For many people, the idea that you can correct your vision naturally -- without glasses, contact lenses, drugs, or lasers -- is more than a notion. It’s a long-held hope. A lifelong dream.

It’s also a hot topic among eye doctors.

Natural vision correction is the belief that you can improve your vision with eye exercises, relaxation techniques, and an eye massage every now and then. Some people swear by it. Others say it’s nonsense.

There's no proof the technique works, only wishful thinking, says Michael Repka, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology agrees. In a 2013 report, the organization said natural vision correction doesn’t help nearsightedness, farsightedness, or other vision problems caused by disease.

The question isn’t "Does natural vision correction work?" says Bethesda ophthalmologist Rachel Bishop, MD. She says the real issue is "Why wouldn’t you wear glasses or contacts if they could help you see better right away?"

“For somebody to say, ‘Hmm, I want to put off the need for reading glasses, so I’m just going to strain, and not use reading glasses or distance glasses because I want to train my muscle to be as active as possible ...’ If you have enough bandwidth in your life to not have great vision in the meantime ... you’re not hurting yourself," Bishop says.