Came across an impressive new blog from an adult who discovered vision therapy serendipitously through her experience with going to 3D movies. This is precisely the public health issue that Dr. Michael Duenas, of the American Optometric Association, has raised. Here is the background:
“It all started with going to see yet another movie in 3D (who said a movie could change your life?) and I thought I saw 3D! I have seen three movies in 3D, Avatar, Star Wars Episode I and Avengers. When I saw Avatar, I thought I saw 3D, but when I described it to my husband he said that it should have felt like to forest was all around me, that didn’t happen. I also had a horrible headache afterwards. For Star Wars I thought I saw some in the preview for Pixar where a ball pops out, again had a horrible headache later. When I saw the Avengers, once again I saw the ball in the preview and then I thought I saw an alien machine coming out of the screen! In fact it scared me a bit in the theater. I asked my husband and he said that part was a really impressive piece that was 3D. It got me thinking that maybe I could see 3D. Also what surprised me the most was that I didn’t have a headache this time. That Monday (5/7/12) I was explaining to a coworker that I thought I saw 3D and was pretty excited, another coworker happened to overhear and asked me if I had ever heard of Vision Therapy.
The conversation I had with my coworker over the next 10-15 minutes may change my life forever. I learned that her children had each had a form of lazy eye and were now using both eyes after completing Vision Therapy. She recommended Dr. Lori Mowbray and we went our separate ways.
I started using google and began to learn about Vision Therapy. I was shocked that no doctor, nurse or anyone I had explained my vision issues to had told me about it. The more I read the more convinced I became that I had to see if I was indeed a candidate for Vision Therapy. I had also found a book called “Fixing My Gaze” by Sue Barry, and read it in one night. After completing the book I decided to make an appointment for an evaluation. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was starting to feel hopeful about my vision. The idea of being about to see 3D was exciting. I also couldn’t help but wonder if I could work up to normal vision. I started to wonder if we could “wake up” my bad eye and then if I got Lasik, would I be just like everyone else? The idea was intriguing, whether I decide to have Lasik later or not, even normal vision with glasses wasn’t a possibility just a few days ago.”
The VisionHelp Blog 
So glad you’ve found another blogger. I’m going to be following her journey with interest. Thanks for posting!
🙂
I’ve been stereo blind my whole life. I can see 3D movies if I sit on the first or second row of the theater. I’ve heard that it’s because, in 3D movies they switch which image you see really fast so you brain doesn’t have time to always suppress it and also, if I’m sitting close it’s so big that it makes it easier. I don’t think I see it as well as other people. In Avatar things did poke out, but it didn’t feel like they surrounded me. It’s pretty cool though. I wish I could see the world like that all the time.
Good discovery. If your eye turns inward, generally the closer you are to the screen, the more you approach your centration zone – a region of enough simultaneous overlap between the two eyes that you perceive stereoscopic 3D at some level.