The Guide To Super Human Vision

Hacking Your Vision Beyond 20/20

Anthony David Adams
Sep 2, 2018 · 6 min read

7 years ago I set out on a quest to rid myself of glasses and contacts forever and to see just what was possible for my vision.

I was sick of spending money on contacts and glasses, sick of waking up with my eyes glued shut, sick of itchy and blurry eyes and sick of getting sand and dirt under my contact lenses.

As an entrepreneur and athlete, I was traveling for events and competing on the beach often. I wanted to be free once and for all of the burden of glasses and contacts.

I began to look into options and heavily researched every possible thing I could find.

Ultimately, I settled on LASEK (see below) and was able to achieve 20/15 (better than “perfect” which is 20/20) vision after being 20/400. This means that I can see at 20 feet what most people can see at 15 (where I used to see at 20 feet what most people see at 400!).

I wake up everyday with clear, healthy eyes. I never have to worry about spending the night somewhere unexpectedly (great when I was dating or for exploring NYC & SF late night). My glasses don’t fly off during competition and I don’t get sand under my contacts when I dive on the beach.


How to Improve Your Vision

There are three primary ways to hack your vision. Hardware Hacking is by far the single greatest way to improve your vision followed by a distant Software and Maintenance Hacking.

I’ll give you a quick overview and then we will dive deep into the specifics on the benefits, risks and investment of each strategy.

Hardware Hacking Overview

Hardware includes changes to the actual eyeball itself. Glasses, contacts, LASEK / LASIK / PRK surgery, corneal reshaping, eye muscle training and more.

Hardware Hacking is about enhancing the signal that makes it to your brain via the optic nerve by manipulating the light that hits the retina.

I was able to go from 20/400 to 20/15 by hacking my hardware. (See the glossary portion below to learn what things like 20/20 vs. 20/400 vs. 20/15 means.)

Software Hacking Overview

Software includes changing the way the signal is processed inside the brain by exploring neuroplasticity. This is about increasing the efficiency of the neural net in your brain that processes the signal it gets from your eye balls via the optic nerve.

There are ways to train your brain to better use the information it receives. This could be low light, distance, speed and reaction, etc.

Typically, Software Hacking is done using special apps designed to enhance your vision over a period of time (like working out in the gym).

Note: Software Hacking is a controversial area and while there have been many testimonials to its effectiveness and some foundational research suggests it could work, there hasn’t been any clinical testing.

Maintenance Hacking Overview

This includes things like diet, sleep, hydration, supplements, sunglasses and eye protection, etc.

Maintenance Hacks are about optimizing the performance of your overall system by taking good care of it.

You’d be surprised how something as simple as hydration will impact your vision, however I’ve found that maintence hacks are more noticeable when you’ve already reached a high degree of precision with your vision via hardware and software hacks.


Hardware Hacking Detail

👓 Glasses & Contacts: one of the most common ways to modify the light that hits the retina is with an external lens.

Glasses and contacts both achieve this by bending the light specific to your own eye (the prescription describes how the lens is shaped to bend the light).

LASEK: Very fast and high precision method. Uses a laser to reshape the eye. No flap is cut, instead the thin protective layer called the epithelium is dissolved. This layer will regrow within a few days. The no-flap method is reported to reduce complications by 90% over LASIK.

⚠️ LASIK: A flap is cut in the cornea and it is temporarily removed. A laser is used to burn the prescription onto the eye. The flap is replaced.

[WARNING: I just heard a story of a man who had to spend 3 YEARS in a dark room recovering from LASIK after terrible complications. While many people seem to have no problem, this procedure is too risky for me to recommend to friends and family.]

👁 Corneal Reshaping: by wearing custom plastic retainer in your eyes when you sleep, the eye is gradually reshaped to enhance your vision.

💉 Stem Cell Injections: this controversial technique claims to heal your eyes by injecting them with Stem cells. This is not FDA approved and seems to be more of a scam than an actual treatment.

☺️ Squinting: yes, even squinting your eyes is a simple form of hardware hacking. By limiting the amount of light that enters the eye sight can sometimes be enhanced.


Software Hacking Detail

Gabor Patches / Patterns are often used in software training programs.

🔲 Gabor Patterns : these are grey scale patterns that various apps use in training your brain to be better at processing visual information.

🧠 Neuroplasticity: the brains ability to form and refine connections. The idea with Software Hacking is that the brain forms new connections and is better able to use the information it receives resulting in better vision.

👀 UltimEyes: an app that claims it can help users improve their vision. The FTC recently fined UltimEyes for deceptive marketing practices, however it looks like that have updated their marketing.

👓 GlassesOff: an app that claims it can train your near vision so you can stop using reading glasses.


Maintenance Hacking Detail

💧Water: your eyes are primarily made of water. Ensuring you have proper hydration will help protect your eyes and ensure you are getting the most out of your potential best vision.

🥗 Diet: eating a healthy diet high in vegetables can ensure proper eye function.

💊Vitamins: there are a number of over the counter vitamin supplements that claim to help improve or protect vision.

😴 Sleep: getting adequate sleep will help maintain optimum vision and give your eyes a chance to heal from minor scrapes and injuries that occur throughout the day.

🕶 Sunglasses / Eye Protection: wearing UV protectant sunglasses especiallyy immediately after surgery), wearing eye protection when doing dangerous work and otherwise keeping your eyes safe.

🖥 Screen Time: limiting the amount of time you spend looking at computer / mobile device screens can help your eyes stay in top health.


What Next?

If you’d like access my updated google spreadsheet of current service providers and products or if you’d like a personal introduction to my eye surgeon (the best in the world), shoot me an e-mail.

Occasionally I find discounts and specials and even opportunities for free surgeries — my LASEK surgery was actually done 100% for free!

Use the #superhumanvision hashtag as you share your journey and I’ll be on the lookout for you.

I promise you this will be one of the single greatest investments you make in your health, in your entire life. Talk to your doctor, do your research, and get this done!

Seriously, in 12 months you’ll wish you got the surgery 12 months ago!

TLDR;

LASEK eye surgery is the safest and most effective way to enhance vision for most people. That is what I eventually went with.

Contact me if you’d like to be personally introduced to my surgeon in NYC (people fly in from all over the world to work with him, and he is quite affordable).

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