> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://gaborpatchpractice.gitbook.io/gaborpatchpractice-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://gaborpatchpractice.gitbook.io/gaborpatchpractice-docs/getting-started/training-modes.md).
# training-modes
## Training Modes Explained: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced
> **Chapter Overview:** Gabor Visual Training offers three different modes. They are not "difficulty levels" — they are different training angles. Find the mode that fits you best to continuously strengthen your brain's ability to resolve visual details at low contrast.
***
### ⚠️ Important Note Before You Begin
These three mode names reflect the "feeling of just playing a game."
In terms of ultimate difficulty, all three modes are comparable:
* Beginner mode later stages can reach contrast as low as **0.35%** (extremely difficult)
* Advanced mode early stages may feel impossible even at 10% contrast if you're not used to it
So there is **no** "unlock Beginner → unlock Intermediate → challenge Advanced" progression.
Your goal is **not** "reach Advanced mode." Your goal is:
> **In the mode that suits you, gradually lower contrast to strengthen your brain's resolution of visual details.**
***
### 1. Beginner Mode: Blue Dot → Judge Direction
#### 1.1 How to Play
When you enter Beginner mode, you see grid cells (starting from 3, progressively increasing to 9 as you answer correctly), each containing a Gabor patch.
**Step 1: Watch the blue dot**
* The system displays a blue circle indicating which grid to focus on for this trial
* During actual training, the blue dot may flash briefly and disappear — this is not a bug, it's part of the training. Remember the location, then judge direction
**Step 2: Judge direction**
* Carefully observe the stripe direction in the indicated grid:
* Top-left to bottom-right → choose **Left**
* Bottom-left to top-right → choose **Right**
* Desktop: press left/right arrow keys
* Mobile: tap the large left/right buttons at the bottom
**Step 3: View feedback**
* Correct: interface shows ✅
* Wrong: if Premium (Depth Service) is active, the system briefly displays a clearer version of the correct target to help you review
#### 1.2 Training Focus
Beginner mode trains two abilities:
1. **Direction judgment** — determining the tilt direction of Gabor patch stripes
2. **Visual attention** — quickly locating and focusing on the target region guided by the blue dot
Difficulty adapts automatically based on performance:
* Correct → next trial contrast decreases slightly (harder)
* Wrong → next trial contrast increases slightly (easier)
This is an adaptive training algorithm, ensuring you always train in the "slightly challenging but achievable" optimal learning zone.
#### 1.3 ⚠️ Beginner Mode Can Get Extremely Hard!
Many assume "Beginner" means "easy."
This is wrong.
Beginner mode's ultimate difficulty is comparable to Intermediate and Advanced.
* Some users in Beginner mode reach contrast as low as 0.35% (stripes almost completely invisible)
* At this point, it's harder than many users' early Advanced mode experience
So don't feel "inferior" for staying in Beginner mode.
As long as you can gradually lower contrast in Beginner mode, it's effective training.
#### 1.4 Best For
✅ First-time Gabor training users (blue dot guidance makes it easier to learn) ✅ Users who want to focus on foundational "direction judgment" ability ✅ Users who prefer the "hint first, then judge" training rhythm
#### 1.5 Training Tips
* **Session length:** \~20 minutes, 1–2 times per day
* **Progress indicator:** Don't chase "advancing to Intermediate." Instead, track: is your lowest contrast gradually decreasing? (e.g., 4% → 3% → 2% → 1% → 0.5%...). Try different modes to find the most efficient one for you.
* **Common pitfall:** Don't think "I'm still in Beginner mode — am I too low-level?" What's right for you is what's best.
***
### 2. Intermediate Mode: Find the Odd Grid
#### 2.1 How to Play
When you enter Intermediate mode, you see 9 grid cells, each containing a Gabor patch.
**Difference from Beginner mode:** No blue dot hint.
**Step 1: Find the grid with a different angle**
* 8 grids have stripes at the same angle. 1 grid has a slightly different angle
* Tap the grid with the different angle
* Desktop and mobile: direct tap
**Step 2:** Tap to select, or press 1–9 on desktop
#### 2.2 Training Focus
Intermediate mode trains two abilities:
1. **Angle discrimination** — finding the one grid with a slightly different angle among multiple similar patches. This is harder than simple direction judgment because you must process multiple visual signals simultaneously.
2. **Visual search** — actively scanning the entire field without a blue dot hint, more closely resembling real-life visual scenarios.
Intermediate mode difficulty also adapts:
* More accurate → next trial angle difference decreases (harder)
* Wrong → next trial angle difference increases (easier)
#### 2.3 Best For
✅ Users familiar with Beginner mode who want to try training without blue dot hints ✅ Users who want to specifically train "angle discrimination" ability ✅ Users who feel Beginner mode "relies too much on the blue dot"
#### 2.4 Training Tips
* **Session length:** \~20 minutes, 1–2 times per day
* **Progress indicators:** Track two dimensions:
1. Is angle resolution improving? (e.g., from "can find 15° difference" → "can find 5° difference")
2. Is lowest contrast gradually decreasing?
* **Common pitfall:** Don't stare at one grid. Use peripheral scanning to quickly compare all grids.
***
### 3. Advanced Mode: Find the Fainter Grid
#### 3.1 How to Play
When you enter Advanced mode, you see 9 grid cells, each containing a Gabor patch.
**Difference from Intermediate mode:** You must find the grid with lower contrast (fainter), and do so at lower contrast levels.
**Step 1: Find the fainter grid**
* 8 grids have the same contrast. 1 grid has slightly lower contrast (fainter)
* Find the fainter grid
* This is typically very hard because low contrast means stripes and background nearly blend together
**Step 2:** Tap to select, or press 1–9 on desktop
#### 3.2 Training Focus
Advanced mode primarily trains:
1. **Low-contrast target search** — finding a target at extremely low contrast. This is the core challenge in amblyopia training: the amblyopic eye's biggest problem is "not seeing" in low-contrast environments.
Advanced mode adapts both contrast and angle difference:
* Correct → next trial contrast decreases
* Wrong → next trial contrast increases
#### 3.3 Why Advanced Mode Is the "Core Training Zone"
The low-contrast range is where amblyopia training delivers its true value.
* **High contrast** (clear stripes): Normal eyes can see this. Limited training value.
* **Low contrast** (faint stripes): The amblyopic eye's Achilles' heel — just barely invisible, but not completely gone. Training in this range truly activates the amblyopic eye's visual pathway.
But low-contrast training is also the easiest to quit:
* Can't see → guess → guess wrong → frustration → don't want to train anymore
That's why Advanced mode benefits from Pro features:
* **Low-contrast real-time feedback:** After a wrong answer, the system briefly displays a clearer version of the correct target, helping you review where you should have looked and how you should have judged.
* **AI deep analysis:** Combines current and historical records to analyze your stable point, fluctuation point, and next training focus.
#### 3.4 Best For
✅ Users who want to specifically train "low-contrast target search" ability ✅ Pro users who want a complete training loop ✅ Users who want to maximize training effectiveness
#### 3.5 Training Tips
* **Session length:** \~20 minutes, do not exceed. Low-contrast training is extremely mentally taxing. Exceeding this reduces efficiency.
* **Progress indicator:** Track whether lowest contrast is gradually decreasing. Don't expect "instant" progress. Low-contrast improvement is **pulsed** — you might see no change for a week, then suddenly drop from 2% to 1%.
* **Common pitfall:** Don't force it. If you get 5 consecutive answers wrong, current contrast has fallen below your threshold. Click "Lower Difficulty" to return to a stable range.
***
### 4. How to Choose the Right Mode?
#### 4.1 Core Principle: What Fits You Is Best
Don't chase "clearing" or "leveling up."
The three modes are not difficulty levels — they are different training angles:
* **Beginner mode:** Blue dot hint. Best for focusing on "direction judgment."
* **Intermediate mode:** No blue dot. Best for focusing on "angle discrimination."
* **Advanced mode:** Low-contrast search. Best for focusing on "low-contrast target search."
Your goal is **not** "reach Advanced mode." Your goal is:
> **In the mode that suits you, gradually lower contrast, strengthening your brain's resolution of visual details.**
#### 4.2 Ask Yourself Three Questions
**Question 1:** Is this my first time using the tool?
→ **Yes:** Start with Beginner mode. The blue dot hint makes it easier to understand the training mechanic. → **No:** Continue to Question 2.
**Question 2:** Which ability do I want to focus on?
→ "Direction judgment" → Beginner mode → "Angle discrimination" → Intermediate mode → "Low-contrast target search" → Advanced mode (Pro recommended)
**Question 3:** In my current mode, can I still lower contrast?
→ **Yes:** Keep training in current mode. Don't rush to switch. → **No (stuck for 2+ weeks):** Try switching modes to "change gears" with a different training angle.
#### 4.3 Important Reminder
**Don't use Advanced mode to "prove yourself."**
Many users jump straight to Advanced mode, thinking "I must use the hardest mode to prove I'm serious."
This is wrong.
Training goal is **not** "proving how good I am." It's **"helping my visual system make steady progress."**
If you get consecutive wrong answers in Advanced mode, the system automatically raises contrast back to an easier level — but your training time and mental energy are already wasted.
The right mode is **not** the "hardest" mode. It's the mode where you can train consistently **and** see progress.
***
### 5. How to Read Training Data
After any session, click the top-right "Report" button to see:
📌 **Pro users can also use AI Deep Analysis:**
Click "AI Deep Analysis" to combine current and historical records for insights on:
* Your stable point (parameters where you consistently answer correctly)
* Your fluctuation point (parameters where performance is unstable)
* Next training focus (whether to challenge harder parameters or consolidate current level)
***
### 6. Frequently Asked Questions About Modes
#### Q1: Can I skip Beginner mode and start with Intermediate?
Yes.
The three modes are not difficulty levels — they are different training angles.
If you feel Beginner mode's blue dot hint is "too simple" or "not for you," you can start with Intermediate.
But we recommend: on your first use, play at least 3–5 sessions in Beginner mode to:
1. Familiarize yourself with the interface and controls
2. Establish a baseline for tracking future progress
→ **Summary:** Not "you can't skip" — "we recommend familiarizing yourself first."
#### Q2: Advanced mode is too hard. Am I not suited for this?
No. You may simply not be used to this training angle yet.
Advanced mode is hard **not because you can't do it** — it's hard because it's designed to be. It trains the hardest part of amblyopia training: low-contrast target search and direction judgment.
But remember:
Advanced mode's ultimate difficulty is comparable to Beginner and Intermediate.
* Some users in Beginner mode reach contrast as low as 0.35%
* Some users in Advanced mode get stuck at 2%
So don't feel defeated for "only" reaching 2% in Advanced mode.
→ **Recommendations:**
* If Advanced mode feels frustrating, return to your familiar mode and keep training
* Once your lowest contrast in the familiar mode is very low (e.g., below 1%), try Advanced mode again
* In Advanced mode, don't expect "instant mastery." Getting 50% correct is already good
#### Q3: Should I train all three modes, or focus on one?
Depends on your goal.
* **Just exploring the tool:** Beginner mode is enough.
* **Serious training, no Pro plan:** Beginner + Intermediate combination offers solid results.
* **Maximize results, challenge low-contrast zone:** Try all three modes and find the one (or two) that suit you best.
#### Q4: I've trained for a week and my lowest contrast hasn't changed. Is it not working?
Not necessarily.
Visual training progress is **not linear** — it's **pulsed**:
* You might see no change for a week, lowest contrast stuck at 2%
* Then suddenly one day, it drops to 1.5%
This isn't your imagination. It's your brain's visual cortex undergoing structural remodeling — it needs time to "digest" training stimuli before showing improvement.
→ **Recommendation:**
Don't focus only on lowest contrast. Accuracy, longest streak, and average reaction time are all progress indicators.
***
### Medical Disclaimer
1. This chapter is for educational reference only and does not constitute medical advice.
2. This tool (Gabor Visual Training) is a visual exercise aid, **not a medical device**, and does not promise therapeutic outcomes.
3. If you have a diagnosed vision condition, please follow your eye care professional's advice first.
4. Training results vary from person to person. Please maintain realistic expectations.
---
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