Eye-Opening Possibilities for Balance, Brain Health, and Emotions

Written By S. Christina Boyd
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Our eyes can change the way we think, move, and feel.

What our eyes do for us goes far beyond vision: they play a significant role in our balance, cognition, brain health, and emotions. How we move our eyes both affects and reflects various aspects of brain function.

Recent research shows that the strength and rapidity of the small muscle movements of the eyes may be related to how the brain ages. According to Dr. Stefan Dowiasch, Phillips University, Marburg, Germany, “In the last decades, the study of eye movements has increased in relevance as gaze serves as an easily accessible, reliable, safe and fast proxy for cognitive processes and as a tool to identify possible functional impairments of the brain.” (see Dowiasch, et. al.)

The 1970s also saw several published works on the correlation of eye movements and the functioning of the two hemispheres of the brain. Robert Dilts, one of the foremost developers of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), summarizes this research and outlines his own 1977 research in his Article of the Month: Eye Movements and NLP (see Dilts). The NLP model of eye accessing cues states that where we look, in which direction we move our eyes, there is a specific type of sensory information being activated – either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic/feelings. In 1987 Buckner, Reece, and Reece investigated this claim that eye movements indicate specific cognitive functions and determined that the sensory components of cognition, as defined in the NLP model relative to eye movements do exist (see Buckner, et. al.) Over the past 30 years there has been additional research into how and why the lateral eye movements of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) reduce the emotional turmoil of PTSD, anxiety disorders, and panic reactions. (see Pagani, Amann, et. al.)

In my clinical practice of over 30 years, I have observed major changes in the emotional and psychological states of my clients after experiencing the lateral, diagonal, and vertical eye movements of NLP and Brain Gym®. And I am only one among hundreds of therapists who use eye movements therapeutically and who see remarkable changes. Thus, both the clinical experience of therapists and well-designed research studies point to a close relationship between eye movements and brain activity.

Over the last two decades, eye movements have become an accepted technique in therapy to activate certain areas of the brain in order to rewire neural connections for the reduction of stress, the elimination of traumatic reactions, to regain good physical balance, and to improve cognitive functioning.

Eye Movements and Balance

Keeping ourselves upright while we walk, stand, sit, or reach for something is so automatic that we don’t even think about it. We easily walk across uneven surfaces, go up and down stairs, turn around, or bend down to pick something up – all without a thought. That is, until something goes wrong. Our balance system can be compromised due to injury, disease, or aging and when this happens, we may experience fatigue, unsteadiness, dizziness, hearing and vision problems, memory issues, and poor concentration.

Maintaining balance is a complex process that involves the coordinated functioning of three intricate systems that contribute sensory input to the brain:

  1. the eyes – both vision and the muscles surrounding the eyes

  2. the vestibular system (our inner ear mechanism) – detecting motion, equilibrium, and spatial orientation

  3. the proprioceptive system – providing sensory input from the muscles and joints

 
“There is a close relationship between the ways in which visual and vestibular information about head position are used for postural control, and eye movements have been shown to affect posture during standing.”
— Thomas, et. al.
 

The muscles surrounding the eyes respond to both the vestibular system and the proprioceptive system simultaneously. The interplay between the vestibular system and the eyes gives us the awareness that we are moving through space while the world around us is not moving. The proprioceptive signals from the muscles throughout our body, in particular the neck, contribute to our ability to make micro-corrections in our posture and coordinate our arms and legs to maintain our balance as we move. Our head is always moving as we walk. As such, the inner ear mechanism is constantly providing signals relative to spatial orientation and the muscles around the eyes are continuously moving in response to steady feedback from these systems.

If either the proprioceptive or the vestibular system is under stress and functioning poorly, the muscles of the eyes will work to compensate. As the eye muscles strive to correct faulty alignment caused by tight or asymmetric neck muscles or a problem in the vestibular system, they can become rigid and strained. Because these three balance mechanisms (eyes, vestibular, and proprioceptive) are so interrelated, by working with the eye muscles to relax them and restore their natural flexibility and function we can bring about changes in the muscles and tendons of the neck and throughout the body to ease stress in the balance system. As the eye muscles relax, neck pain, tension in the face and eyes, and even dizziness can be reduced and often eliminated. In my work, I use eye movements in combination with specific integrative movements that engage the proprioceptive and vestibular systems. This helps to re-establish easy communication and optimal exchange between these three interrelated sensory systems to maintain good balance.

 
 

Eye Movements, Behavior, and Emotions

With both the Brain Gym® and EMDR models, emotional reactivity and the inability to control feelings and behavior (e.g. PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, etc.) is due to the lack of appropriate coordination between the neo-cortex and the limbic system. While it is not yet fully understood how moving the eyes laterally (as in EMDR), or in all directions, laterally, diagonally, and vertically (as in NLP and Brain Gym) produce changes in emotions and behavior, we do know that as different areas of the brain are stimulated through eye movements, there is measurable change.

Neuroimaging has shown that eye movements influence cortical and subcortical brain areas and that as the brain regions return to normal functioning, emotional and behavioral issues disappear. Several studies focusing on the lateral eye movements of EMDR have shown that as anxiety stemming from the hyperarousal of the limbic system (our emotional brain) is reduced, there are changes in cerebral blood flow, the volume and density of neurons, as well as changes in the electric signals within the brain (see Pagani, Amann, Ramon, et. al.). Brain structures change; neural networks function differently; inactive, or “frozen,” areas come to life; and the brain is, in a sense, rewired for more optimum functioning.

Eye movements appear to integrate the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain to allow for an easier flow of neural information across the corpus callosum for improved thinking, awareness, and discernment. They also bring the neo-cortex (attention, thought, and perception) and the limbic system (behavioral and emotional responses) into a balanced relationship that allows the cognitive centers to reduce the hyperactivity of our emotionally responsive limbic system. Additionally, eye movements connect the pre-frontal cortex (decision making and impulse control) with the primitive centers of the brain stem to reduce reactivity and eliminate the fight/flight/freeze response.

Eye Movements and Brain Health

Changes in eye movements can be observed as we age or when there is an erosion of neural functioning due to disease or injury, suggesting a direct correlation between brain health and eye movements. In particular, rapid eye movements (saccades), may reveal problems somewhere in the brain. The size and speed of the saccades could indicate how well or poorly the brain circuitry in the brain stem is functioning. Recent research indicates that various aspects of eye movements may point to possible neurological and psychiatric diseases, as well (see Stefan Dowiasch, et. al.) As a result, there is growing interest within the scientific community as to if, and how, changes in eye movements can be used for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimers.

Our eyes are controlled by an extensive network in the brain, from the brain stem to the neo-cortex, and many areas are stimulated simultaneously as this brain-wide network coordinates its signals. Research shows that as eye movements are integrated with the sensory input of the vestibular and proprioceptive systems, there is “massive involvement” of areas of the dorsal pathway, the ventral intraparietal area and the medial superior temporal area (see Stefan Dowiasch, et. al.). The dorsal pathway, or stream, processes the spatial location of objects around us, stretching from the visual cortex in the occipital lobe forward to the parietal lobe. The ventral intraparietal area, located in the parietal lobe, is believed to receive and synthesize sensory input from the visual, somatosensory (body sensations), and motor areas of the brain. The medial superior temporal area, in the dorsal stream, is involved in the detection of motion. So, as we move our eyes, the areas of the brain that give us feedback on where we are in space, what we are seeing and feeling, and how we are moving, all work together. This enormous amount of neural information is instantly synthesized into a coherent experience.

Exercising the many brain areas that are activated by eye movements is important for brain health and is an easy addition to your daily routine. Try a few of the simple exercises below that stimulate brain activity and support your brain health – your future self will thank you.

 
 

Eye Movements to Support Brain Health

  • Place your left hand on your stomach. With your right hand, place your thumb under your collar bone to the right of your sternum (breastbone). Place your fingers under the collar bone on the left side of your sternum, with your palm about an inch away from your chest. Gently massage these points as you move your eyes side to side. Be sure to keep your head stationary and breathe deeply into your belly. Reverse your hands and repeat.

  • Hold your head steady as you look straight ahead. Moving only your eyes, look to the ceiling and then very slowly trace a circle with your eyes to the left. Then repeat, tracing your eyes in a circle to the right. If you notice jerky movements, slow down and breathe. As you continue, over time, you will be able to move your eyes smoothly around the circle.

  • Hold a pencil in front of your eyes at a comfortable distance. Without moving your head, move the pencil side to side while keeping your eyes on it. Now, move the pencil up and down while keeping your eyes on it. Repeat while holding the pencil in your other hand.

    Next, hold the pencil steady in front of you. Keeping your eyes on the pencil, turn only your head to the left and then to the right, keeping your eyes stationary and focused on the pencil in front of you. Repeat several times. Now, move your head up and then down – be sure to keep your eyes stationary, focused on the pencil in front of you. Repeat several times. Now, hold the pencil in the other hand and repeat the entire sequence.

  • Facing forward, drop one ear toward your shoulder, turn your eyes to the floor. Hold for 3 or 4 full breaths. Drop your nose toward the floor and roll your head down and up to your other shoulder, keeping your eyes focused on the floor. Hold for 3 or 4 full breaths. Roll to the other side and repeat 4 to 6 times.

  • Gently tap around the eye socket for 30 seconds. Then place your fingers under your eyes and, with a slight pressure, draw your fingers outward toward your ears. Repeat 4 to 6 times.

    Now, place your fingers just over your eyes, under your eyebrows, and repeat this motion 4 to 6 times.

    Repeat as many times as you wish.

  • End your eye exercise session with palming.

    Rub your hands together to warm them. Now gently place your palms over your eyes to seal out as much light as possible, but do not press on the eyeball. Close your eyes and rest your elbows on a table so you can relax into this position. Imagine that you are looking out across a great expanse: a meadow, a canyon, up into the sky, across a field, etc. Breathe slowly and deeply. Continue for as long as you wish.

 
 
 

The views expressed in this article belong solely to S. Christina Boyd based on 30 years of clinical experience as a movement therapist. If you would like further reading, please explore the source and related information provided.

 
S. Christina Boyd
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