Choosing not to see well

[carlos]

Martin,
what would you say about a person who is nearsighted, but chooses not to wear glasses nor contacts and goes through daily life not seeing clearly ?

[Martin Brofman]

Hard to say.

Perhaps they are embarrassed about not seeing clearly, or perhaps they just know that the nearsightedness is a temporary situation, and they expect clarity to return any moment. I have had a number of students who refused to accept impaired vision as a state of being, and were very happy when alternatives presented themselves in the form of vision improvement classes.

[beth]

And what would your opinion be on laser eye surgery? I have heard people say it has 'changed their lives'. Sometimes it seems that changing things on the material level as it were, can then change a persons attitude to life.

[Martin Brofman]

In my experience, I have seen cases where the improvement remained, and also those where it was temporary. From my point of view, I would say that where it stabilized in a state of clarity, the person experienced a change in consciousness, and in cases where it did not stay, the person went back into the symptom because they stayed in the state of consciousness that created the symptom in the first place.

I would hesitate before considering any kind of surgery before considering the alternatives.

[Robin C]

I want to add that I'm one of those people who had a serious problem when I first started having to wear glasses. I was around 12, in junior high school, and before that, I had 20/20 vision, which I was very happy about. When I started getting near-sighted, I would actually FAKE my eye tests at school, memorizing the eye chart. I got busted when the chart was switched and I hadn't gotten a chance to memorize the new one.

When I first was fitted for glasses (shortly after that episode), I was appalled and refused to wear them at all. At this point, I wasn't aware that the myopia was caused by my consciousness, but I did feel embarrassed, like it was a weakness that was somehow my responsiblity and if I wore the glasses, everyone would know. I finally started wearing them in class but taking them off to go between classes, and then eventually I started wearing them all the time.

NOW, I am seeing some improvement in my eyesight - it started this week, in fact, when I've had some genuine insights (great word, huh) into the thought processes in my consciousness that created the myopic condition in the first place. GENUINE insights, not just 'superficial' "ah-yes-I-understand-that" stuff. Very exciting.

[Maria]

When I was diligently working the vision program last fall, I did notice slight improvement in my eyesight, but since turning my attention to other things (the goiter mostly), my eyes have actually gotten worse than they were before I started working on them. I'm not sure whats going on here but certainly something is.

As for me, when I was in 7th grade I literally talked myself into needing glasses. I thought they were cool and made people look smarter and so for months I told myself I couldn't see and bugged my mom to have my eyes checked and when we did get them checked of course I needed glasses. I still remember how proud I was the first day I wore my new glasses to school. And after that my prescription stayed virtually the same until I found Body Mirror and started trying to improve it.

Interestingly, wearing glasses never bothered me until a couple years ago when my glasses becamed deformed (they were old) and started creating a raw spot on my nose and one ear. Shortly after that I became irritated because I was always having to take them off to read or look at anything close by. So it was an annoyance really. And to answer the question of why I didn't just get new glasses or bifocals -- no money.

In fact, now that I think about it, a huge percent of my attempts at self healing have been finance related....I simply cannot afford conventional medicine so I either fix it myself or learn to live with it. Hmmm....I've just given myself something to ponder

Peace,

Maria

[Martin Brofman]

If your eyesight has deteriorated further, it is because you have been stressed about something - and when you get clear with whatever it was, your vision will restore to clarity.

[Maria]

Last fall and winter I was stressed. Now I am experiencing freedom and much less stress than in many years. I am looking forward and I'm excited about all the opportunities coming my way. The only think I can think is that since I'm beginning to look more at the world around me, my near vision (which was perfect before) has temporairly gotten worse. The distance vision is pretty much the same.

Peace,

Maria

[Martin Brofman]

You have also got to look at what is happening inside you at the same time.

[Maria]

I'm not sure I'm following you here. Can you explain a little more please?

Maria

[Martin Brofman]

Your near vision has gotten worse. Having difficulty seeing something close to you.

Angry about something, for example?

[Maria]

Yes, I know what you mean now. Thanks

Maria

[queen]

And for me it's the opposite almost, as I see clearer now when things are close up, while my far away sight is worse... Any straight forward explanation to this?

[andrew]

It could be simple:

Your perceptions are less distorted or more clear for what is closer to you and more distorted or less clear for what is further away from you.

So you might be seeing what is *you* more clearly but not seeing what is *not you* so clearly.

Personally I am going thru a phase at the moment of seeing that rather than others not listening to me, it is also that i dont listen to others.

So connecting that to your vision it is possible that as you have got older you have been better able to focus on your own needs and wants, which is of course a very good thing but, also too for the full picture we need to also be receptive to what is further away from us.

[Martin Brofman]

Queen - See yourself as others see you. Have the view from the outside looking in, in addition to the view from the inside looking out.

Understanding how others see you in a particular situation doesn't mean you agree with them - you just accept that that's the way they see you - so you have more compassion, and more tools that you can use to resolve tensions, misunderstandings, disputes.