Yoga of Perfect Sight

Facts Reconciled

The primary cause of optic neuritis is eye strain and mental strain. If the strain already exists syphilis or any other infection may exaggerate the strain and consequently may cause more damage, but they themselves can hardly cause optic neuritis or optic atrophy when there is proper relaxation of the mind and eyes. That is why patients suffering from syphilis or other infection may remain free from optic neuritis, and anti-syphilitic or anti-toxin treatment in positive cases may do no good. Cases who recover themselves without any specific treatment or by some specific treatment indicate that somehow the strain was relieved from the eyes and mind. Treatment of strain, side by side with other treatments of any infection, will prove really beneficial; but drastic treatment should be avoided as far as possible.

If the trouble is due to strain, then how is it that one eye may be affected and the other remains unaffected, as in the above case?

This is because one has two eyes which function independently—one may function under a strain and the other not.

Why do not all persons suffering from mental strain suffer from optic neuritis or some such eye trouble?

If the mind is under a strain, but if the eyes do not make an effort to see, the person will remain free from all such eye troubles; but if the mind is under a strain and the eye also stares, imperfect sight will be the result. The habitual strain may cause diseases of the eye —functional as well as organic.

Then why does anti-syphilitic or anti-toxin treatment help considerably in certain cases. if the strain is the main cause?

Syphilis or any other infection might he increasing the strain of the mind and eyes, hence anti-syphilitic treatment or anti-toxin treatment helped such cases. Or these cases might be recovering in a natural course of relaxation and antitoxin treatment got the credit.