requires the patient to be an active participant, asking him/her to look at his/her involvement in the eye condition. This approach goes beyond simply treating the symptom or even clearing up the physical condition.
Drawing on this metaphor, you can begin to think of your eye condition as an indication of what is happening in your mind\’s eye. It\’s a combination of your thoughts, beliefs, fears, and angers. It also includes perceptions picked up from your parents, siblings, teachers, and others. This is why people don\’t all develop the same eye conditions. Each of you carries your own unique imprint of past patterns of perception. You visit your traditional eye doctor with a symptom perhaps blurriness, eyestrain, \”floaters,\” or pain. Your eye doctor examines the eyes and takes various measurements. She then makes a comparison to some norm and informs you whether or not you fit into that norm. If you don\’t, some remedial measures may be suggested. These are not substantially different from the African ritual, and they usually take the form of eyeglasses, contact lenses, laser eye surgery, or medication.
Contrast this familiar approach with that of the modern preventive eye doctor, usually a functional optometrist. Like the shaman, he or she views the physical eye as a mirror of the mind\’s eye. In effect, your eyes reveal something about your inner perceptions, either past or current. The obvious and ideal situation is to combine Western and traditional shamanistic approaches, use the technology of a vision-fitness lens prescription, and enlist your eye doctor or a suitably trained professional to help you examine the types of perceptions you have in your mind\’s eye.
Laser eye treatment isn’t the only type of corrective eye surgery available to improve your vision, but it is one of the most popular. Depending on your eye condition, PRK or lasik surgery may be a better option. Get the full facts about all the different options and costs today.
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