New exercise I came up with
Like many people here, I am strabismic. Since I was a child, I alternated consciously between one eye and the other, and never knew how to use both as a team.
I had surgery on my eyes twice and later learned about Optometry and Stereo Sue's wonderful achievement. In the last three years, I've been working with therapy to make my eyes straight very successfully, and I now fuse what both eyes see, if only to a certain degree. Also, several tests show that I clearly perceive some stereoscopic depth, but I cannot tell that from what I see in my daily life (and only very slightly when watching 3D films).
My problem is that even when I know I'm using both eyes (I see what's in the peripheral vision of both at the same time), I don't know when central vision is OK, and I switch from one eye to the other. I find it hard to find a comfortable position or way of looking which seems right to me, I constantly hesitate. It is as if the differences in focus and perspective between how each eye sees something compared to the other were too noticeable for my brain to ignore them and act as if they were equal. I think it also has something to do with the way I understand seeing, which, during all my life until now has been done with only one eye. I probably need to learn to think in a different way.
A few days ago, talking with a friend with normal stereoscopic vision about how his brain solved certain visual contradictions between the two eyes, he told me something that intrigued me. When his eyes point at something in the distance but one of them has its view blocked by a near object, he focuses both eyes at the distance and then sees the view where his eyes point through the blocking object, which looks semi-transparent. I think this is the same that happens with the optical illusion of the hand and the tube and it is something which I've never been able to achieve.
That's why, after some weeks of no apparent progress, I decided to emulate what stereoscopic vision should be through something which, in itself, is a mistake (what you see is not real) but serves me to know if my eyes' views are integrated enough to fuse properly. As it happens with duplicating the Brock string, an unreal view has sometimes been a good guide for me to know when I'm using both eyes properly (when the view is too real, it is harder to know).
In a few minutes I was able to see an object in my table through a semi-transparent piece of paper with which I blocked my right eye's view. Contrary to what happens when I exercise my seeing with more everyday objects, here I'm completely sure of what is it that I'm looking for and when have I achieved it. I think it can be good for getting used to the correct feeling and I will be doing it a lot; I hope my binocular neuronal connections will grew and become stronger. My next target will be the tube-and-hand optical illusion.
I hope that the experience that I share here may be interesting for people who, like me, are looking for some light on these matters. Comments will also be very welcome :)
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lynda Rimke on -
I have been seeing "through" occlusions also and I too feel it confirms both eyes are pointing at an object, even if the one eye is occluded. I will have to do a better job of writing down these events to share!
I did write about one instance on my blog here http://leavingflatland.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/cats-ear-and-coffee... and another where I was staring "off into space" but really, both eyes were pointing at the green light http://leavingflatland.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/staring-off-into-sp...Another handy test I play with routinely is to hold up a finger 6-18" from my nose and see if I get two fingers while looking at a distant object.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Voth on -
Dr. Dan Press suggested I make a simple device for home exercise. When viewed through Red/cyan glasses, it offers feedback as to whether both eyes working together or whether my right is dominating. It emulates one of his instruments... I've attached a photo of it here. The circle is 2" in diameter.
I work with it from close to back about 17 feet, covering and uncovering and glancing away and returning to the X (moving just my eyes). It's been great to have feedback.
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x.jpg, 21 KB
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Permalink Reply by Greg Voth on
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From what I understand, 'normal sighted' people don't really notice the difference if one of their eyes is temporarily blocked, they've had so much experience with stereopsis that the brain simply 'fills in' what they don't see. Of course, this all changes if they've lost stereopsis for a longer period of time. I have a friend who has a form of arthritis that causes part of her eye to inflame. About 2 years ago, she had to wear an eye patch for over a month. She was completely miserable with her loss of stereo vision.
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Permalink Reply by Pablo Manzano on -
So I'm not so original after all! Sorry for being so pretentious, but I was so happy to find a (for me) new method that I couldn't wait to share it with somebody who could appreciate it.
It's very nice to find a forum like this, where people with similar problems can understand what I describe and give their opinion. Thank you very much! :)
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Permalink Reply by Lynda Rimke on
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Don't feel one iota of presumption for posting something you've stumbled upon, and do share anything else you discover. It's of great benefit to exchange ideas. I've learned more about occlusion from your perspective, I'm more motivated and inspired. Win, win, win. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Kari Minnick on -
Hello everyone and welcome Pablo!
I have been doing another see-through occlusion exercise. It involves putting a dab of goop- something like silly putty- on the inside third of one side of my reading glasses. This is really hard to describe! I look through the goop and it becomes translucent. I then do exercises such as pen drops or line counting. I never did well with the hand and the tube. It's amazing to direct my eyes and see the goop turn translucent. I am a non-alternating esotrope, left eye amblyopia.
Lynda- I love your drawings.
Your drawing friend,
Kari
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Permalink Reply by Lynda Rimke on
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Love it! I might try this ...
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