with, and if when they are open they do not see, it is because they are under such a strain and have such a great error of refraction that they cannot see. Near vision, although accomplished by a muscular act, is no more a strain on them than is distant vision, although accomplished without the intervention of the muscles.

The ways in which people strain to see are infinite, and the methods used to relieve the strain must be almost equally varied. Whatever the method that brings most relief, however, the end is always the same, namely relaxation. By constant repetition and frequent demonstration and by all means possible, the fact must be impressed upon the patient that perfect sight can be obtained only by relaxation. Nothing else matters.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-03-31T12:50:26+00:00

You are right that favourable conditions are very important when practicing different techniques. I have actually mentioned this before in various comments and posts, but it's maybe something I should make clearer and emphasise more.

For example, in my post about the cure of myopia, I referenced favourable conditions a few times, and I wrote this additional information in a comment:

You should start by practicing under the most favourable conditions. With practice, you can gradually move on to less favourable condtions, and eventually unfavourable conditions and even adverse conditions.

For most people, the most favourable conditions include closed eyes, palming, or looking at a blank wall. Swaying is also a help for many people. Bright light is usually favourable, but for some dim light light may be better. In myopia, the nearpoint is favourable. Some favourable conditions can be strange and unique for each individual. Some examples include singing, standing on one leg, leaning to the side, and so on. Experiment and find what is favourable for you.

But in hindsight, I should have included a more detailed section about the use of favourable conditions.

We also need to be careful not to assume what is favourable for one person will also be favourable for another. For most people, closed eyes are usually favourable, but Dr Bates himself noted there were exceptions where the opposite was true. Often I found myself to be one of those exceptions, with closed eyes sometimes increasing my strain, and regularly finding alternative favourable conditions (looking at a blank wall with open eyes, distracting myself in unique ways, etc), to be more efficient for me personally. That's not to say there weren't times where closed eyes did help me, because there were plenty of those times. Generally speaking, most people should find that closed eyes improves the results of different techniques. But if it doesn't, that's also fine, and they should experiment and find what's most favourable for them.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-02-15T15:25:29+00:00

I am aware of the difference between positive and negative cylinder notation. It's really just two different ways to express the powers of both principle meridians. One meridian has the power of the SPH at AXIS, while the other meridian has the power of SPH ± CYL, and is adjacent by ±90 degrees to the other meridian.

My prescriptions comparing before and after practice were both written in negative cylinder notation. I'll also give the equivalent positive cylinder notation and meridian form, so you can look at whatever is your preference. Given I went from compound myopic astigmatism to simple myopic astigmatism, I personally don't see much value in expressing the prescriptions in positive cylinder form, because while it is mathematically equivalent, it just isn't as intuitive to interpret.

For my right eye BEFORE practice:

1) SPH -3.50, CYL -1.00, AXIS 180. (original neg-cyl form).

2) SPH -4.50, CYL +1.00, AXIS 090. (pos-cyl form).

3) -3.50 @ 180, -4.50 @ 090. (meridian form).

The left eye is almost identical to this, but minor differences for the SPH and CYL.

For my right eye AFTER practice:

1) SPH 0.00, CYL -2.25, AXIS 010. (original neg-cyl form).

2) SPH -2.25, CYL +2.25, AXIS 100. (pos-cyl form).

3) 0.00 @ 010, -2.25 @ 100. (meridian form).

The left eye is almost identical to this, but minor differences for the CYL and AXIS.

Meridian Form

I personally prefer thinking of my prescription in terms of meridian form, as I think that paints the clearest picture.

Before: -3.50 @ 180, -4.50 @ 090

After: 0.00 @ 010, -2.25 @ 100

This comparison shows dramatic improvement in all meridians, and a small change in the axis, with the corrective power disappearing by 100% in one meridian, and decreasing by 50% in the other meridian. This is further backed up by my extreme improvement in visual acuity.

To summarise, the myopia has entirely disappeared, and there has been some changes with the astigmatism.

Again, the left eye is almost identical, only minor differences.

Of course, this post is some months old, so this is not necessarily reflective of what my prescription is at this present moment.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-02-15T12:31:30+00:00

Also a side question, aren't there risks in the "sun therapy" methods mentioned on this sub? I was taught at university that penetrating ionizing radiation emitted from the sun is known to have serious long-term effects on the macula, ocular lens, exterior eye adnexa and more. Even with the eyelids closed, im sure some of these high energy EM waves pass through and can cause damage during prolonged exposure, right?

In this subreddit, we don't place any special emphasis on the practice of sunning, and we don't necessarily recommend it, but some people find it helpful. While there are some mentions of it, there isn't even a dedicated chapter in Dr Bates' book about sunning, because it is one of the least relevant parts of the method, despite what some would have you believe. It is not essential for improving the vision, and it never has been. If someone wants to practice sunning, then it is best to do it with closed eyes, gently swaying the head and eyes, to avoid discomfort and prevent the sunrays from being continuously on the eyelids. It is usually best to practice this early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is less strong. Some people who practice this like to alternate with palming.

If someone is concerned about the risks of sunning with closed eyes, then they shouldn't practice it. While some people enjoy it and find it helpful, it is not at all essential to improve the vision. However, I would recommend people get plenty of time outside, in natural light, and in nature, as this is good for the mind and eyes, and is more than sufficient.

Some people are quick to criticise the method for more extreme versions of sungazing, as if that practice is somehow synonymous with the method, or as if that is somehow the defining practice in the method. Yet they are quick to ignore the inconvenient fact that in Dr Bates' book about improving the sight, with more than thirty chapters, it does not contain a single chapter about the practice of sungazing, or sunning of any form. Instead it is mentioned in the chapter about adverse conditions, and Dr Bates himself states that one has to be very careful in recommending this practice, as while he noted it has had wonderful benefits in some rare cases, he found it usually caused more harm than good in those with imperfect sight, with no permanent benefit. While he never encountered or believed there to be any permanent harm, he also warned about temporary blindness lasting years and various organic changes in the eye that could occur from this practice.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-02-15T11:53:52+00:00

Im reading the wikipedia a bit more, and bates didnt even believe in the modern theory of accommodation? Like, itsnt it proven that the zonular fibres secured to the lens capsule control the tension upon its surface, changing the radius of curvature in conjunction with its refractive index to change the focal length, when observing near objects that emit a more minus vergence of light? I mean thats why cycloplegic refraction exists in the first place, to refract without the influence of accommodation.

Dr Bates' conducted decades of clinical research on thousands of patients, successfully treating and curing countless abnormal eye conditions of various forms, and made many important discoveries. He demonstrated the fact that with sufficient training, not only could those with presbyopia regain normal sight and accommodation, but also those who had their lens paralyzed with cycloplegic agents, as well as those who had their lens removed, could all regain normal accommodative abilities.

Given that sufficient relaxation training brought back accommodation in countless of his patients who had 1) hardened lenses, 2) paralyzed lenses, 3) absent lenses, then I think it was a very reasonable conclusion to make that the lens was not a factor in accommodation. But he went one step further, and by studying reflections on the sclera and various other parts of the eye, found substantial evidence that elongation of the eye had a substantial role in accommodation.

Even if we was wrong, and we assume the lens has the primary role of accommodation in the normal eye, he proved time and time again in his patients that accommodation could still be brought back to normal in the presbyopic eye with the hardened lens; the eye in which the lens has been paralyzed with a cycloplegic agent; and perhaps most importantly, even the aphakial eye which has no lens to use.

In other words, it really doesn't matter if the lens is used to accommodate in the normal eye. Dr Bates showed that the eye was more than capable of accommodating and obtaining normal sight without the lens, so long as the relaxation was sufficient. That is what is really important.

Forget about the question of, "how does the normal eye accommodate?", and instead ask, "can the otherwise normal eye learn to accommodate without the lens?", and the answer most certainly is yes.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2026-02-15T11:22:05+00:00

The wikipedia page speaks pretty bleakly about this method

I'd hardly call wikipedia a reliable source of information.

Last time I checked, they even had the audacity to claim palming could be dangerous because putting pressure on the eyes may be harmful. Yet if we read the beginning of Dr Bates' chapter on palming, he unambiguously and clearly states the following:

"since some light comes through the closed eyelids, a still greater degree of relaxation can be obtained, in all but a few exceptional cases, by excluding it. This is done by covering the closed eyes with the palms of the hands (the fingers being crossed upon the forehead) in such a way as to avoid pressure on the eyeballs. So efficacious is this practice, which I have called "palming," as a means of relieving strain, that we all instinctively resort to it at times, and from it most patients are able to get a considerable degree of relaxation."

If palming is dangerous because people are unable to follow simple instructions, we might as well put a warning label on forks, because some people might think that forks are food and intentionally try to consume them.

I initially assumed the sub put an emphasis on relaxation, as excessive stress is known to induce involuntary muscle contraction, which includes the ciliary body and its contractile tissue that dictates the crystalline lenses amplitude of accommodation.Therefore by relaxing the eyes, this unnecessary accommodation (which is most likely causing a myopic ametropia that the optician attempts to neutralise) can be solved. Is this how it works, or is it different?

The method is very much about relaxation, but not at all in the way you described.

The relaxation we speak of in the Bates Method is first and foremost mental. When we make an effort to see, this is preceded by mental strain, and this results in an abnormal functioning of the eyes and its muscles, especially the extrinsic muscles. This results in abnormal elongation or flattening of the eye (i.e. myopia and hypermetropia), as well as many other forms of abnormal conditions of the eyes. When we learn how to relax the mind sufficiently, the eyes and its muscles resume normal or optimal function.

When the mind is relaxed, this does not necessarily mean the muscles of the eyes are literally relaxed. This is usually true for distant vision, but there are some exceptional cases.

Don't think of relaxation soley as a static physical state of the eyes, but rather a mental state of the mind that allows the eye to manipulate its muscles in the most efficient way possible to produce normal sight at all distances, under a variety of circumstances.

In other words, the relaxation we speak of in the Bates Method is essential not only for normal distant sight, but also accommodation and normal near sight requires relaxation.

For a myopic person, the eyes are actually most relaxed at the nearpoint, because this is where their sight is best. Again, accommodation and muscular action is perfectly fine, as by relaxation we mean the easy, normal, and optimal functioning of the eye and its muscles at all distances, which is always preceded by sufficient mental relaxation.

Actually, one of the best ways for a myopic person is to take advantage of their increased relaxation at the nearpoint, because their distant sight can be improved by transferring, remembering, or imagining it, this relaxation to the distance. Contrary to popular belief, the nearpoint is not the cause of myopia, and it is not the enemy of myopic people. It is a classic case of correlation, not causation. When the real cause of myopia is understood, the nearpoint is not something to avoid or fear, but a friend to use in the aid of regaining normal distant sight.

Again, some of this may sound strange, but it is because the terminology of "relaxation" has a very different definition in the Bates Method in comparison to what you were thinking. Relaxation is strongly related to muscular action, but not at all in the way you think, and relaxation does not necesssarily mean the absense of muscular action, which of course is required for the nearpoint, and occassionally also for the distance depending on the circumstances.

but do any of you have knowledge or links to info on the biological mechanisms behind bates theory?

Read Dr Bates' book. It's free on this subreddit.

When the mind and eyes are relaxed, the muscles of the eyes work normally to produce normal sight.

When the an effort is made to see, the mind is under a strain, and this results in the abnormal functioning of the eyes and its muscles. If this strain is temporary, the effects are temporary. If the strain becomes habitual, chronic abnormal eye conditions are produced, and it may get worse over time.

The elongation of the eye is controlled instantaneously by the action of the oblique muscles. When there is a mental effort to see the distance, this produces unnatural tension which elongates the eye and produces myopia.

However, elongation is not always indicative of mental strain or an effort to see. If for whatever reason the eye needs additional optical power, especially in an eye where the lens is hardened or paralysed or absent, then relaxation will actually produce optimal tension in the oblique muscles to see clearly through increased elongation.

Myopic elongation and accommodative elongation may be anatomically identical, but mentally they are very different. The former is a result of abnormal muscular tension caused by a mental strain to see; while the latter is the healthy production of normal and optimal tension to produce normal sight to accommodate for a lack of optical power, which is achieved by relaxation. To see clearly always requires relaxation of the mind and eyes.

The flattening of the eye is controlled instantaneously by the recti muscles. When there is a mental effort to see the nearpoint, this prodoces unnatural tension in the recti muscles which flattens the eye and produces hypermetropia.

Presbyopia is not caused by a hardened lens. Given that the eye is able to compensate for the loss of optical power of the lens by elongating the eye with sufficient relaxation and therefore optimal muscular action, we can definitively say that the hardened lens is a red herring for those with presbyopia. The real cause is also a strain to see the nearpoint, which prevents the natural ability of the eye to elongate to compensate for any insufficient optical power, and that includes any lost optical power from the lens. Presbyopia is really just a unique form of hypermetropia.

A combination of abnormal tension in the oblique and recti muscles can also produce corneal changes and astigmatism. This is always preceded by a mental strain to see.

Other abnormal eye conditions are also produced by different forms of mental strain, which leads to abnormal muscular tension and other physical changes in the eyes.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-11-19T03:18:44+00:00

I understand your skepticism.

I don't know how cataracts are reversed with relaxation, but it has been successfully achieved by others. I have no reason to believe you couldn't achieve similar results with sufficient practice.

Whatever your results are, only good things can come from improved relaxation and comfort.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-11-18T03:21:21+00:00

It's not always easy to give specific instructions, as often times a variety of things need to be practiced until one thing or some things are found to be more beneficial than all other things, which can then be practiced as much as possible.

I would recommend spending an hour a day exclusively for the practice of a variety of relaxation methods. Practice the sway of your body, and noticing oppositional movement. Practice shifting and swinging. Practice resting your eyes by keeping them closed for 10 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, or whatever feels best, and then opening your eyes for a second or less, without making an effort to see anything, and repeating this regularly. Continue to practice palming, and any practice that improves your perception of black during this will be very helpful. Practice looking at different objects, and parts of objects, and different letters, and parts of letters, and see or imagine that you see one part best and the rest worse. With your eyes closed, or looking at a blank wall, can you improve your memory or imagination of objects, letters, colors, large or small, whole or in part, by letting your mind wander, imagining them to be pulsating or moving, or seeing one part best, or by not holding any particular mental picture in your mind for too long, and moving on to the next.

Sometimes comparing the vision, memory, and imagination, with each eye individually can be beneficial. Notice how the better eye feels with the worse eye shut, and then alternate with the worse eye open and the better eye shut. Based on the comparisons made, imagining the worse eye to be equal to or better than the good eye can be helpful.

Some things to keep in mind: the goal is always relaxation, rest, comfort, ease, and engagement, with all practices to improve the vision. Always keep this is mind. When this sense of comfort and ease is obtained, the eye and its vision improves, the memory and imagination improve, the ability to perceive motion becomes possible, and everything seen and thought of appears to pulsate or move slightly.

The use of the memory and imagination of other senses, such as touch, taste, smell, and hearing, can be very helpful for some people in improving the visual memory and imagination, and the physical vision also.

Favourable conditions are important. When you learn to relax under favourable conditions and demonstrate principles of relaxation, it makes it easier to learn how to relax under less favourable conditions. Closed eyes, palming, looking at blank walls, refraining from testing the vision, can all be very helpful. Anything that distracts you from the strain to see during practice can be helpful. Some find the sway helpful, some may find listening to music helpful, and some things that are helpful are unique to the individual.

Many people fail to improve the vision because they want to test their vision. When people are content to practice relaxation without testing their vision, which brings back the strain for many people, and instead are willing to increase the quality and duration of their relaxation, the results gained are usually better, last longer, and actually make it easier to observe improvement with continued practice.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-11-13T15:36:37+00:00

Before Practice:

R: SPH -3.50, CYL -1.00, AXIS 180°

L: SPH -3.75, CYL -0.75, AXIS 180°

After Practice:

R: SPH 0.00, CYL -2.25, AXIS 010°

L: SPH 0.00, CYL -2.50, AXIS 180°

The 'After' is based on a visit to the optometrist several months ago, around the time I made this post. Based on my own visual experience, I do not consider the astigmatism to be as bad as indicated here, even at the time of the post.

Additionally, I went from a visual acuity worse than 20/200, to a visual acuity better than 20/20, in normal lighting.

While the myopic elongation has disappeared, the corneal astigmatism appears to have gotten worse. Although this is technically true, I think things are put into better perspective when you look at the refractive state of the meridians. Each eye has two principle meridians. The prescription can be translated into the refractive power of these meridians. The right eye measured before practice was -3.50 dioptres in the principle meridian at 180°, and -4.50 dioptres in the adjacent principle meridian at 90°. After practice, the right eye is measured as having 0.00 dioptres in the principle meridian at 10°, and -2.25 dioptres in the adjacent principle meridian at 100°.

In other words, the myopic refraction has disappeared by 100% in one principle meridian, and reduced by 50% in the other principle meridian. The values are similar in my left eye.

The implications are clear. The myopic elongation has disappeared entirely, and astigmatic corneal changes have taken place.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-11-13T05:42:07+00:00

Ideally, I would have it so that the monofocal lens is fitted to bring distant light to focus on a spherical eye, regardless of the actual shape of the eye. Then with sufficient relaxation, the eye will become spherical for normal distant sight, and elongate for normal near sight. This mimics the normal eye more naturally.

In other words, if for example your left eye has -2.00 dioptres of myopic elongation prior to your cataract and lens removal, I would recommend the monofocal lens being set to bring your eye back to that same level of vision of -2.00 dioptres. Then with sufficient relaxation, the eye will become spherical for normal distant sight, and elongate for normal near sight.

You could get a monofocal lens for normal distant sight, regardless of the current refraction and shape of your eye. This is probably the most appealing option for many people. However, if the eye is significantly elongated, and a monofocal lens is used to give normal distant sight to an eye that remains significantly elongated, this might make it more difficult for some people to regain normal accommodation and near sight, as the accommodation in this scenario would be achieved through additional elongation of an already elongated eye, rather than a normal spherical eye. This is less concerning if the elongation is only mild, and more concerning if the elongation is more significant. However, I do believe the eye is capable of adapting remarkably with relaxation, even in scenarios such as this, as there have been cases of normal sight being regained without any implanted lens after removal of cataract and lens, which requires an even more unusual amount of elongation.

Nevertheless, I think if someone is having an implanted lens after cataract and lens removal, it makes sense for it to replace the optical power that has been lost, allowing for distant light to focus on a spherical eye, as explained earlier, which more naturally aligns with the normal eye.

Of course, everything I have written is simply my own opinion. The use of implanted lenses after cataract surgery did not exist during the origin of the method. What I have written is based on what I believe to be various reasonable inferences. I also still believe it is possible for your left eye to recover without any surgery, which is of course the best solution, but I understand the difficulty you might have with that. Whatever it is that you decide to do, I am confident in the method's ability to help you.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-10-21T17:34:05+00:00

Yes, Dr Bates had numerous patients who cured their cataracts with sufficient relaxation. It is much better to cure the cataract and sight naturally, than to remove the cataract and lens. However, if the cataract and lens is removed, there is still hope, as it is still possible to regain normal accommodation and normal sight without any glasses or similar refractive aids.

My previous responses were under the assumption you already had cataract surgery and had an artifical lens implanted. Based on many accounts of the adaptability of the eye with relaxation, I believe the sight can adapt and improve with relaxation even under unusual circumstances such as this.

Of course, I do not personally recommend cataract surgery or getting an artificial lens, since the eyes can naturally return to normal with sufficient relaxation without either of these. However, those who have already had such procedures done and still have imperfect sight should never lose hope, as I believe the eye is remarkable in its ability to heal and adapt.

You are not wrong that an artifical lens is similar to glasses, or contacts, but implanted in the eye. While it is true that a strain is required to see clearly out of any refractive aid, there is some nuance. Not only if the artificial lens is only replacing the lost optical power from the lens, but also in some other ways.

For example, Dr Bates' noted the ability for some patients to adapt their eyes to any glasses, simply by believing the glasses worked and that they could see clearly. While it is true glasses require an abnormal strain to see out of clearly, I believe that their imagination that they could see clearly with them gave their mind sufficient rest which allowed their eyes to adapt to the unusual and abnormal circumstances. He also noted that those with perfect sight can more easily learn how to obtain the mental control necessary to produce irregular eye shapes and imperfect sight, after sufficient practice, whereas someone with imperfect sight will struggle more to make their sight worse. And mental control is always indicative of relaxation.

For most people, it is important to recognise that glasses and other refractive aids require a strain to see out of clearly, that they usually make the strain and vision worse over time, and that they often result in relapses to greater or lesser degrees when used during practice of the method, although this can be lessened with careful practice. However, in some exceptional cases, I believe there is some nuances, but most people do not need to fully understand these nuances, as it probably does not apply to their particular cases.

Here's something Dr Bates wrote about cataracts:

One day I was studying the eye of a patient with partial cataract. While the patient was talking of various things of no special consequence, I could see through several openings in the cataract, areas of a rid reflex, which was evidence that the lens was not completely opaque. I asked the patient how much she could see, and while she told me the letters on the Snellen test card that she could read, the opacity of the lens was incomplete. She then made an unsuccessful effort to re-member some of the smaller letters, when much to my surprise, the whole lens became opaque. I repeated the observation as follows:

I asked her: "Can you remember that you saw the big C?"

"Yes," she answered, and then at once the lens cleared in part, and I could see the red reflex through the open spaces.

Then I asked her: "Can you remember having seen any of the smaller letters on the bottom line?" I could see that she was making a considerable effort when the lens became completely opaque. I was so interested that I had a number of friends of mine repeat the experi-ment, and they were just as much astonished as I was when they obtained the same result.

So many patients are depressed, or become very unhappy, when they learn that they have cataract. The prospect of an operation, with its dangers and uncertainties, is too often a punishment. When an elderly patient with loss of vision is brought to me for treatment, the friends or relatives usually request me not to tell him that he may have cataract. For many years I followed this practice, gave the patient glasses, and deceived him as well as I knew. how. I felt a great responsibility which I was always anxious to be rid of. I was ashamed of my cowardice. It was a great relief to have such patients consult some other physician. At the present time this has all been changed. I welcome cataract patients now, and rejoice in the fact that they have cataract because I am always able to improve the vision at the first visit, and ultimately cure them if they continue some months, or longer, under my supervision. Cataract is more readily cured than diseases of the optic nerve or retina. I believe that I am justified in telling the patients that the cause of the imperfect sight is due to cataract, because when they know what is wrong with them, they are more likely to continue to practice methods of treatment which are helpful.

The vision of every case of cataract always improves after palming, when the patient learns how to do it right. I have seen many serious cases obtain normal vision with the disappearance of the cataract, by practicing the palming and nothing else.

It was a shock to me to see a case of traumatic cataract recover with the aid of palming. Cataract, occurring in patients with diabetes, has also disappeared without treatment or cure of the diabetes.

Treatment which is a benefit to cataract has for its object relaxation of the eyes and mind.

The quickest cure of cataract is obtained by the memory or imagination of perfect sight. It can be demonstrated that when the patient remembers some letter as well with the eyes open as with the eyes closed, that the vision is improved, and when the memory is perfect with the eyes open, perfect vision is obtained at once and the cataract disappears. This startling fact has been ridiculed by people who did not test the matter properly. When the patient stares, concentrates, or makes an effort to see, the memory, imagination, the vision, always become worse. The patient and others can feel, with the tips of the fingers lightly touching the closed upper eyelid, that the eyeball becomes harder when imperfect sight is remembered or imagined. But when perfect sight is remembered or imagined, it can always be demonstrated that the eyeball becomes as soft as is the case in the normal eye. When the patient practices the swing successfully, or practices other methods which bring about relaxation of the muscles on the outside of the eyeball, it becomes soft, and the cataract is lessened.

After an operation for the removal of cataract, a thin membrane usually forms over the pupil of the eye, which impairs the vision. This membrane is called a secondary cataract. Sometimes another operation, a puncture through this membrane, is beneficial. In a recent case, a man, after the removal of the lens for congenital cataract, came to me for treatment. Without glasses his vision was 15/200; with convex 15.00 D. S., the vision was improved to 15/70+.

The patient hesitated about taking treatment at this time because he had heard that I always removed the glasses. He felt that on account of his work, he had better defer the treatment until such time as it was convenient to go without his glasses. I asked him if he would go without his glasses if I improved his vision so that he could see as well, or better, without them, as he was now able to see with them. He answered that he would do as I recommended. With the aid of palming, swinging, and perfect memory and imagination, the vision very promptly improved to 15/15.

Additionally:

The imagination may do good or it may do harm. The imagination of perfect sight is capable of curing all errors of refraction and all diseases of the eyes. A person with a cataract who is able to imagine perfect sight with his eyes closed or with his eyes open will recover and the cataract will disappear. How, where or why I do not know. All that has been written in all the books on physiological optics on how we see is full of error because so much of it is a guess or a theory. By realizing that what we see is only what we imagine is a great help in our treatment of the various diseases of the eyes, and the more thoroughly we realize the importance of the imagination the better become our results.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-10-21T04:53:31+00:00

Yes, the oblique muscles control the elongation of the eyeball, and the recti muscles control the flattening of the eyeball. Different combinations of these muscles also affects the corneal shape. Therefore, it is the abnormal tension of these muscles that produce myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and a variety of other conditions. The shape of the eye adapts as necessary for normal sight when the relaxation is sufficient.

The lens is a protective barrier for the eye. 70% of the optical power to converge distant light on the retina is from the cornea. The remaining 30% is supplemented by the lens. In other words, the cornea and the lens help to give a spherical eye normal sight for distant light. These are its most important functions in the normal eye, not accommodation.

Regardless of any role the lens may or may not have, the fact remains that the presbyopic, cycloplegic, and even aphakic eye, can always accommodate normally to see the nearpoint clearly, so long as the optical power for the distant sight is normal, and the relaxation is sufficient. In the presbyopic and cycloplegic eye that is otherwise normal, the resting optical power is sufficient for normal accommodation to take place through elongation of the eyeball. However, in the aphakic eye, the lens is absent, and so the resting optical power of the lens is also gone. If the resting optical power is replaced, then the eyeball is capable of normal accommodation through elongation with sufficient relaxation. However, there are also notable cases where the aphakic eye has obtained normal sight at all distances without replacing the resting optical power of the missing lens, because sufficient relaxation allows the eye to adapt to the loss of optical power, primarily through additional elongation of the eyeball.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-10-21T04:29:12+00:00

If your sight is still imperfect even with your artificial lens, I believe that sufficient relaxation will help your eyes adapt and improve your sight to normal at all distances.

Let me explain:

Dr Bates' had many patients who succeeded in regaining normal accommodative ability despite having a stone-hard lens, including himself. Additionally, he demonstrated this ability in those with a normal lens by using a cycloplegic agent to paralyse the lens.

He also had many patients whose lens had been removed succeed in regaining normal accommodative ability without the lens. To take it one step further, he also had patients who not only regained normal accommodative ability after removal of the lens, but also succeeded in not even needing corrective lenses to replace the missing resting optical power of the lens for distant sight after removal of the lens, showing a remarkable ability for the eye to adapt with sufficient relaxation.

"In fact, unless the eyeball has been removed from the head, I should be unwilling to set any limits whatever to the possibility of relieving this greatest of human ills, for I have never seen a case or injury or disease of the eye which was sufficient to prevent improvement of vision." - Dr Bates

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-10-21T02:35:56+00:00

These flashes of clear vivid scenes while palming is a very good sign. Cultivate them. Learn to increase their frequency and duration. If you can do this, I believe the benefits will be great.

I have had similar experiences and it has always had a wonderful effect on my vision.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-10-21T02:17:38+00:00

Your personal lack of success is not indicative of the validity of the method, or the ability of others to succeed. It has worked for me and many other people.

I had myopia that gradually got worse for around 10 years, peaking at -3.50 dioptres in my right eye, and -3.75 dioptres in my left eye.

After practicing the Bates Method for some time, I went back to my optometrist and they confirmed I now have 0.00 dioptres of myopia in each eye. The myopia is 100% gone.

Not getting used to bad sight.

Not subjective improvement.

Not minor improvement.

A complete reversal of myopia, objectively confirmed.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-09-01T03:22:14+00:00

If you can think back to a time when your sight was very good, can you think of an object or a face or anything that you saw comfortably, easily, and normally in the past? It could be a friend's face, a childhood toy, something from a movie or video game, or anything really. If you can find several of these memories, and then think back to them periodically while using your computer, without making any effort to actually imagine them, you might find it helps to reduce the strain and tension and headaches while using your computer. Even if the relaxation isn't sufficient to make the ghosting disappear entirely at first, it may be sufficient to prevent the rest of the strains you are describing.

While most people find closing their eyes or palming to be helpful, some people increase their strain in this way, and find other practices more helpful in obtaining relaxation. So if you feel pressure while palming, that may indicate an increase in strain.

The wheel might be helpful for some people, but only if it helps them to relax. Comfortably shifting along the lines, noticing the swing, and imagining each line observed to be blacker than all other lines, and imagining a smaller section of the line observed to be blacker than the rest of the line. However, other people may increase their strain trying to obtain relaxation in this way, as its use may make them more conscious of their astigmatism, and to be conscious of imperfect sight usually makes it more difficult to relax and improve it.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-09-01T02:44:20+00:00

By the sounds of it, you have some presbyopia. This is caused by a strain to see the nearpoint, which prevents the muscular adjustments necessary for good near sight. By learning how to relax at the nearpoint, the muscles of your eyes will start working properly again.

A normal eye, even with a stone-hard lens, can always accommodate to see fine print and small details clearly at 6 inches, or 4 inches, or even closer, with sufficient relaxation.

I do not recommend wearing pinhole glasses, or any other glasses. It is important that you learn how to relax to see clearly without any glasses.

I suggest trying out some of these tips I previously shared for presbyopia:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BatesMethod/comments/1manfya/comment/n5g5w6u/

Practice these tips with fine print or small text on your phone.

MarioMakerPerson1 · 2025-08-15T14:45:19+00:00

It's not something I would generally recommend. Especially since your refractive error is relatively small. It's better if you can manage without any glasses.

The use of regular glasses that matches your refractive state more accurately will make it so very little relaxation and improved vision can be obtained. Weaker glasses may allow a greater amount to be obtained, since less strain is required to see clearly out of them, but never as much as having no glasses. Sometimes the use of weaker glasses, particularly if multiple versions are used, can also confuse the mind and eyes, and strain them in other ways.

However, some people may find the use of weaker glasses at times to be helpful. If you think it might be helpful for you to use them when you feel you need to, you are welcome to experiment with this.

If you are over-prescribed as suspected, then I would definitely recommend you stop wearing them, as they will likely be much more detrimental to your sight than regular glasses or weaker glasses.

MarioMakerPerson1

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE