I have monocular vision, I have had for my entire life. This means that I generally only ever use one of my eyes at a time (unlike most people who use both of their eyes together, all the time). I have been short-sighted in my left eye and long-sighted in my right eye for my entire life. As a result, I have learned to view the world slightly differently that most people. I use my left eye to read, and look at a computer screen and most likely to look at you when I am talking to you – that is, providing we are close enough. I use my right eye when I drive, look out to sea, take in the views from the top of the Sear’s tower, and when I am watching films or television either on the big screen or a television.
Over time, I have learned to adjust to this. I judge distances more from experience than from the depth of field that binocular vision gives you. I’ve never been able to see Magic Eye pictures. Everything else, I just use one eye or the other and don’t really notice the difference. Attempts to fix the issue by correcting my vision with glasses results in one of two things happening – either my brain ignores the correction and continues to be selective, or I get weird double vision where the image of what I am seeing occurs twice and slightly out of line…
Recently I have had the opportunity to see more examples of 3D TV. Most 3D TV and film effects work by having two images slightly displaced and a pair of glasses that work to ensure that each eye only sees one of those images. I have realised that, as such, the future of TV and film is completely lost on me. Since I only use one eye or the other at any given time, when I put on the glasses I simply see one of the 3D channels through one of my eyes.
How frustrating!
