Yoga of Perfect Sight

Go to the Movies

In today's world it is ridiculous to tell the students and others not to go to the movies so that the eyes may not be spoiled. It is a common belief that cinematographic pictures are injurious to the eyes, and it is a fact that at times they cause much discomfort and lowering of the vision. They can, however, be made a means of improving eyesight. When they hurt the eyes it is because the subject strains to see the cinema. If this tendency to strain can be overcome, the vision is always benefited and the discomforts are relieved.

I advise most of the eye-patients to go to the movies frequently, become accustomed to the flickering light and the fluctuations of light and learn to look at the picture without strain. They are advised to keep the upper lids down in the position of rest and to blink frequently. They are warned not to stare. If the picture hurts the eyes I instruct them to look away to the dark for a while, then look at a corner of the picture; and so on. In this way the patients soon become able to look directly at the picture without any discomfort. When this does not help, I ask them to try palming for five minutes or longer, that is, to close the eyes and cover them with the palms avoiding any pressure on the eye-balls and then recall the memory of black colour or the episode.

The fact is that vision under difficult conditions is a good mental training. The mind may be disturbed at first by the unfavourable environment; but after it has become accustomed to such environments, the mental control and, consequently, the eyesight is improved.

I remember a very interesting case whose eyes were greatly hurt whenever she went to the cinema. Each time she saw a movie her eyes had swelling and she had severe headache which was relieved after four hours rest. Under the instructions of a doctor she had stopped seeing movies but this itself was a strain on her mind as she was very fond of seeing the movies. After a few days treatment I asked this lady patient to go to the movies and see the cinema with frequent blinking. Formerly she used to stare at the cinematographic pictures and did not blink at all, so she suffered. At first she was hesitant but when I encouraged her that this will prove very helpful, she went and enjoyed the picture with gentle blinking. At the interval time she palmed her eyes and remembered the episode. I had told her not to see the advertisements. After seeing the picture when she came out of the hall, she was telling her friends how beneficial it was to see the cinema in the right way. There was absolutely no headache and no pain and no swelling in the eyes.

If the children and others are taught about the proper use of the eyes, most of the eye troubles will fade away in a natural way. Preservation of good eyesight is impossible without eye education.