The author feels that there is justification for considering the strabismus syndrome a psycho-physiological distortion, part hereditary and part environmental in genesis. He suggests it may be one of a variety of responses to emotional stress in the mother-child relationship. Evidence for this is presented in seven brief histories in which strabismus appeared during emotional upheaval. Convergent strabismus is conceptualized as taking objects to the mouth, while divergent strabismus is a denial or thrusting away. Much of the data presented suffers from post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc logic, but some of the cases convey important support for the major thesis.