June 2004 survey - 104 respondents

In your experience, your quality of vision while dreaming is usually:

As you can see, most people (64%) reported their quality of vision in dreams as being the same as or better than their vision while awake, even with full correction (if applicable). Only 10% of people reported having worse vision while dreaming.

An imagination of a better quality of vision can be useful in getting over psychological blocks having to do with the supposed limits of unaided vision.

December 2002 survey - 27 respondents

Which senses can be impaired as a result of mental strain? (multiple answers allowed)

Understanding how other senses might be affected by mental strain becomes easier when you consider that poor sight is usually mental in origin. A doctor may examine your eyes, fingers, your ears, your nose, or your tongue, and find nothing wrong with them, but nevertheless it may be subjectively obvious to you when you have a problem in one of the respective senses. You may be told, "it must be in your head, there's nothing wrong with you," and the fact that it's in your head is not taken seriously. The claim that there are common mental abnormalities that impair proper functioning is often looked upon with scorn by orthodox medicine, but not nearly so much scorn as is received by the claim that these abnormal mental states are curable with mental relaxation training. If drugs or surgery don't offer a solution, then "there is nothing that can be done, period."

Most (but not all) vision problems have an identifiable corresponding physical abnormality. For those that do, it doesn't mean that even the physical nature of it is completely understood, and it doesn't mean that the problem didn't originate from mental strain, and it doesn't mean that the problem will not be eliminated through mental relaxation training. There are consequences to mental strain, and, inversely, proper functioning is promoted by relaxation.

NOTE: Due to the low number responses on this survey (and the lack of more ideas for questions on my part), the next one will be postponed for a while.

November 2002 survey - 135 respondents

What do you believe is the main cause of myopia (nearsighedness)?

Genetics won the popular vote. It was discussed after the October survey (see further below).

Many people believe that an environment of frequent and prolonged near focusing causes the eyes to become myopic. However, in all cases of myopia there exists significant tension in the eyes and impaired mental functioning, both of which are improved, along with the sight, using the Bates Method.

For a detailed review of these five theories of the cause of myopia, see Ray Gottlieb's "Neuropsychology of Myopia" in the Article Library.

October 2002 survey - 96 respondents

Do you believe genetics is a main cause of myopia?

Conventionally, genetics is often held to be a factor in myopia. However, since it can be shown that myopia is the result of an abnormal condition of the mind, genetics can't be blamed to be the main factor in the condition. It may be that a predisposition towards myopia is inherited. But it must also be considered how contagious the myopic state of mind is, especially to impressionable children, so even in cases of myopic offspring to myopic parents a predispositional genetic influence shouldn't be concluded too quickly.

Sunlight is often regarded as a harmful enemy from which the eyes must always be protected. However, sunlight is an essential nutrient. Dr. Bates found that miners and other people who spent their time completely cut off from sunlight practically always have problems with their eyes. People improving their vision who spend more time in sunlight report good results and less sensitivity to the bright light. For more information on the beneficial effects of sunlight, search for "sun" using the site search engine, or consult the following books:

Conventional eyecare science holds that everyone much over the age of 40 is unable to both see clearly in the distance and focus for the nearpoint, as all capability of focusing (accommodation) is supposed to permanently deteriorate with age, a condition known as presbyopia or "old age sight." So according to conventional eyecare, the above results should not be possible.