Low light and darkness has a significant impact on our brain's ability to process visual information. We humans depend on our eyesight as our main sensory input, supplying roughly 80% of our brain's processed info via the central and the peripheral vision systems.
Both vision systems process information in parallel, but they can't pay attention simultaneously. It's one or the other.
For example, when we point shoot we use our central vision to focus on the threat and use our unconscious-unwilled ability to see peripherally. Unfortunately, as stress takes over our peripheral vision is automatically suppressed by the brain and 'tunnel' vision appears. This is a very bad condition to have while night fighting.
That said, how should we 'civilians' train to fight in low light and darkness.....to train for the predictable degradation of the cones and visual acuity...to train for unaided night tunnel vision? There's a lot more to night fighting than crawling around and/or using flashlights.
It takes about 30 minutes for eyesight to fully adapt to darkness. Yet, it only takes seconds for the eyes to adapt back to higher levels of light and lose the benefits of the dark adaptation. For example, one loses his darkness adaptation when using white light in a dark environment. The process must start over again.
Plus, everyone adapts differently to low light and darkness. Age, medication, social drugs, vision problems, eyeglasses, circulation can effect night vision.
There are night fighting and FOF instructors who visit here and there are trained LE and civilian night fighters here.
Could any of you share your knowledge and experience? Some night fighting 101......maybe explain how to:
1. Use flashlights, tac lights, light blinding to advantage.
2. Iron sights, night sights and laser sights.
3. Point shooting at distance in the dark
4. Darkness to advantage: stay low, etc.
5. How to navigate, disappear
6. How to 'see' in the dark: the stare, the 'diamond'
7. Illusions in the dark
8. Spatial distortion
9. Deal with color, best covert colors
10. Darkness/low light slows reaction time
11. Overcome blind spots
12. Darkness adaptation....how to preserve it
.
Both vision systems process information in parallel, but they can't pay attention simultaneously. It's one or the other.
For example, when we point shoot we use our central vision to focus on the threat and use our unconscious-unwilled ability to see peripherally. Unfortunately, as stress takes over our peripheral vision is automatically suppressed by the brain and 'tunnel' vision appears. This is a very bad condition to have while night fighting.
That said, how should we 'civilians' train to fight in low light and darkness.....to train for the predictable degradation of the cones and visual acuity...to train for unaided night tunnel vision? There's a lot more to night fighting than crawling around and/or using flashlights.
It takes about 30 minutes for eyesight to fully adapt to darkness. Yet, it only takes seconds for the eyes to adapt back to higher levels of light and lose the benefits of the dark adaptation. For example, one loses his darkness adaptation when using white light in a dark environment. The process must start over again.
Plus, everyone adapts differently to low light and darkness. Age, medication, social drugs, vision problems, eyeglasses, circulation can effect night vision.
There are night fighting and FOF instructors who visit here and there are trained LE and civilian night fighters here.
Could any of you share your knowledge and experience? Some night fighting 101......maybe explain how to:
1. Use flashlights, tac lights, light blinding to advantage.
2. Iron sights, night sights and laser sights.
3. Point shooting at distance in the dark
4. Darkness to advantage: stay low, etc.
5. How to navigate, disappear
6. How to 'see' in the dark: the stare, the 'diamond'
7. Illusions in the dark
8. Spatial distortion
9. Deal with color, best covert colors
10. Darkness/low light slows reaction time
11. Overcome blind spots
12. Darkness adaptation....how to preserve it
.
