When I found out that my vision was inaccurate – in fact, has probably always been more or less – it shook the very foundation of my sense of self. The thought that my brain doesn’t allow me to see some things as they are was distressing. I always thought of myself as seeing things clearly, at least metaphorically, if not actually – so finding out that my vision has always been compromised made me uncomfortable. It didn’t help to realize that none of us are actually seeing things entirely accurately – that our vision is constructed in our brains by both what is before us and what we imagine.
I do eye exercises now. I practice with a mirror, seeing both before me and behind me at once. I practice seeing double in the background and I practice seeing double in the foreground. I practice bringing a lens toward me and away, transforming what I see from big to small, from blurry to clear. It takes practice to see accurately.
The Hamlet Project 