I want to try this but I'm skeptical of the safety of it. Even at sunrise or sunset, even though the sun is less intense, it is still warned to not look directly at it. Since it is less intense, perhaps the damage is slower to occur and builds up over a longer period of time then looking at the sun during other hours of the day. The lens of our eyes intensifies and magnifies the heat and energy of the sun and it can burn the retina cells. Like using a magnifying glass to burn something.
SciZone - Ontario Science Centre: How to look at the Sun - safely!
I don't understand why he say to stop doing it completely after 9 months but that then the appetite would be almost gone. If you stop doing it won't the appetite come back? Also as he says that science prohibits further gazing due to eye care, that is suggestive that damage has already been building up and you don't want to do it any further so you don't cause the worst damage.
"Dr. Michael Goldbaum, a retina specialist at UC San Diego's Shiley Eye Center, said that while it's true the sun's rays are not as harmful in early morning and late afternoon, there is still a danger in staring at the sun during those hours.
Over the long term, Goldbaum said, sun gazers are at risk of solar maculopathy, an irreversible vision impairment affecting a part of the retina called the macula, which is the sensitive area responsible for sharp central vision."
SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Features -- Staring helps them see the light, sun gazers say