Completed:
- ~100 long swings
- 30 minutes palming
- Eyebody/Superman laser vision work (while palming and not palming)
- Took a walk
- I’m still going without glasses almost all day, but will wear them probably for a total of an hour each day; so I don’t count it as a full day WOG.
It was cloudy/overcast today so I did my Snellen work inside the house: 20/50! But just to clarify, when I can read a line, the letters aren’t always really black; the letters are clear and I can read them, but they are not as black as they should be — strange I know, but that’s how it is. When I read outdoors though, the letters are MUCH blacker.
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Sassy — we are often told to read OBJECTIVELY. So the “color” or “really black” is indeed SUBJECITVE. Actually making out, or reading 1/2 the letters correctly is the OBJECTIVE verification.
Sassy> It was cloudy/overcast today so I did my Snellen work inside the house: 20/50! But just to clarify, when I can read a line, the letters aren’t always really black; the letters are clear and I can read them, but they are not as black as they should be — strange I know, but that’s how it is. When I read outdoors though, the letters are MUCH blacker
Otis> I think this is partly “depth-of-field” effects. When I play tennis (even under lights) everything becomes much sharper and clearer.
Otis> But you are doing the most important thing — keeing a consistent track of your OBJECTIVE readings. That is always “empowering”.
Otis> I think that when your Focometer begins to move in a postive direction, your Snellen will further clear, and the letters will be (subjectively) much blacker.
Keep up the excellent PERSONAL scientific work. Maybe, some day, we can inspire other engineers to follow your leadership.
Best,
Otis
I have noticed the same thing with the darkness of the letters on the Snellen chart. They also seem blacker to me outside than they do inside.
Also, Otis’ idea is interesting: as one’s refractive state improves the darkness of the letters might also improve (the color will look more like the actual color of the ink). Possibly this could be caused by the the fact that an emmetropic eye is shorter than a myopic eye, and the particles of light don’t need to travel as far from the object to the retinas. This is just one possible explanation, not based on anything I have learned.
I think Mark is right, at least as it applies to me. The letters are always blacker outside, & when I can see more clearly inside the letters are always blacker. So even if I can’t make them out (yet) I see the increase in blackness, as contrasted with the sharp white of the background, as a sign of improvement. So maybe visualizing my eyeballs getting rounder is working!
Nancy
Otis, Mark and Nancy,
I agree that the blackness should improve as my refractive state improves. It’s just such a fascinating and strange phenomenon. Optically, you would think that if I can SEE the letter, that the focal lengths are all correct. Thus you would have to assume that the blackness must be a lag in the interpretation of the visual information by the visual cortex from the retina…. I have no answers, but this is something that has continued to puzzle me.
Perhaps as we go through this process we will gain more insight into the issue 🙂 It is quite breathtaking to see the pure black though isn’t it?!
Sassy
Otis and others,
One of my research questions is how much of the increased “sharpness” or “blackness” in bright light is due to depth of field (eg. from a small pupil in bright light) versus due to enhanced focusing accuracy (accommodation).
Personally, I think I’ve learned to tell the difference between depth of field effects and true focus. Sometimes, details appear extra “sharp” in a very bright situation but there something not quite right – there is a feeling of “mental strain” accompanied by it. Because the light is so bright, it starts to saturate the retina’s receptors, and there is discomfort produced. That would be a depth of field effect due to pupil constriction.
But to explain away all “clear flashes” (let alone ‘3D flashes’) as “depth of field effects” is, well, myopic. (And many have said such with no scientific validity to back it up.) As far as Physics is concerned, they believe that depth of field can override several diopters of refractive error. Add to that that not all “clear flashes” happen in bright light, and the truth should be evident.
Mark,
You might have thought of this yourself, & I also might be all wet, but let me throw in this idea. Since the cones are both clarity & color interpreters, I’ve wondered when I get a flash of brighter color or acuity, if it means my cone cells are “waking up” (more blood flow, maybe). I know black is absence of all color/light so I wondered i seeing the chart letters blacker could mean the cones are functioning more efficiently. Just to expand this into biology…
Nancy
Mark,
When I can see something clearly but it feels like I’m still straining (your description of extra-bright light), it reminds me of the unnatural clarity I get from glasses, especially if they’re too strong for the conditions.
Is any light too bright if your eyes/brain are relaxed?
You are going to make an important contribution someday/
Nancy
I’m guessing comment 7. was meant to be addressed to Future Myopia Researcher.
Mark,
Yes, you’re right. Both comments 6 & 7 of mine were meant for Future Myopia Researcher (though I’d welcome anyone else’s comments also). Today I was thinking that I’m seeing the chart letters more distinctly, blacker & m,ore separate from each other than they were before, & that this feels like an improvement in central fixation. This is something I’ve struggled with, as I was trying (& straining!) to make it happen which of course doesn’t work. The letters shimmer sometimes now, which I think is the universal swing, & I’ve never seen this before.
Nancy
Hi All,
Interesting ideas. I have noticed this phenomenon; when I experienced 20/20 vision outdoors there was no strain, yet today when I was driving at times my vision would clear but there would be residual strain — sometimes increased strain. I’m glad you described this FMR, because I think being aware of the difference will help discern between true clarity and the “depth of field” effects.
Sassy