VISION TECHNIQUES ARE NOT REALLY ANYTHING NEW. VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF VISION TRAINING HAVE BEEN USED THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THE INDIAN YOGI, PATANJALI, DEVISED TECHNIQUES TO TONE AND CONDITION THE EXTRAOCULAR MUSCLE MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO. IN THE 7TH CENTURY THE GREEK PHYSICIAN PAULUS AEGINTA USED A MASK WHICH HAD EYE HOLES IN IT FORCING THE CROSSED EYE TO STRAIGHTEN OUT. IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, THE AMERICAN OPTHALMOLOGIST, WILLIAM H. BATES, COMMENTED, AFTER 30 YEARS OF RESEARCH: "THE THEORY THAT POOR VISION IS UNAVOIDABLE DOES NOT FIT THE OBSERVED FACTS, AND I HAVE SEEN MANY CASES IN WHICH ERRORS OF REFRACTION SPONTANEOUSLY RECOVERED OR CHANGED FORM." BATES FURTHER BELIEVED THAT STRESS CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT THE VISUAL SYSTEM.