Summary
Natural vision improvement coach Carl Vigilante joins host David Sandstrom to discuss the Bates Method. Both men share personal success stories -- David went from 20/70 to 20/20 as a 42-year-old airline pilot and no longer needs glasses at 61, while Carl experienced a dramatic clear flash after reading Thomas Quackenbush's book Relearning to See. Carl explains the physiology behind the Bates Method, describing how extraocular muscles change the shape of the eyeball and how mental strain causes them to lock up. The episode covers Dr. William Bates' history, why the Bates Method is about relaxation rather than exercises, and how both guests trained through Greg Marsh's audio course.
Key Points
- David Sandstrom improved from 20/70 to 20/20 (sometimes 20/15) as a 42-year-old airline pilot and removed the corrective lens restriction from his FAA certificate
- Carl Vigilante had a dramatic clear flash after three weeks of practicing from the book Relearning to See by Thomas Quackenbush
- The Bates Method is not exercises; it is relaxation-based, more like yoga for the eyes
- Extraocular muscles squeeze the eyeball into the wrong shape when under stress, and relaxation allows them to release
- Dr. Bates noticed that students and professors who lost their glasses actually improved their vision
- Vision problems are not caused by aging but by accumulated mental and physical load over time
- Both host and guest are in their 60s and neither needs glasses, demonstrating long-term results
Key Moments
Airline pilot goes from 20/70 to 20/20 with the Bates Method
Host David Sandstrom describes how he went from 20/70 vision as a 42-year-old airline pilot to 20/20 using the Bates Method, removing the corrective lens restriction from his FAA medical certificate.
"So when I heard about the Bates Method, I signed up for the course and I did that program. And I went from 2070 to 2020 and on a good day, 2015. And I've never looked back. I'm 61 years old now and I still don't need glasses."
Carl's breakthrough clear flash while walking
Carl Vigilante describes his first major clear flash after three weeks of practicing from the Bates Method book, when everything suddenly popped into vivid clarity during a morning walk.
"And as I was walking, I noticed something was different, but I didn't know what it was. But basically, I became really present. I could notice the birds really chirping. The sky was really blue, the flowers, the colors, everything was bright. And I realized I was seeing clearly."
Relaxation breakthrough during a couples massage
David describes how after a deeply relaxing couples massage on vacation, he could suddenly read a distant channel marker that had been an unreadable green blob before, confirming the link between relaxation and clear vision.
"I got into a very relaxed state. And we're walking back to our little bungalow out there. And I looked at that same sign and I could read it crystal clear. And I said, wow, this works. There's something about this. And it's all it's about relaxation."
