Session 44: Doing time
I’ve been working with the Aperture Rule for two weeks now. The device once again demonstrates the things I have been explaining about vergence and accommodation. This device comes with two plates you can change.
The one with the one hole is to train convergence and the one with the two holes is to learn how to diverge your eyes. Depending on where you put the plate the degree of difficulty changes and there are 12 levels. With both plates I can only reach level 4 but the reason why I can’t make it to the next level differ for each one. When I go to level 5 with the convergence plate, I have to blur out the image to such degree that I don’t really see clearly what image is presented and don’t really know whether I’m having good fusion or not. When I go to level 5 with the divergence plate the problem is not getting a clear image, the problem is I can’t aim my eyes correctly for the images to overlap nicely. So there you have it… Same accommodation and vergence story again. The problem is really evident and so is the solution… It’s already been a hell of a ride so why not go that extra mile. Considering everything I have the progress I expected to have so it’s just about making that effort and doing that time.
Talking about doing time… I read research the other day that this type of perfectly treatable (but most often ignored) binocular eye conditions is strongly asociated with learning problems and consequently with criminality and low economic and social outcomes. The inmate population has a significantly higher percentage of this problem than the general population. My optometrist also told me about research during which they made inmates do VT and they saw significant behavioral improvements because of reduced stress and frustration. It sure feels like being locked up and reminded me of a funny discussion I had about a year ago with my friend Anja. I was seriously freaking out about having limited options because of graduating with double vision and I needed more time to fix the problem. Fortunately by then I had already figured out how to at least… She commented as a joke: ‘You can rob a bank. If it works out you are rich and have time. If it doesn’t work out you got time to work on your eyes in prison.’ Let’s just say the opportunity costs for the individual and society of not making serious work of binocular vision problems are huge. More about this later.
PS: A fellow patient peed her pants today, but being a little kid is a good excuse. 🙂