Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist's Journey Into Seeing in Three Dimensions

I have had fixed amblyopia for 70 years. This resulted in a huge "blind spot" in one eye, caused by brain suppression of the input from that eye.I read Dr. Barry's book about getting her stereo at age 50. She is a Neuroscience Professor and laid out the science beautifully.SHE CONVINCED ME THAT I WAS STILL WIRED FOR STEREO VISION. Three days later, the blind spot disappeared. I couldn't see the Optometrist and her Vision Therapist for three weeks, but I KNEW I was going to heal.I did! I saw something in stereo on Day 22 after beginning the therapy. I graduated from Vision Therapy five months later.I believe Dr. Sue Barry's book, FIXING MY GAZE, set up the conditions for me to BELIEVE that this was possible. Faithful performance of the exercises my Vision Therapist prescribed did the rest.BUY THIS BOOK!

I was diagnosed with strabismus as a baby and had my first eye surgery at 18 months old. I had two more before they decided to stop because none of them were successful. I’m now 43 and about to begin vision therapy. My vision therapy optometrist recommended this book. It blew my mind. I couldn’t put it down. Never in my life have I found someone who shared so many of my visual experiences. The anecdotes and descriptions of how we all have created our own ways to exist in this world were incredibly normalizing. I go back and forth between which eye is focusing all the time. I put myself into double vision to help my eyes look straight. I look at people at an angle. I have difficult focusing while reading. I strain. I hate driving in the rain at night because my depth perception becomes problematic. This book validated so much of my life experience and helped me understand how my brain works. I geek out on neuroscience anyway and bringing the concept of neuroplasticity into how I use my eyes is beyond incredible. I’m very excited to start vision therapy next week. I’m trying to not get my hopes up but this book is giving me a lot of hope!

I read this book back in 2011 after a vision therapist in New York, Dr. Joseph Shapiro, recommended it. My young daughter at the time had almost lost her vision in one eye, due to the same issue as Susan Barry. Not only did the book make me cry with the realization that my daughter suffered from the same problem, it also made me cry when reading how long it took Susan Barry to get properly diagnosed and treated. This book, along with Dr. Shapiro, made a tremendous difference in the life of my daughter and helped us to restore her vision before it was too late. I highly recommend this book.

This is a great book for understanding how it feels to navigate through life perceiving only 2 dimensions. I’m almost 70 and for the first time in my life, I feel someone knows what it’s like to grow up and maneuver around in a “flat world.” I figured out when I was very young that I wasn’t seeing what everyone else was seeing. I always felt I was participating in a big game and no one had told me the rules. Susan Barry does a wonderful job of describing her experiences and explaining what the brain and eyes have to do for stereovision. I wish my parents and teachers could have read a book like this 65 years ago.

This true life account of a determined Sue is simply phenomenal. From being the bearer of bad news, by teaching the old world view of critical period, she has transformed her life to a life filled with detail, depth and possibility.She gained stereo vision late in her 40’s. She also gained knowledge that would change the way she taught her students.There are many references and stories from other cases of crossed-eyed children and adults. She has listed prominent Doctors, researchers and methods of understanding vision, eyes and the brain functions. It is shared in a easy reading way.Buy the book. Read it. Be encouraged and take the step yourself!

It's about a woman who grew up seeing in 2 dimensions, not in 3 dimensions like most of us (me) take for granted. Experts apparently didn't know how to solve the problem and over the years a visual therapist finally did help her see in 3 dimensions! Can you imagine the thrill? It's a well-written story of perseverance and luck. I will never forget her saga and love a happy ending. Brava!

This was truly an inspirational story that is very informative. It discusses how vision can be tied to whole body and how those with strabismus can still restore their 3D vision. There’s also some science terms which ms Barry puts into simple terms so the average person can understand. If you’re looking into VT for yourself or child this is a great book to read !

I read this book for the sake of my sister, with amblyopia, and my daughter, with visual processing problems and a very mild strabismus. Susan Barry writes like an intelligent person without medical training, so there's a lot of very useful information without the medical jargon (she explains "amblyopia" and "strabismus").The content was earth-shaking for me. At the time I read it, I was in the unique situation of being in the middle of what has to be a program the same as or similar to the one Susan Barry did with my 6 year old daughter. I can't say I really understood what my daughter was being asked to do or why it might be successful before reading this book. I do now. The brain is incredible.The writing was clear and engaging. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with vision problems, their family members, and anyone interested in neurology and neuroplasticity at a layman's level.

I guess maybe I am just very, very lucky, but doing the brock string exercise for 10 minutes has made a massive difference to my eyesight. I am 38 years old and have basically only looked through 1 eye or the other alternately all my life. To be honest, most of the time it has not been a problem, but recently I started have serious issues because my eyes started swapping continuously (this used to only happen when tired) which would give me eye strain, headaches and even motion sickness! I went to the opticians and as usual nothing. In desperation I started googling, reading forums etc. and finally came across this book and the associated youtube videos. I decided to have a go with the brock string one night (just a piece of string, I didn't have the beads the first time) and the very next day I noticed the difference. I am definitely seeing in 3D, have far less eye strain, no headaches or motion sickness and my reading has massively improved. I am sure without all the articles and talks that susan barry has done over the years I would not have found what I was looking for on the internet. Why this has not been mentioned to me in over 30 years of going to opticians (including specialists in the hospital) in the UK is frankly unbelievable, surely it is always going to be worth a try?The book itself is a good read, even if you haven't had similar issues, but if you have then it's a must read.

I do not have binocular vision, though I have had two eye-straightening ops in my life. In U.K. there seems very little interest in eye treatment of this kind. My surgeon, 9 years ago, told me my op would not help me towards binocular vision, and did not think I could ever achieve it. This book has given me hope.

This is a fascinating read. It should be compulsory for all opticians. It does sadden me though that so much could have been done for my eyesight all those years ago if people had more open minds and didn't just go with the narrow flow of science.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend it to anyone who has a lazy eye. The author is very helpful in her explanations of the workings of the eye and how she developed and improved her stereoscopic vision (using specialist opticians). All very encouraging

Great book very informative