Sungazing is the unsafe practice of looking directly at the
Sun. It is sometimes done as part of a spiritual or religious practice, most often near dawn or dusk.[1] The human eye is very sensitive, and exposure to direct
sunlight can lead to
solar retinopathy,
pterygium,[2]cataracts,[3] and potentially blindness.[4][5][6] Studies have shown that even when viewing a
solar eclipse the eye can still be exposed to harmful levels of
ultraviolet radiation.[7]
Movements
Referred to as sunning by
William Horatio Bates as one of a series of exercises included in his
Bates method, it became a popular form of
alternative therapy in the early 20th century.[8] His methods were widely debated at the time but ultimately discredited for lack of scientific rigor. The British Medical Journal reported in 1967 that "Bates (1920) advocated prolonged sun-gazing as the treatment of
myopia, with disastrous results".[9]
^Krasniz I, Beiran I, Miller B (1999-11-01). "Retinal lesion due to excessive exposure to sunlight". Harefuah. 137 (9): 378–80, 431, 430.
PMID11419039.