Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basics of natural eyesight improvement?
Why do people need glasses?
Does it really work?
Has any of this been scientifically proven?
Who can improve their eyesight with Outlook Insight?
I thought presbyopia was a natural part of aging?
Why hasn't my eye doctor told me about this?
What is the view of Outlook Insight towards eye doctors?
Are you an eye doctor?
Is this a program of eye exercises?
Can seniors improve their eyesight?
Can children improve their eyesight?
Can Outlook Insight improve glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration?
How will I know if my vision is improving?
take my glasses off?
What role does nutrition play in improving eyesight?
What about LASIK?
Where are the classes given?
Where can I get more information?
What are the basics of natural eyesight improvement?The fundamental principle underlying improving vision is the simple observation that eyesight can in fact improve. Poor eyesight is almost always a functional problem and not a genetic defect. Nor is it an inevitable part of the aging process. Rather, it is the result of eyestrain. This strain is often unconscious, and the first job of the teacher is to help the student become aware of this strain.
Why do people need glasses?Virtually everyone is born with fine eyesight. Just as we learn to walk naturally, we learn good eyesight habits. Research over the past hundred years has shown that common eyesight problems result when vision is strained. Just as we expend no effort to taste, touch, or hear, we ought not expend any effort to see. Trying to see inevitably makes vision worse, and in time that strain to see becomes chronic. Usually, the person is unaware of this chronic strain. However, it can manifest itself in poor eyesight, poor posture, chronic headaches, short attention spans, and even mental confusion. By first becoming aware of this chronic strain and then releasing it, the eye and mind can begin to relax and clarity returns.
Does it really work?Yes, it has worked for thousands of people over the past 100 years. Please see the page on testimonials.
Has any of this been scientifically proven?Yes. The first modern research on natural eyesight improvement was published in Scientific American back in 1918. In addition to the empirical experiences of natural eyesight students, there have been many studies since then confirming Dr. Bates's basic premise: Poor eyesight is the result of strain, and relaxing the chronic strain improves vision. For a modern view on how eyesight works and can be improved, see Dr. Ray Gottlieb, OD's paper on The Neuropsychology of Myopia
Who can improve their eyesight with Outlook Insight?Anyone with functional, as opposed to pathological, eyesight problems can improve there eyesight. Common examples include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia ("old age" vision), strabismus (cross eyes), and astigmatism. If anyone tells you that amblyopia is a lost cause after age seven, don't you believe them. Even people with glaucoma and cataracts have been helped.
I thought presbyopia was a natural part of aging?Absolutely not. Although many people are told that they will need glasses for reading sometime after age forty, many people never do. In my experience, most nearsighted people delay or postpone reading glasses, though they might wear glasses to see clearly in the distance. In any event, it is certainly reversible. (See testimonials).
Why hasn't my eye doctor told me about this?Vision is primarily a mental process. Eye doctors are trained to look at the eye, not the brain. In other words, they miss the correct answer because they do not look in the right place for it. The more dogmatic eye doctors come up with silly explanations for some of my students' improvements. One claimed it was due to an older woman's body shrinking. Another acknowledged that my student's astigmatism and presbyopia disappeared while her distance prescription was cut in half, but didn't find that significant. The student did - instead of watching her vision deteriorate with age, she now is glasses-free and looks forward to her vision sharpening with age.
Nevertheless, many ophthalmologists and optometrists do practice natural eyesight improvement techniques. If you ask your doctor if vision can improve and your doctor tells you it is impossible, the doctor is wrong. A more humble and factually correct answer would be, "As far as I know, vision cannot improve".
What is the view of Outlook Insight towards eye doctors?Outlook Insight believes that we ought to be grateful for the knowledge and skill of eye doctors. We encourage students to work with their eye doctors in order to have as clear and healthy vision as possible.
Are you an eye doctor?No, I am not a doctor, therapist, or diagnostician. I do not treat eye diseases. I am a teacher, guide, and counselor. Outlook Insight is completely noninvasive.
Is this a program of eye exercises?No, it is a course in relaxation. Most programs of eye exercises fail for two reasons. First, many people simply get bored of following a regimen and stop doing them. Second, exercises do not directly address the underlying causes of poor eyesight and the fact that vision is primarily a mental process. In fact, most eye exercise programs inadvertently encourage people to strain more, not less. Outlook Insight teaches how to relax strain and how to use the eyes properly all day long. Eventually, these habits become unconscious.
Can seniors improve their eyesight?Absolutely. The only requirement is enthusiasm, curiosity, and desire. The oldest person I ever helped was 87 years old. She did not need glasses for reading or movies.
Can children improve their eyesight?Yes. Dr. Bates wrote, "the sight of a child in spectacles is enough to make the angels weep". Typically, children's vision is relatively good when they are first prescribed glasses. In fact it is widely accepted that it is the glasses themselves that gradually cause vision to worsen. There is good reason to be suspicious of any eye care provider who puts glasses on a child and does not insist that they be worn only when necessary, for example, to see the blackboard. Of course, it would be more merciful to improve the child's eyesight and not prescribe glasses at all. This is especially true because children tend to improve even quicker than adults. See Children And Vision
Can Outlook Insight improve glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration?Although natural eyesight improvement is designed to relieve functional disorders and diseases of the eye, people with glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration have been helped with natural eyesight improvement. The key is for the student, the teacher, and the eye doctor to work together. A safe rule of thumb for people taking drugs is to gradually eliminate the drugs under a doctor's supervision as vision improves.
How will I know if my vision is improving?There is no doubt. It is common for clarity to first return in flashes that last a few seconds. In those few seconds, the world will be clearer, colors more vibrant, and depth perception is enhanced. Best of all, you will feel a great sense of lightness. Believe me, there is no faking it. Eventually flashes become permanent as proper vision habits become unconscious. People will ask you how you did it, and you will honestly not know how to answer them.
If poor eyesight is a result of eyestrain, why do I seem to strain more and get headaches when I take my glasses off?The strain that causes poor eyesight is something we are typically not aware of. This strain actually intensifies when glasses are worn. But when glasses are taken off, we tend to strain the rest of our bodies to compensate-we squint, lock our necks, contort our shoulders, etc. This is what causes the headaches. Students are taught to develop an awareness of this strain and then to "withdraw" or melt it to achieve clarity.
What role does nutrition play in improving eyesight?When asked why the pilots in the Royal Air Force were able to hit their targets so well at night, Winston Churchill replied that the pilots were fed a lot of carrots to improve night vision. In fact, the pilots used a then secret weapon-radar. Although good nutrition is pre-requisite for all health, Outlook Insight does not emphasize nutrition. After all, there are people with awful diets and excellent eyesight out there. Having said that, students are encouraged to avoid nicotine, caffeine, and sugar.
What about LASIK?The benefit of LASIK is a very quick improvement in eyesight-the entire procedure usually takes 20 minutes. Without dismissing the value of a quick cure, there are problems that are too often not addressed by the surgeons who perform LASIK. First of all, it can cost more than twenty times the cost of an Outlook Insight course. Like all surgeries, there is a risk of something going horribly wrong. An article in USA Today (June 28, 2001) reported 41.5% of respondents in a study reported more difficulty in driving after the surgery. Many have simply traded their distance glasses for reading glasses, or report seeing halos around everything. Finally, LASIK does not cure nearsightedness; it merely "burns" your prescription onto your cornea, leaving the eyeball misshapen. Rather than relieve the strain inherent in poor eyesight, it locks it in. Most Outlook Insight students agree that the improvement in their eyesight was the most superficial of the improvements to themselves after taking this course. Since Outlook Insight costs a fraction of the cost of LASIK, I advise people to factor the cost of Outlook Insight into the cost of their LASIK. At worst, any improvement in natural vision increases the chances of a successful LASIK. At best, of course, you will not need LASIK at all in order to see clearly and effortlessly
How are courses given?Students can choose to take Outlook Insight in a group setting or in privately.
The group course is a six week program that meets for two hours once a week. By spreading it out over six weeks, students have an opportunity to implement the changes and report on their progress. In addition, this format allows the teacher to monitor and correct the students. The benefits of group classes are the cost and the feedback and encouragement students get from the others in the class.
Day-long seminars are intro courses that for those who cannot schedule a six week commitment, or who will not be in town for six weeks.
Private classes can be taken in two-hour or one-hour sessions. The benefit of private classes is the personal attention. For example, I can watch your eyes and see how you create your blur. By making you aware of these habits, you can more easily change them. Another advantage of private sessions is the ability to work specifically with your visual challenge. For example, I have gotten in the car with students to give them the confidence to drive in situations where all they needed was a little confidence. I have worked with musicians to teach them how to play without straining. Also, private classes give students an opportunity to talk frankly about personal issues that affect their eyesight.
Where are the classes given?I am based in New York City, and most classes take place at my office near Union Square in Greenwich Village. However, I have taught all over the United States. If you would like to organize a class, I will come to your town. Classes can even be taught in your home.
Do phone consultations really work?Absolutely. During a phone consultation, I can guide you and even correct you. As one client has written, "I read a lot of books and took a couple natural vision courses and practiced the Bates techniques for a year. Then I started some phone consultations on a weekly basis and the progress I made in a few weeks was far more than I had made in the prior year. It is also more than I would have made in many years had I keep trying to coach myself just by reading forums and books."
Where can I get more information?Contact Robert Lichtman via email at info@outlook-insight.com, or via telephone at (212) 665-0220.
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