How to Find Your Dominant Eye?

Did you know that you have a dominant eye that’s more powerful than the other? It’s completely true. It’s time you got to know these visual corridors better. Many people have a dominant eye or one eye that performs a lot more tasks than the other. Even if you are looking at your screen while reading this, you are unconsciously using your dominant eye more to process this surprising new information.

Just like being right or left-handed, most of us have a dominant eye, and knowing which one it is can actually make a surprising difference in everything. Let's dive into this article to uncover which of your eyes is secretly in charge.

Why Does the Dominant Eye Occur?

You are more likely to be familiar with a dominant eye used quite often in sports, opticians or other situations. People are often under the impression that the dominant eye has better clarity and vision than the non-dominant eye, but this is simply not true. Yes, it does work more than the other, but that doesn’t prove it's better in vision.

Eye dominance is different for every situation. There are many tasks where we rely on the non-dominant eye, even without realising. It depends on our brain and the switch of dominance it demands according to the work we are doing. Most people don’t notice this change because it happens so smoothly and naturally.

A dominant eye simply means that this particular eye is better and faster in transferring information to the brain’s visual cortex than the other eye. The cortex is the biggest part of the brain responsible for processing visual information. This is made up of bands of neurons that respond biasedly to input from one eye or the other. The eyes that the cortex chooses have more neural connections to the brain than the non-dominant eye.

Tests to Find Your Dominant Eye

Several simple tests can help you determine your dominant eye with ease. One common method involves using a card with a small hole in the centre. You hold the card at arm’s length, focus on a distant object through the hole with both eyes open, and then slowly bring the card toward your face. The eye that naturally aligns with the object through the hole is your dominant eye.

Similarly, tests using rings or pinholes follow the same principle — allowing only one clear line of sight, which reveals the eye your brain prefers for precise visual tasks. You can also try the Miles Test, a well-known and highly accurate method. Simply make a small triangle with your hands, focus on a distant object through it, and bring your hands toward your face. The opening will instinctively align with your dominant eye.

Wrapping It Up

Overall, the dominant eye means no harm to your vision on a day-to-day basis. Although knowing about the dominant eye can prove to be beneficial for sports, photography or studying science. As long as your eyes are aligned accurately and you don’t notice the superiority of your dominant eye over the non-dominant one, then it’s mostly an interesting fact you can share at a party.