May need some additional tweaking

Progress is still occurring very rapidly.   

I did notice something that I may attempt to rectify, which is a difference in refractive index for each lens.  My right eye can see better from a distance, and my left eye sees better up close.  It's not merely an accommodation reflex thing either, because I notice this even when I compare the two eyes one at a time: with one eye closed.  So I'm thinking I may go to an optometrist to get correction so both eyes see near and far the same.    I'm sure that would help... the question is whether it's really necessary.  I may just power through it as I've done so many things in the past.  Maybe wait a week or two, and see whether that takes me.  

It's definitely the case, that as vision improves as a whole, I encounter new problems, which then have to be dealt with.  It's like a crazy staircase of problem after problem.  But there is no denying that I have climbed very high.  There's no place to go other than up. 

Full circle

 It seems like this journey has come full circle.  

The reason for the name of the blog is something called Syntonics, which a friend I know from an online group had used to basically turbocharge her neurons to make vision therapy much more productive--essentially strategically increasing neuroplasticity.  

Well, I had done it for at least a year or two.  It didn't do much in the way of improving the rate of my results.  

I had also done something called tDCS, which I had written about in previous entries, which stands for transcranial direct current stimulation.  The idea is similar to Syntonics.  However, instead of using light to stimulate neurons and increase neuroplasticity, you're stimulating neurons a bit more directly with applied direct current on the scalp.  tDCS is interesting, but like Syntonics, it also didn't do much in the way of increasing the rate of results.  

However... several years later, I did discover something which substantively improved neuroplasticity, and had a huge impact on the rate of results.  It is cold exposure.  Yes... well it didn't just improve vision, and neuroplasticity, but cognitive function in general.  I feel like I've gained maybe 10 IQ points, possibly more, with this daily three-minute therapy.  

I can't say for certain, obviously, but I do feel like I'm going to achieve my goals within two weeks... maybe less.  The rate of improvement I've noticed is absolutely insane.  

That's really what it is... my eye hardware has been good and fine the entire time.  The limiting factor has been the inflammation in my brain this entire freaking time.  And I'm willing to bet the same is true for many others with this condition.  It is the brain. 

This is definitely happening, and it will be happening soon

 I was out watching Oppenheimer today with a buddy, and there was a technical problem with the projector.  I walked out to use the bathroom and get a refill before returning to the theater.  When I was out, I got in line, and looked around the foyer, at all the people, colors, odd movie theater carpeting, looking around and kind of had an 'oh shit' moment, like I realized things had gotten real, and this thing I had been working on for the past 13 years may soon come to an end.  My eyes almost in sync.  It is a different sensation.  I can feel how it is different now.  I am using both eyes.  It was an emotional and private moment.  There's no way anyone could ever know what is happening to me, nor does it matter.  It's all mine.  I am very close.  I credit the cold plunges. 

Big changes are coming.

 The cold plunges definitely did something to my brain.  Things have definitely accelerated.  It feels like my brain just works better, and that I have more mental energy, for willing my eyes to do what I want them to do.  And, also, it all feels quite a bit easier to manipulate my visual system at will.

I think the cold plunges accelerated progress

 I can't be sure, but I think they have.  My vision as improved a lot since I began doing them.  Not just vision, but overall cognition.  I swear... if they could put that stuff in a pill, someone would make a lot of money.  Just interesting, because the effects last all day, even though the plunges are only three minutes of suck.  And they're not even that bad anymore.  It's crazy how fast the body adapts.  The first few days were absolutely brutal.  Now, it's still a bit of a shock, but I kinda don't mind it anymore.  There's still a bit of 'oh shit' and hyperventilating.  It's quite invigorating, and it lasts only three minutes.  I kinda get the feeling that this is going to be a trend.  As crazy as it seems, I think we're going to be seeing a lot more people doing it. 

I might have learned something new and important (it is the brain)

Recently I finished a solar-powered cold plunge project that I showed a bit here.  Basically a mini-solar grid I created in my shed, which I hooked up to a large chest freezer that I sealed with caulking, filled with water, and installed a filter and thermostat.  So I have a large water-filled chest freezer that has 35° F water in it all the time.  

You might wonder what the purpose of this is.  Indeed.  

Basically, it's bio-hacking, and inducing my body into a panic state.  This has a lot of cascading biological effects that happen to be very beneficial to one's health and well being.  Another word for it is hormesis. 

So I start my day with some breathing exercises and push-ups first thing in the morning for about 5-10 minutes.  Then I head to the shed, where I submerge my body into 35° F water for about three minutes.  Then I get out and make myself eggs.  That's really all it takes.  It's super-efficient.  But it does put the body into a state of panic, and effects stay with me all day.  Spiked dopamine, improved mood, cognitive function, it obviously wakes you up nearly instantly, rapid fat loss, increased metabolism, decreased inflammation--there's really a giant list of interesting and beneficial effects.  It's kind of a no-brainer and I wish I had completed this project way sooner. 

One of the things I noticed, is significantly improved vision, especially when walking around in my neighhorhood, I've been very carefully watching and monitoring where my eyes tend to fall when staring straight off into infinity.  This is what has made me notice very significant improvement, and the improvement seems to have happened at the same time I began doing cold plunges.  It's probably related to either increased dopamine, or decreased inflammation in the brain.  We'll see how it goes.  I wonder if this is the last thing I needed.  We'll see.