The anti-glasses influencer who claims she can fix your eyesight – but is slammed as ‘harmful’ by experts

Millions of Brits wear them every day.

But now an anti-glasses influencer claims that people with poor vision don’t actually need lenses to help them see. 

Samantha Lotus, a self-titled ‘holistic master coach’ in Canada, said that sight problems are caused by ‘mental’, ’emotional’ and ‘spiritual’ reasons that ‘can be healed’.

The 35-year-old is touting an $11 (£8.80) class that offers ‘holistic multi-dimensional healing’ for those with vision problems. 

But experts hit out at the quackery, warning Ms Lotus’ claims were not based on evidence or science and are potentially harmful.

In a video shared on her TikTok account, which is now private, Ms Lotus said: ‘What’s the one thing your optometrist doesn’t want you to know about?

‘The fact that you do not need glasses.

‘That’s right, you may have been told that you need glasses but that’s actually a lie.

‘There are mental, emotional, physical and even spiritual reasons why you may not be seeing and I’m here to tell you that that can be healed.’

In the caption of the video, she claimed that she has ‘reversed’ her need for glasses and helped others do the same. 

She told her followers that she was offering a two-hour masterclass that would ‘blow their minds’ and was available to those who are ‘ready to truly see’ and ‘open to holistic multi-dimensional healing’. 

She added: ‘If you’re closed-minded and want to stay a victim, this is NOT FOR YOU.’ 

In other videos, she claims to have seen people ‘take off their glasses and not need them anymore’.

X user @this_is_mallory, who wears glasses and attended the ‘Vision Healing Masterclass’ offered over Zoom by Ms Lotus, exposed the bizarre ‘methods’ the TikTok star claims will ‘cure poor vision’.

The user shared pictures of the class, which was attended by more than 100 people, in which Ms Lotus showed a slide stating that she is not medically trained. 

But she then set out her ‘holistic approach’ to vision healing, which includes spiritual, mental and physical activities. 

According to the NHS, glasses, contact lenses and laser eye surgery are the only ways to improve vision.

Among Ms Lotus’ spiritual recommendations was practising ‘eye affirmations’ — such as ‘my eyes are healthy and see clearly’. 

She also told attendees to visualise their eyes as healthy, try Reiki — a form of Japanese alternative medicine — or prayer to ‘balance the energy flow around your eyes’, as well as meditation. 

Under mental steps to boost vision, her slides suggest that eye problems are triggered by an event that affects vision, which leads people to adopt ‘the belief’ that they can’t see. As a result, people should ‘process old emotions’ and ‘choose to see’.

Those with vision problems should also practise physical healing’ by reducing stress, taking breaks from screens, keeping hydrated and exercising. 

She also encourages those who can’t see properly to apply essential oils around their eyes. 

Opticians slammed Ms Lotus’ advice as unsafe.

Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, a clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists, told MailOnline that Ms Lotus’ ‘holistic techniques’ are not based on evidence.

He said: ‘There is nothing I can see that is evidence-based. There is no evidence or science that would suggest these methods would work at all.’

Ms Hardiman-McCartney said he worried about the Canadian giving people ‘false confidence’ as those who believe their sight is cured may try to drive their car without glasses, putting lives at risk. 

There are only two proven ways to correct poor eyesight, according to Giles Edmond, clinical services director at Specsavers.

Mr Edmond told MailOnline: ‘The first is wearing corrective lenses, such as prescription glasses or contact lenses prescribed by an optometrist.

‘The second is to undergo a laser correction procedure to change the shape of the front of the eye.

‘We would recommend that anyone with issues with their sight should book an appointment with an optometrist.’

Other opticians have also debunked Ms Lotus’ claims, stating that there is no evidence to back it up.

Tina Patel, an optician at Feel Good Contacts, said: ‘If you have been advised by your optician that you need to use corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses) to help you see better, then no amount of eye yoga or meditation is going to change that.

‘There is no evidence to show holistic approaches can cure your eyesight.’

Eye experts revealed that Ms Lotus’ advice is not only based on myth, but it can also be harmful to those with poor eyesight. 

Roshni Kanabar, clinical adviser at the Association of Optometrists, told MailOnline: ‘It is a myth that wearing glasses can weaken your eyes, and it is potentially harmful to claim that people who have been prescribed glasses or contact lenses do not need them.’