Bates method

The Bates method is a system of eye exercises and relaxation techniques developed by William H. Bates. Its claim that these practices correct refractive errors is unsupported by scientific evidence.

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Refractive error: A focusing condition in which the eye does not bring light to a sharp focus on the retina. The method claims to correct these focusing conditions without changing the eye’s optics.
William H. Bates: An American ophthalmologist who developed the Bates method and published his theories of vision in the early twentieth century. He devised the exercises and argued that mental strain caused refractive errors.
Eyeglasses: Lenses worn before the eyes to alter the path of light and improve focus on the retina. Unlike Bates exercises, prescription lenses reliably compensate for refractive errors while worn.
Myopia: A refractive error in which distant objects appear blurred because light focuses in front of the retina. Bates claimed his method could reverse nearsightedness, a claim unsupported by clinical evidence.
Accommodation (eye): The eye’s adjustment of lens shape to focus on objects at different distances. Bates proposed that focusing effort, rather than fixed optical structure, causes refractive errors.
Perfect Sight Without Glasses: A 1920 book by William H. Bates presenting his method and theory of vision. Bates’s book set out the practices and claims that define the method.
Contact lens: A thin corrective lens placed directly on the eye’s surface. Contact lenses correct focus through optics rather than relaxation or eye movements.
Hyperopia: A refractive error in which the eye’s optical power is insufficient for its length, often making near focus difficult. The method also claims to address farsightedness without evidence of correcting its optical cause.
Palming (eye exercise): A relaxation exercise in which the closed eyes are covered with the palms without applying pressure. Bates prescribed palming to reduce strain, though it does not correct refractive error.
Ophthalmology: The medical specialty concerned with the eyes, visual systems, and their diseases. Bates developed his approach as an ophthalmologist, though it diverged from established optics.