Eyesight without glasses was a concept promoted by Dr. William Bates in the late nineteenth century. Except a few cases of genetic disorders at birth, most of us are born with a good vision. If the eyesight deteriorates, it is mainly due to the strain and stress that we place on the eyes. When the eyes are strained beyond their normal withstanding capacity and strength, the muscles around the eyes are automatically weakened. This weakness leads to a change in the shape of our eyeballs. When the spherical shape of the eyeballs is altered, the transmission of the light rays into our eyes is severely affected. When the light rays fail to fall properly on the retina, the vision gets blurred.
Dr. Bates published a book, describing in detail how eyesight without glasses is possible, if we take efforts to relax the strain and stress on our eyes. There had been considerable opposition to the methods suggested by Dr. Bates and his critics had even warned of negative consequences, if such techniques are followed to improve eyesight. The medical profession and in particular, the ophthalmologists and optometrists, had been consistent in their belief that exercises could not cure eyesight problems and the vision could not be improved in a natural manner.
Eyesight without glasses might not be possible for all the individuals with eyesight problems. Certain serious eye ailments like cataract, glaucoma, acute short-sight, acute long-sight, and astigmatism might require the wearing of eye glasses or contact lenses. Some of the chronic patients might be able to regain their normal vision only through surgery. However, for most of the minor eyesight problems, regular exercises recommended by Dr. Bates and other specialists like him had been found to be quite effective. Still, the methods and techniques that should be used in the effort to discover how to see clearly without glasses would vary widely from one individual to another, depending on the particular eye problem.