About Dr. Bates

Natural Vision Education began in America in the 1890’s when Dr William H Bates made discoveries that were not in line with the teachings of mainstream ophthalmology.

Dr Bates was born in 1860 in Newark, New Jersey, he qualified as a medical doctor and later became an ophthalmologist working in hospitals, clinics and private practice. During this time he began to question why when patients returned their eyesight was never improved and stronger prescriptions were necessary.

He discovered that the nature of vision was variable and that glasses inhibited that variability to the extent that the visual system strained to see, being fixed by the prescription lens.

Dr Bates maintained that the main cause of vision difficulties was mental strain caused by the wearing of glasses and poor vision habits. It is the removal of strain and the changing of vision habits that ‘The Bates Method’ addresses.

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