Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a vision defect where the image of an object forms in front of the retina, not on it. This causes nearsighted individuals to see clearly only at close distances, unlike farsighted people who see distant objects clearly. The defect in the latter case, hyperopia, results in the formation of the image behind the retina.
Myopia typically develops in childhood and adolescence. Distant objects appear blurry, leading children to squint to see them better. They often experience visual fatigue and headaches, have impaired twilight vision, and a decline in visual acuity.
One cause of myopia is heredity. Other frequent causes include insufficient lighting, excessive near vision strain, improper posture while writing or reading, reading in transport, prolonged TV watching, and computer work.
Another cause can be false myopia, resulting from the overuse of one muscle (the ciliary muscle) due to constant contraction (accommodation spasm).
Other factors contributing to myopia include other eye defects (non-pathological vision reduction (amblyopia), astigmatism, corneal changes, strabismus), birth traumas, infections, etc.
Psychosomatics of Myopia
Eyes are the organ of vision that helps gather information from the external world. Almost all eye ailments reflect a person’s reluctance to see: events, relationships, themselves, people around them. Why would someone not want to see? Because what they see may be unpleasant or cause pain.
The psychosomatics of vision and myopia explain that problems with the right eye are associated with negativity in viewing the world and symbolize the male side (particularly the father and his influence). The left eye is generally related to the mother’s influence and self-perception.
It seems reasonable as it’s from the mother’s first words and her attitude towards us that we begin to perceive ourselves as separate individuals, while the father helps the child discover the broader world.
Considering these key points, let’s examine the psychological causes of myopia.
Psychological Causes of Myopia
Authors we know (Louise Hay, V. Sinelnikov) assert that myopia affects people who are overly self-focused, excessively subjective. Such individuals don’t want to notice anything or anyone around them, only themselves and their immediate surroundings.
Another psychological cause of myopia is the unwillingness to look forward, fear of the future (as it is distant and vague).
The psychosomatic reason for myopia in children is understandable: if there are constant troubles and conflicts in the family causing emotional suffering to the child, their body weakens vision to lessen the emotional pain.
Adolescence brings numerous worries related to the future (the fear of becoming an adult, fear of choosing the wrong path, etc.). The body’s response to these emotional torments can again be the development of myopia.
Sometimes, myopia appears as protection from the external world when a child faces problems and discomfort in relationships outside the home (kindergarten, school).
Paths to Healing
- The first step in healing is finding the cause of the ailment. One must understand that the cause of illness always lies within the person (or parent, in the case of a child). Ask yourself: What close by do I not want to see? Who in my immediate surroundings do I find unpleasant to see? What am I afraid of? Observe your emotions. In connection with what (or whom) do your emotions take a negative turn: irritation, resentment, disappointment, anger, etc.? A hint here: there are only two fundamental emotions underlying all others – Love and Fear. Depending on what initially resides in a person’s soul, Love or Fear, they will produce corresponding emotions. Emotions associated with Love: gratitude, joy, tenderness, friendliness, support, care, wisdom, harmony, peace, mercy, attentiveness, sensitivity, creativity, inspiration, etc., work towards creation. Emotions inherent in Fear: irritation, resentment, indignation, sadness, disappointment, anger, aggression, hatred, annoyance, hardness, cruelty, indifference, apathy, hustle, etc., work towards destruction. If you consider negative emotions, a connecting thread will lead to some fear, either on the surface or in the subconscious. In the latter case, a qualified psychotherapist can help identify and remove the fear. Take irritation, for example. Why does a person get irritated? What lies behind irritation? Maybe their fear of not being able to do something, being late, embarrassment, losing something valuable, fear for a child, etc.
- After recognizing the fear, it’s necessary to let it go. Understand the motives of fear: why it appeared, in connection with what (event, relationships), what does it want to tell you? As known, fear is our teacher. For example, fear of pain teaches a child to be cautious with dangerous household items, teaching them care in their use. A person who sees fear as a helper and teacher will only feel gratitude towards it. Once a person goes through these stages of emotional healing, the ailment will pass, as its purpose is fulfilled.
A real-life example: A girl suffers from myopia, wears glasses. No one in the family suspects the psychological underpinning of the ailment. She grows up, corrects the defect with surgery. All is well. Then her firstborn daughter is born. Eventually, the little girl is diagnosed with myopia. Is this a coincidence? The infamous heredity? From a psychosomatic perspective, this is an example of unconscious and unresolved lessons passed from mother to daughter. This is indicated by similar negative traits and personality qualities in both. These traits need to be worked through the corresponding ailment. Have you noticed that we often inherit similar traits and ailments from our parents? Isn’t this a signal from our body that we start making the same mistakes in relationships with people or life, allowing the same destructive thoughts and emotions as our parents once did? I think this is worth pondering.
Wishing you healthy vision!
Lada
