Restoring Your Eyesight...Healing Your Vision... Minding Your Eyes...Seeing Your Mind... Visual Behavior and Transformational Imagery If the vision system and the eyes work in a smooth, efficient, and "open" manner, it will greatly enhance the ability to use the "vertical" vision skills necessary to create personal imagery. Vertical vision skills relate to the ability to reach deeply into the mind to explore one's subjective reality, rising up to a new level of "seeing." This can result in the transformational images that are capable of healing body, mind, and spirit. This is the essence of mind/body medicine, whereby the inner vision can change one's physical reality. Healing visualizations have been proven to help numerous diseases and conditions, including pain, depression, digestive problems, and even cancer, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. Conversely, it is very likely that negative imagery has a deleterious effect on optimal health and performance. Visual Behavior and Creativity Metaphorically, vision can be described as "open" or closed." A person with "open" vision can expand or open his or her perception to see "laterally," sliding off to a new track. To have a sense of humor one needs lateral vision. At the moment we understand a joke or see a new parallel to our thoughts, we are seeing and thinking laterally. This ability is a hallmark of the creative process. If the eyes and vision system are more flexible, it is easier to develop and expand one's "creative" vision. Eyesight and Behavior Nearsightedness (poor distance vision) is commonly associated with spastic eye muscles, over-focusing and narrowed attention. Perceptually, many nearsighted people are highly externalized in their values, are high achievers, and are very detail conscious. Also, many nearsighted people have a feeling that they are "afraid" to see too clearly. People with astigmatism have two different foci in the same eye and typically have very variable and blurred vision, since their focus shifts back and forth. They tend to have contracted eye movements and many times can feel excessive muscle tension when looking in different directions. Perceptually, astigmatics tend to be daydreamers and artists, always shifting in and out of present reality, with very active imaginations. Farsighted people tend to look at the bigger picture and literally have a harder time looking at details, since it requires more energy for them to focus closely. They like to "push" things away, including reading material, project deadlines, and situations that make them feel closed in. Farsighted people tend to rely more on verbal skills and require more time to "see" things. They typically have to work harder to be organized. It has been scientifically proven that certain eye and vision behaviors can change the physical structure of the eye, which can result in eyesight problems. Once the structure of the eye has been changed, external interventions may be necessary to improve or restore eyesight. The most common intervention for nearsightedness is corneal reshaping. This can be done surgically or non-surgically. Surgical corneal shaping procedures include RK (radial keratotomy), PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), and Lasik. Nonsurgical cornea reshaping is called Orthokeratology. We are strong supporters of the nonsurgical approach, Orthokeratology, when it is appropriate to reshape the cornea. Orthokeratology (precision corneal molding) is a treatment we have used extensively to improve and restore eyesight (without surgery) in cases of nearsightedness and astigmatism. We prescribe a series of specially designed therapeutic contact lenses that progressively reshape the cornea, resulting in clear or markedly improved eyesight after the lenses are removed. A person then wears a "retainer" lens periodically, during daytime hours or at night while sleeping. This procedure allows the person to see clearly again after the lenses are removed. Ortho lenses are to the eyes, as braces are to the teeth in orthodontic care, but they are invisible. Orthokeratology may be a better choice than RK and/or PRK refractive surgery for the following reasons: Ortho-K is safer, with fewer side effects. Statistics show no damaged eyes with Ortho-K, while 3% of the refractive surgery population has impaired vision as a result of surgery. Ortho-K is less invasive and is reversible. Ortho-K allows middle aged people to see both far away and close up, while refractive surgery often causes worsening of reading vision or premature presbyopia. Ortho-K allows people to completely rid themselves of glasses, while in refractive surgery, 30 to 40% of the people still need glasses at least part time. Ortho-K offers more consistent vision, since retainer wearing time can be adjusted by the individual. Ortho-K frequently produces better results with less expense. An integrated and comprehensive treatment plan including visual behavior modification (VPR), Orthokeratology, nutritional balancing, and transformational imagery has been very successful in retraining and improving eyesight and healing and expanding vision.