When you can "blur your eyes" on command, it means you are voluntarily relaxing or manipulating the eye muscles that control the lens shape, specifically the ciliary muscles. These muscles adjust the lens to focus light on the retina for clear vision. By relaxing them, the lens becomes less curved, causing the image to go out of focus and appear blurry
. This ability is often called intentional blurred vision (IBV) and involves mental concentration and muscle control to change your ocular focus without any external obstruction
. Physiologically, this is related to the process called accommodation, where normally the eye changes lens shape to focus on near objects. When you blur your vision intentionally, you disrupt this focusing mechanism, often linked with near-point accommodation, which is why your eyes might slightly converge as if looking at something very close
. This skill is rare but can be learned or refined with practice and may help reduce eye strain during prolonged close-up work or reading
. In summary, blurring your eyes voluntarily means you are consciously controlling the muscles that adjust your lens focus, causing your vision to go out of focus temporarily
