Basic Information

Dr. William Horatio Bates (1860–1930) was a practicing ophthalmologist in New York. He worked in New York hospitals, lectured in ophthalmology, and ran a private practice. He devoted his career to the study of eye function and the process of seeing.

In 1920, he published the book Perfect Sight Without Glasses, in which he disagreed with the generally accepted Helmholtz theory of vision (which is still used in ophthalmology today). This theory holds that sharp vision depends on tiny ciliary muscles located inside the eye, which are understood to help control the shape of the lens. Helmholtz attributed the primary role in accommodation to them. Dr. Bates concluded that the main mechanism of accommodation is not the lens, but the external eye muscles, responsible not only for eye movements but also for lengthening and shortening the entire eye in its anterior-posterior axis (similar to a camera lens or binoculars). Bates described experiments on animals and patients that, in his view, confirmed this theory (Perfect Sight Without Glasses, 1920, ch. 4–6); mainstream ophthalmology, however, continues to attribute accommodation primarily to the lens.

He explained clear vision of close objects by the work of the two (external) oblique muscles, which flatten (lengthen) the eyeball — much as a ball flattens when you sit on it — while precise vision of distant objects involved the work of the four (external) straight muscles, contracting ("shortening") the eye in the opposite direction. Bates argued that the eye functions in this way (through the extraocular muscles), citing unusual cases of clear vision in people who, for one reason or another (e.g., cataracts), had their lens removed or were born without one.

What seems most notable about Bates is his approach to the person and their condition. Bates was not focused only on choosing the best glasses, as almost all ophthalmologists were. He thought about how to help each person improve their vision and visual comfort. The core assumptions of Bates' theory are:

1. Working Toward More Comfortable Vision Is Possible

   One of the basic assumptions of Dr. Bates was that just as a broken limb can be restored through exercises and rehabilitation, the visual system can also be trained: Bates believed that a more relaxed use of the eyes could support better visual habits and reduce dependence on glasses.

2. Reducing Dependence on Full-Strength Correction During Practice

   Bates compared glasses to crutches for the eyes, much like crutches for a person with a healed broken leg. He believed that relying constantly on full-strength correction, instead of setting it aside during the re-education and retraining of the visual system, could reinforce old visual habits. This view is historical and contested, and it does not replace the advice of an eye-care professional.

3. Visual Acuity Is Variable

   Bates believed that visual acuity changes from good to bad and back again, depending on a person's physical and emotional state. Bates noticed that vision is not constantly at one level of quality but changes continuously.

4. Re-educating Vision: Changing Strained Visual Habits

   Dr. Bates concluded that most of the problems hindering the process of vision are caused by strained use of the eyes. Bad habits of using the eyes are always closely related to strain and tension, and this tension affects the entire body as well. Dr. Bates found that by learning good visual habits (particularly relaxation techniques), the tension in the eyes and the whole body is reduced. He observed this when his patients learned methods of relaxing the eyes and mind, which, in his account, improved their vision and reduced their refractive errors.

5. Relaxation: The Key to Success

   In Dr. Bates' Method, the ability to relax, both passively and dynamically, is the first and most basic technique, and it is intended to support more comfortable, relaxed seeing. By relaxation, we mean not only the general skill of relaxing muscles but also mental relaxation, which Bates considered essential to relaxed seeing. The relaxation techniques that Bates used were reported by him to help some patients see more comfortably.

6. Basic Techniques Used by Bates

   Here we list the basic techniques Bates used with his patients, which Bates reported as helpful in his own clinical accounts. These techniques are described in detail in the appropriate sections of this site. They include: body and eye relaxation, palming, central fixation, sunning, swinging, visualization, blinking, micro eye movements, flash technique, analytical looking, and many others that we describe throughout this site.

Seeing an eye-care professional is important for several reasons. First, they can identify your vision problem, which makes it easier to choose exercises for your specific condition and provides a baseline for tracking changes. An exam can also identify unusual changes in the eye, degenerative changes, tumors, and other eye diseases that may make some exercises unsafe.

Follow-up visits are also useful for tracking progress. Your eye-care professional can advise you on how often to repeat exams. Automated refraction tests can have a relatively large measurement error, so to track your progress between visits, you can use a Snellen chart.

These exercises are intended to encourage gentle, relaxed use of the eyes, and full-strength correction such as glasses can make some of them less useful. In general, the method suggests the following approach:

1. For refractive errors of 1 diopter or less, the exercises are performed without glasses. The Bates Method recommends that people with such errors go without glasses in daily life as well; introduce this gradually and only when it feels safe. Exception: when driving and in other safety-related situations, always wear the lenses prescribed by your ophthalmologist.
2. For refractive errors greater than 1 diopter, the method recommends glasses about 1 diopter weaker for the exercises and, if it feels safe, for daily wear as well; if in doubt, consult an eye-care professional. Exception: when driving and in other safety-related situations, always wear the lenses prescribed by your ophthalmologist.
3. Contact lenses are not well suited for these exercises, so the method recommends switching to glasses (see points 1 and 2 above). If you prefer to keep them, you can exercise in the morning and evening, before putting in your lenses, and focus mainly on relaxation exercises during the day. Do not stop using them altogether without consulting a professional.

Using weaker correction during practice may give your eyes more opportunity to engage, but only when it is safe. At first it may take some effort, and with consistent practice some people notice changes in how they see (the experience varies from person to person).

When it is safe to do so, set aside full-strength correction during practice and begin gently.

Since vision exercises place a demand on your eyes, it may be helpful to support overall eye comfort with a balanced diet and adequate hydration. This is not a recommendation to take every supplement available, but please read the tips below, and perhaps you will use some of them to support your eye comfort and general health. If you experience dry eyes, it may be worth considering artificial tears (for example, those with hyaluronic acid). If the discomfort persists, consult your ophthalmologist or pharmacist.