Ch. XII: Palming

CHAPTER XII
PALMING

First I read the chapter, then I made the following summary of how I will practice the methods he describes.  For the most part, the following is all Dr. Bates words from this chapter that I have compiled to print out and practice.

ALL the methods used in the cure of errors of refraction are simply different ways of obtaining relaxation, and most patients, though by no means all, find it easiest to relax with their eyes shut.

He emphatically writes, if this does not bring relaxation and improvement of the eyesight, then practice other methods in the book first.

I have summaraized his 7 main methods of palming below.  I will do each one a couple of times for a comfortable amount of time (about 15 minutes) to find out which one benefits my eyes the best by looking at the Snellen card before and after.  I think this will take the whole week or longer depending on whether I have time to do more than 2 15 minutes sessions per day.

After I find the most beneficial method, I will change the time to find out how much time is most beneficial for me.

All of the points below can be done with any color, not just black.  You can substitute your favorite colors or objects from your favorite memories for anything he has mentioned.  Use anything remembered perfectly with positive associations.  The point is improving the conscious ability to relax.

1.  Flashing cure
Most patients are benefited merely by closing the eyes; and by alternately resting them for a few minutes or longer in this way and then opening them and looking at the Snellen test card for a second or less, flashes of improved vision are, as a rule, very quickly obtained. Some temporarily obtain almost normal vision by this means; and in rare cases a complete cure has been effected, sometimes in less than an hour.

Palming:  This is done by covering the closed eyes with the palms of the hands (the fingers being crossed upon the forehead) in such a way as to avoid pressure on the eyeballs.

It is impossible to see a perfect black unless the eyesight is perfect, because only when the eyesight is perfect is the mind at rest; but some patients can without difficulty approximate such a black nearly enough to improve their eyesight, and as the eyesight improves the deepness of the black increases.

2.  memory of black object
The majority of such patients may be greatly helped by the memory of a black object. They are directed to look at such an object at the distance at which the color can be seen best, close the eyes and remember the color, and repeat until the memory appears to be equal to the sight. Then they are instructed, while still holding the memory of the black, to cover the closed eyes with the palms of the hands in the manner just described. If the memory of the black is perfect, the whole background will be black. If it is not, or if it does not become so in the course of a few seconds, the eyes are opened and the black object regarded again.

3.  Memory of black with the help of central fixation
When they have become able to see one part of a black object darker than the whole, they are able to remember the smaller area for a longer time than they could the larger one, and thus become able to see black for a longer period when they palm.

4.  Memory of black with the help of shifting
They are also benefited by mental shifting (see Chapter XV) from one black object to another, or from one part of a black object to another. Those who think they are remembering a black object continuously are unconsciously comparing it with something not so black, or else its color and its position are constantly changing. It is impossible to remember even such a simple thing as a period perfectly black and stationary for more than a fraction of a second. When shifting is not done unconsciously patients must be encouraged to do it consciously. They may be directed, for instance, to remember successively a black hat, a black shoe, a black velvet dress, a black plush curtain, or a fold in the black dress or the black curtain, holding each one not more than a fraction of a second. Many persons have been benefited by remembering all the letters of the alphabet in turn perfectly black. Others prefer to shift from one small black object, such as a period or a small letter, to another, or to swing such an object in a manner to be described later (see Chapter XV).

5.Imagination of black improved by memory
In some cases the following method has proved successful: When the patient sees what he thinks is a perfect black, let him remember a piece of starch on this background, and on the starch the letter F as black as the background. Then let him let go of the starch and remember only the F, one part best, on the black background. In a short time the whole field may become as black as the blacker part of the F. The process can be repeated many times with a constant increase of blackness in the field.

6.  Increasing the vividness of the black by use of the imagination
Even the imperfect memory of black is useful, for by its aid a still blacker black can be both remembered and seen; and this brings still further improvement. For instance, let the patient regard a letter on the Snellen test card at the distance at which the color is seen best, then close his eyes and remember it. If the palming produces relaxation, it will be possible to imagine a deeper shade of black than was seen, and by remembering this black when again regarding the letter it can be seen blacker than it was at first. A still deeper black can then be imagined, and this deeper black can, in turn, be transferred to the letter on the test card. By continuing this process a perfect perception of black, and hence perfect sight, are sometimes very quickly obtained. The deeper the shade of black obtained with the eyes closed, the more easily it can be remembered when regarding the letters on the test card.

7.  Palming with other colors
Although black is, as a rule, the easiest color to remember, for reasons explained in the next chapter, the following method sometimes succeeds when the memory of black fails: Remember a variety of colors—bright red, yellow, green, blue, purple, white especially—all in the most intense shade possible. Do not attempt to hold any of them more than a second. Keep this up for five or ten minutes. Then remember a piece of starch about half an inch in diameter as white as possible. Note the color of the background. Usually it will be a shade of black. If it is, note whether it is possible to remember anything blacker, or to see anything blacker with the eyes open. In all cases when the white starch is remembered perfectly the background will be so black that it will be impossible to remember anything blacker with the eyes closed, or to see anything blacker with them open.

CHAPTER XII
PALMING

First I read the chapter, then I made the following summary of how I will practice the methods he

describes.  For the most part, the following is all Dr. Bates words from this chapter that I have

compiled to print out and practice.

ALL the methods used in the cure of errors of refraction are simply different ways of obtaining

relaxation, and most patients, though by no means all, find it easiest to relax with their eyes shut.

He emphatically writes, if this does not bring relaxation and improvement of the eyesight, then practice

other methods in the book first.

I have summaraized his 7 main methods of palming below.  I will do each one a couple of times for a

comfortable amount of time (about 15 minutes) to find out which one benefits my eyes the best by looking

at the Snellen card before and after.  I think this will take the whole week or longer depending on

whether I have time to do more than 2 15 minutes sessions per day.

After I find the most beneficial method, I will change the time to find out how much time is most

beneficial for me.

All of the points below can be done with any color, not just black.  You can substitute your favorite

colors or objects from your favorite memories for anything he has mentioned.  Use anything remembered

perfectly with positive associations.  The point is improving the conscious ability to relax.

1.  Flashing cure
Most patients are benefited merely by closing the eyes; and by alternately resting them for a few minutes

or longer in this way and then opening them and looking at the Snellen test card for a second or less,

flashes of improved vision are, as a rule, very quickly obtained. Some temporarily obtain almost normal

vision by this means; and in rare cases a complete cure has been effected, sometimes in less than an

hour.

Palming:  This is done by covering the closed eyes with the palms of the hands (the fingers being crossed

upon the forehead) in such a way as to avoid pressure on the eyeballs.

It is impossible to see a perfect black unless the eyesight is perfect, because only when the eyesight is

perfect is the mind at rest; but some patients can without difficulty approximate such a black nearly

enough to improve their eyesight, and as the eyesight improves the deepness of the black increases.

2.  memory of black object
The majority of such patients may be greatly helped by the memory of a black object. They are directed to

look at such an object at the distance at which the color can be seen best, close the eyes and remember

the color, and repeat until the memory appears to be equal to the sight. Then they are instructed, while

still holding the memory of the black, to cover the closed eyes with the palms of the hands in the manner

just described. If the memory of the black is perfect, the whole background will be black. If it is not,

or if it does not become so in the course of a few seconds, the eyes are opened and the black object

regarded again.

3.  Memory of black with the help of central fixation
When they have become able to see one part of a black object darker than the whole, they are able to

remember the smaller area for a longer time than they could the larger one, and thus become able to see

black for a longer period when they palm.

4.  Memory of black with the help of shifting
They are also benefited by mental shifting (see Chapter XV) from one black object to another, or from one

part of a black object to another. Those who think they are remembering a black object continuously are

unconsciously comparing it with something not so black, or else its color and its position are constantly

changing. It is impossible to remember even such a simple thing as a period perfectly black and

stationary for more than a fraction of a second. When shifting is not done unconsciously patients must be

encouraged to do it consciously. They may be directed, for instance, to remember successively a black

hat, a black shoe, a black velvet dress, a black plush curtain, or a fold in the black dress or the black

curtain, holding each one not more than a fraction of a second. Many persons have been benefited by

remembering all the letters of the alphabet in turn perfectly black. Others prefer to shift from one

small black object, such as a period or a small letter, to another, or to swing such an object in a

manner to be described later (see Chapter XV).

5.Imagination of black improved by memory
In some cases the following method has proved successful: When the patient sees what he thinks is a

perfect black, let him remember a piece of starch on this background, and on the starch the letter F as

black as the background. Then let him let go of the starch and remember only the F, one part best, on the

black background. In a short time the whole field may become as black as the blacker part of the F. The

process can be repeated many times with a constant increase of blackness in the field.

6.  Increasing the vividness of the black by use of the imagination
Even the imperfect memory of black is useful, for by its aid a still blacker black can be both remembered

and seen; and this brings still further improvement. For instance, let the patient regard a letter on the

Snellen test card at the distance at which the color is seen best, then close his eyes and remember it.

If the palming produces relaxation, it will be possible to imagine a deeper shade of black than was seen,

and by remembering this black when again regarding the letter it can be seen blacker than it was at

first. A still deeper black can then be imagined, and this deeper black can, in turn, be transferred to

the letter on the test card. By continuing this process a perfect perception of black, and hence perfect

sight, are sometimes very quickly obtained. The deeper the shade of black obtained with the eyes closed,

the more easily it can be remembered when regarding the letters on the test card.

7.  Palming with other colors
Although black is, as a rule, the easiest color to remember, for reasons explained in the next chapter,

the following method sometimes succeeds when the memory of black fails: Remember a variety of

colors—bright red, yellow, green, blue, purple, white especially—all in the most intense shade possible.

Do not attempt to hold any of them more than a second. Keep this up for five or ten minutes. Then

remember a piece of starch about half an inch in diameter as white as possible. Note the color of the

background. Usually it will be a shade of black. If it is, note whether it is possible to remember

anything blacker, or to see anything blacker with the eyes open. In all cases when the white starch is

remembered perfectly the background will be so black that it will be impossible to remember anything

blacker with the eyes closed, or to see anything blacker with them open.