Stereoblindness (from a former sufferer)

[adf2006]

Hey guys, I don't know exactly where on the web to post this.

Like the rest of the world, I was excited to see Avatar in 3D, but also afraid. I knew that I have never been able to do Magic Eye puzzles and the theme park 3D rides never really seemed to POP for me (although I thought I was just dumb and acted like I got it like the rest of the kids, haha.) At some point a few years back I read a couple articles online and realized I was stereoblind. This fit in with my poor coordination in sports.

For those who don't know, (since I'm assuming there are very few stereoblind people who frequent this forum) stereoblindness is the result of some problem in the development of the eyes. In my case, I had cataracts in both eyes as a young child and underwent something like 7 ocular surgeries in three years. This lead to my left eye being much worse than my right and also significantly vertically misaligned. When conditions like this, in which one eye is somehow not optimally functional, appear in early childhood, then the sufferer can become stereoblind. The brain does not develop the mechanism that combines the two images from your eyes and uses them to see depth.

I don't want to make this a long post because I'm not sure there's an audience, but to quickly summarize the rest: I saw Avatar in 3D once and enjoyed the movie, totally flat. I decided to try again and at the end of my second viewing, after spending the whole movie crossing, uncrossing, twisting, tilting, and squinting my eyes, for about 3 minutes I really think I saw 3D. Then it was gone. Subsequent viewings were also flat.

Okay I'm getting wordy again. Basically I stubbornly got myself a 3D projector and read every morsel I could find on Google and Yahoo I could find about stereoblindness. After a few weeks of self-training/practice, I finally hit the point of being able to relax and enjoy video in S-3D.

The thrill of walking down the street to class, and focusing on putting my eyes in 3D mode... I walked about ten feet before the sensation of the world moving around me became dizzying. I feel like I'm living in a completely new adventure right now.

Naturally, I'd like to share a few of the things I think helped me. I'm sure there are plenty of frustrated geeks (and maybe even a few frustrated grandmas at Avatar screenings) who would love to hear that maybe their stereoblindness is not permanent. And on top of that, with a little ingenuity and dedication you may be able to cure it without prolonged (and I'm certain prohibitively expensive) vision therapy.

So my questions for you guys. Would any of you be interested in reading an account of the little excercises I practiced and hearing my general story? Like I said it's like gaining the ability to smell, it's an entire new way for me to percieve the world... to get this at 22 years old is a gift I would love to be able to share. If you know of any other more appropriate forums for such an article, please let me know. There's really nothing on google I can find about other people who have cured stereoblindness (despite lots of bitter articles by tech geeks who can't see stereo and are just resentful about it. Trust me, it is NOT pleasant feeling left out like that.)

I meant this to be a preliminary post to see if there would be any interest at all, but it's already gone long, ack.

Thanks everyone!

[Jadentheman]

Another hit to the 3D haters out there

[Likay]

This is nearly like a cinderella story and i'm happy for you! Sure you can post how you did and the way of doing the excercises. If the information can't be found elsewhere then be sure its credited to you. I have personally never encountered anyone who's stereoblind but this could surely help someone!
Congratulations again and welcome to a more enriched world!

[Hornet]

I think it is possible, I ophthalmologist and active 3D stereo user and I think this is brand new possibility for 3D stereopsis (the possibility of stereoviewing with depth perception) training. It is no totally new , the system for stereoviewing training with shutterglasses was patented in 2003 (japan?), but it is possibility of excersising of stereopsis at home now. Shuttrglasses are a wonder! Congratulations for your depth perception!

[PalmerTech]

This needs to be made into a movie.

In 3D.

[cybereality]

Wow! Congratulations. In the world of stereo 3D, anything is possible! I think this is a great place to share your story.

The doctors, many years ago, told me that I had impaired depth perception (which is probably why I sucked so bad at sports in school). So I had to get glasses. But for like all those years before that I just walked around and thought that was normal. Sometimes I wonder if that's why I'm such a stereo-addict today.

Anyway, I'm glad you had great success with 3D. I think most people would have given up long before going to Avatar in 3D.

[Freke1]

Great to hear it's regainable, congrats! I will definitively put a link to Your guide/tips on my site.

[SlightlyBrown]

My girlfriend is steroblind, although she didn't realise it until we got a 3d projector and everything looked exactly the same to her in non-3d mode.

Since then we've been trying to come up with ways to train her brain to see in 3d, both of her eyes are good, and when she's focussing on something she can see through her left eye OR her right eye, but not at the same time, one image always gets repressed.

I'd love to hear about your experiances and any advice you might have for curing her.

[Rosomack]

Congratulations!

It would be good if you shared your experiences here. It might help a lot of people, a couple of my friends among them.

[yuriythebest]

there is actually a clinic in russia that treats eye problems including stereo blindness using stereo3d (all be it with outdated shutters + CRT)

[jerrydharrison]

I would be extremely happy to hear more of your story. I currently have the same issue with 3d and am hoping to have the new hardware soon to be able to practice seeing differently

[Andernerd]

This would be great for a geek-friend of mine. Please post this.

[yuriythebest]

definitely do tell your exercises!

[anawrot]

Hey, I hope you're still keeping tabs on this thread. Like yourself, I'm stereo blind. However, I'm a visual effects artist and I'm that odd position of having worked on several films in 3d. There are many ways in post-production to evaluate depth in stereo images, so I can still work effectively on 3d films, I just don't "experience" them the same way. Over the years I've noticed that my sensitivity to on-screen 3d has improved. I used to sit in dailies and not be able to "see" the depth in the images. I'm much more sensitive to it now, though not nearly as much as a regular viewer. The minute the polarized glasses come off, I'm back into the "2d" real world (my vision doesn't fuse to create depth).

Until recently, I had no idea that the training your eyes receive when watching 3d films could actually transcend into the real world, and effectively treat stereoblindness. I'd definitely like to compare notes and hear about your experiences, so please PM me at your convenience.

Thanks!

[yuriythebest]

Hey, I hope you're still keeping tabs on this thread. Like yourself, I'm stereo blind. However, I'm a visual effects artist and I'm that odd position of having worked on several films in 3d. There are many ways in post-production to evaluate depth in stereo images, so I can still work effectively on 3d films, I just don't "experience" them the same way. Over the years I've noticed that my sensitivity to on-screen 3d has improved. I used to sit in dailies and not be able to "see" the depth in the images. I'm much more sensitive to it now, though not nearly as much as a regular viewer. The minute the polarized glasses come off, I'm back into the "2d" real world (my vision doesn't fuse to create depth).

Until recently, I had no idea that the training your eyes receive when watching 3d films could actually transcend into the real world, and effectively treat stereoblindness. I'd definitely like to compare notes and hear about your experiences, so please PM me at your convenience.

Thanks!

welcome to mtbs3d! hope "artificial" stereoscopic 3d will continue to improve your vision. we are not doctors/experts we just like 3D

if you experience 3d when wearing glasses have you contemplated getting a 3d monitor/3d tv?

[aswokei]

So my questions for you guys. Would any of you be interested in reading an account of the little excercises I practiced and hearing my general story? Like I said it's like gaining the ability to smell, it's an entire new way for me to percieve the world... to get this at 22 years old is a gift I would love to be able to share. If you know of any other more appropriate forums for such an article, please let me know. There's really nothing on google I can find about other people who have cured stereoblindness (despite lots of bitter articles by tech geeks who can't see stereo and are just resentful about it. Trust me, it is NOT pleasant feeling left out like that.)

I meant this to be a preliminary post to see if there would be any interest at all, but it's already gone long, ack.

Thanks everyone!

Yes, I am very interested in how you fixed your vision. I have stereoblindness. I am interested in fixing my vision. I'd love some information.

THANKS

[edupm2010]

Yes please, do write the exercises you have been practising or e mail at:

edupm2010@yahoo.es

bless you!

eduardo

[cadcoke5]

I have done a little reading on the subject myself, since I have a brother with stereoblindness. It is my understanding that during childhood, if one eye has very poor vision compared to the other eye, the brain tends to ignore the poor eye.

I have read that there is a window of opportunity up to about age 3, where corrections to the poor eye will allow the brain enough time to learn to use the formerly poor eye. However, after that point, it is thought that the poor eye will always tend to be ignored by the brain.

I am curious if any medical studies have shown otherwise.

Joe Dunfee

[Fredz]

Maybe you should read this book : Fixing My Gaze.

In this book the author (a neuroscientist) explains how she recovered stereoscopic vision in her fifties. She had been stereoblind since her early infancy and the doctors all said her stereo vision was lost.

[ERP]

I have done a little reading on the subject myself, since I have a brother with stereoblindness. It is my understanding that during childhood, if one eye has very poor vision compared to the other eye, the brain tends to ignore the poor eye.

I have read that there is a window of opportunity up to about age 3, where corrections to the poor eye will allow the brain enough time to learn to use the formerly poor eye. However, after that point, it is thought that the poor eye will always tend to be ignored by the brain.

I am curious if any medical studies have shown otherwise.

Joe Dunfee

That was generally considered to be the case.
But recently (at least I've only heard about it recently) optometrists have started prescribing glasses with one lens designed for near vision, and one for distance vision, apparently after a short period of adjustment, the brain learns which eye it should pay attention to at any given distance, and some prefer the result to bifocals. One of the side effects of these glasses is a loss of stereo vision.
Given you can lose stereo vision late in life, to me it seems likely with enough of the right exercises, you ought to be able to restore some types of stereo blindness.

FWIW I wore an eye patch when I was 3 or 4 to correct for stereo blindness caused by a lazy eye, and at >40 my optometrist tells me that my eyes converge considerably better than those who have "normal" vision largely as a result of the endless exercises my mother made me do as a child.