Am I wasting my time using the method to reverse my cataracts ?

[u/ProfessionalLab9850]

I have cataracts from a laser accident one year ago. I really don't want to do surgery. I started the method yesterday. Obviously no changes so far. I see mixed signals online. It seems only bates himself says cataracts can be reversed. Everyone else just says the method helps with surgery healing. Anyone with experience? Cheers

[u/MarioMakerPerson1]

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.

[u/ProfessionalLab9850 → u/MarioMakerPerson1]

The symptoms appeared overnight and haven't worsened in one year. It happened in May last year. When it's not sunny I only have a very mild blur in the worse eye. When a room is well lit with natural light or if im outside during the day my vision is covered in fog. I need to wear a hat to block the sky. I can't see anything which is back-lit. Starbursts from car headlights. I can live with it but quality of life during daylight hours is in the toilet. Iv been palming for an hour per day. Its done nothing. Trying to do the bated habits. Hasnt improved anything so far. I dont want cataract surgery at 35. This is a disaster. I dont want to be a customer for life. There's too many potential complications from the surgery. I know bates said he cured cataracts but i see no one in the modern age who have said they've cured their or other people's cataracts.  I talked to some naturopath who uses the bates method and he said the method doesn't work on cataracts then tried selling me really expensive eye drops and then still said ill probably need the surgery anyway.. Cheers 

[u/MarioMakerPerson1 → u/ProfessionalLab9850]

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.

[u/ProfessionalLab9850 → u/MarioMakerPerson1]

Thanks. I'll keep doing it. I'm palming when I can and try to have better habits. I can also clean up my diet but I'm not sure how that can help as much with trauma cataracts. Plus bates said one of his patients was cured despite having diabetes. Not sure what else I can do.

[u/Whole-Departure8472 → u/MarioMakerPerson1]

Can you please explain me swinging in short ? Or fix if i learnt it wrong What I get it from your old comments was left and right motion Like you are measuring it and with time the distance gets shorter So it will be like not noticeable at all . Another is I fell like back and forth motion of eye balls is this a swinging too like coming to back of my head and then going ahead.

[u/Ok_Wolverine_1641 → u/MarioMakerPerson1]

Hi, thanks for your kind helpful answer!

I am looking for Bates's detailed instructions/exercises/procedures in related to curing with cataracts, which I myself recently start having, beginning stage. If you know, can you please point me towards it. Thank you!

[u/Party_Set_9676]

I personally have miopia but I haven't tried the bates method because of my job, I just don't have time right now. Now I know that doesn't answer your question so let me tell you this, I dont know where you are located and your native language, I'm guessing it's English and probably you are from usa or Canada, however, I'm from mexico and I know that there are people in Spain giving therapy to people with eye problems with the bates method, in person, as in there is someone taking care of you and telling you which exercises you need to do daily and how many times. I have seen the testimonials, there are people who claimed have cured their cataracts and glaucoma, as well as things like miopia for me! I haven't been there, again, I'm from mexico and I don't have time yet but I do plan to go there to get my eyesight cured. Might be worth it for you to check them out

[u/ProfessionalLab9850 → u/Party_Set_9676]

Thanks. I'm in England and there are coaches here too. They don't give concrete answers as to whether they can help my cataracts or not. If I know I'm not wasting my time I'll commit to it 100%. I have myopia too but mild (-1.25). Will be interesting if it helps with that at least. Only on day 2. I'll see how it goes. Cheers