Understanding Vision: How Our Eyes Perceive the World

This episode I describe how we see, meaning how our eyes focus, convert light information into electricity the rest of the brain can understand and how our brain creates the incredible thing we experience as “sight”. I also describe how we can train and support our visual system to improve at any age. I describe more than a dozen protocols to support depth perception, offset near-sightedness, improve mood, sleep, and our ability to focus (both visual focus and our mental focus generally). I also explain how to use eyesight to improve our levels of alertness and why visual hallucinations, lazy eyes and colorblindness occur. I also describe various compounds that may assist in supporting visual health and possibly improve our vision. Many simple, zero-cost protocols and a lot of scientific mechanisms are covered in this episode in clear language anyone can understand-- it is for anyone that values their brain and whether eyesight, young, adult-age or advanced age.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors:

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1 & LMNT  

00:04:51 Protocol: Concurrent Training For Endurance, Strength, Hypertrophy  

00:07:24 The Senses, Vision, Seeing & What We Should All Do To See Better  

00:10:35 Our Eyes: What They Really Do, & How They Work  

00:14:30 Converting Light Into Electricity Language: Photoreceptors, Retinal Ganglion Cells  

00:17:00 We Don’t See Anything Directly: It Is All A Comparison Of Reflected Light  

00:19:35 Dogs, Cats, Snakes, Squirrels, Shrimps, Diving Birds, & You(r View Of The World)  

00:24:05 Everything You See Is A Best Guess, Blind Spots  

00:25:50 Depth Perception  

00:28:00 Subconscious Vision: Light, Mood, Metabolism, Dopamine; Frog’s Skin In Your Eyes  

00:32:00 Blue-Yellow Light, Sunlight; & Protocol 1 For Better Biology & Psychology  

00:35:00 Protocol 2: Prevent & Offset Near-Sightedness (Myopia): Outdoors 2 Hours Per Day  

00:42:00 Improving Focus: Visual & Mental; Accommodation, Your Pupils & Your Bendy Lens  

00:48:50 Protocol 3: Distance Viewing For 20min For Every 90 Minutes of “Close Viewing”  

00:52:20 Protocol 4: Self-Generated Optic Flow; Move Yourself Through Space Daily  

00:54:26 Protocol 5: Be More Alert; Eyelids, Eye Size, Chin Position, Looking Up Versus Down  

00:59:21 Protocol 6: Sleep In A Very Dark Room To Prevent Myopia (Nearsightedness)  

01:02:55 Color Vision, Colorblindness, Use Magentas Not Reds  

01:04:32 Protocol 7: Keeping Your Vision Sharp With Distance Viewing Every Day  

01:06:05 Protocol 8: Smooth Pursuit  

01:08:48 Protocol 9: Near-Far Visual Training 2-3 Minutes 3-4 Times a Week  

01:13:33 Protocol 10: Red Light, Emerging Protocol To Improve Photoreceptors & Vision  

01:16:20 Dry Eyes; Blinking, Protocol 11  

01:18:40 Lazy Eye, Binocular Vision, Amblyopia; Triggering Rapid Brain Plasticity; Protocol 12  

01:24:48 Protocol 12: Determine Your Dominant Eye; Near-Far Training  

01:27:57 Visual Hallucinations: The Consequence of An Under-Active Visual Brain  

01:29:47 Protocol 13: Snellen Chart: A Simple, Cost-Free Way To Test & Maintain Vision  

01:33:00 Vitamin A, Lutein, Idebenone, Zeaxanthine, Astaxanthin, Blood Flow  

01:44:20 Summary of Protocols, Vital Point About Blood & Oxygen For Vision  

01:46:00 Episode Length, Captions, Zero-Cost Support, Instagram, Searching Topics  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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