Re: Dangers of freeviewing (repost)

[P3D John O. Merritt <JOMERRITT@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've done alot of free-viewing over the years, starting as a
photointerpreter in the 60's.  I never noted any problems
stemming from freeviewing, but there were a few times when
I'd been peering into a binocular microscope with parallel
lines of sight, but with the eyepiece diopter setting not
matching the convergence, and then after a couple of hours
of using a measuring reticle in the microscope I found I 
had double vision for things at arms's length on my desk, and
had to look across the room, lock on to the more distanct
view, then run my eyes across the floor up onto my desk, 
whereupon I got normal convergence and fusion.  Then things
were back to normal after that.  I did convince me, thought,
that it is possible to temporarily disconnect accommodation
(focus) and convergence (fixation) through unusual use.  But
if the system can be reset that easily, it may also follow
that it can be reset to normal, equally easily, but just
looking around for a few minutes in the normal viewing
world.

The safety implications of "The interpreter may then see double, 
   or his vision may blur, at odd times, because the 
   stabilizing relationship between accommodation and 
   convergence has been disrupted" is obvious, if it

did occur at odd times.   But I suspect these effects would
occur just after free-viewing, rather than returning at
"odd times."  A dose of normal viewing should reset the system,
if it needed resetting.  

The question for all of you free-viewers out there is:
have you ever experienced any trouble with focus or
fixation (blurred or doubled vision) after you began
the sporadic practice of free viewing?  

Any such effects right after free viewing?  Any at "odd times" ??

John Merritt


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