Thread: Seeing images when the sun's flashing in my eyes...

I'm not sure where to post this thread, but I'll just stick it here for now.

When it's sunny outside and I'm in the car, the sun sometimes comes and goes within a matter of moments. One second it'll be sunny, the other it'll be cloudy and the sun won't be visible anymore. When this happens quickly, like when there's a tree in between us and the sun, it flashes in my eyes rather quickly. When this happens, I often see quick flashes of random images, like frogs, sunglasses, and other stuff. It's like an image in the back of my eyelids, or my head, but there's no color or anything.

Anyone else experience this, or know what it is?

Yep, I get it all the time in exactly the same situations. Sometimes it feels like I'm in a completely different place and situation for just a split second. Like, I'm in a dream for a split second. Then I break out of it again. Sometimes I feel like if I don't get away from the flashing, I'll start seizing and lose consciousness. It's kind of creepy and cool at the same time.

Funny thing, I was thinking of making a thread on the same subject recently, but I never got around to doing it.

Wow, I experience the same thing. I was going to post a thread about it, too.

For me, it's almost always people or objects. never places.

When it happens, I always get this sort of drifty feeling, the kind that feels like you're about to fall asleep.

Hah I always wondered if that was normal. I don't see people/places/objects though. I see kaleidoscope images like checkerboards or complex patterns continuously morphing when I have my eyes closed. It's fun to watch the patterns change.

I don't "see" anything, but it makes me feel anxious because the flash makes me think there's a cop behind me lol
I get slightly disoriented and drifty when it happens too. I just try to focus on the road ahead of me and "turn off" (or tone down) my peripheral vision.

I sometimes feel slightly disoriented too. And, I'm glad that I'm not alone.

When something flashes in front of (or peripherally) you like that (especially from light to dark because your eyes don't have time to adjust), your eyes have trouble making out what the object was, and your brain rapidly shuffles through it's immense storage bank of imagery in an attempt to discern what the unknown object was. Your brain doesn't like being unable to identify and label something (so you actually do become slightly disoriented)...hence it is often easy to see something that isn't there or more likely, to misidentify an object or misjudge a situation. aka Bigfoot

Originally Posted by Aquanina

When something flashes in front of (or peripherally) you like that (especially from light to dark because your eyes don't have time to adjust), your eyes have trouble making out what the object was, and your brain rapidly shuffles through it's immense storage bank of imagery in an attempt to discern what the unknown object was. Your brain doesn't like being unable to identify and label something (so you actually do become slightly disoriented)...hence it is often easy to see something that isn't there or more likely, to misidentify an object or misjudge a situation. aka Bigfoot

Yeah, if you believe the 'scientists'. What they won't tell you is that that's just a theory, and many theories in the past have been easily disproven by evidence.

It's your retina latching on to a visual broadcasting frequency that was known to be in use during the Cold War. It's weird (but not entirely unpredictable given the nature of governments) that it's still broadcasting. Sometimes you can get audio reception too, if you stare at the sun long enough. I had a friend who could hear Russian names being listed off for like ten minutes before he had to look away.

Don't believe everything that 'established science' tells you, kids.

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Yeah, if you believe the 'scientists'...Don't believe everything that 'established science' tells you, kids.

What scientists? My reply came from common sense.

Originally Posted by Aquanina

When something flashes in front of (or peripherally) you like that (especially from light to dark because your eyes don't have time to adjust), your eyes have trouble making out what the object was, and your brain rapidly shuffles through it's immense storage bank of imagery in an attempt to discern what the unknown object was. Your brain doesn't like being unable to identify and label something (so you actually do become slightly disoriented)...hence it is often easy to see something that isn't there or more likely, to misidentify an object or misjudge a situation. aka Bigfoot

In other words, your brain is applying the process it always uses to identify objects, butin this case what you're seeing is so ambiguous and fleeting that you brain has no clue what it could be, hence the random images.

you guys are nuts.

lol...agreed

Tell me when you wake up in the real world, Nina. See how far 'common sense' gets you then. If by common sense you mean government-funded misconceptions spread throughout the general public.

But also hello. I've not seen you around in awhile.

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

But also hello. I've not seen you around in awhile.

You missed me didn't you.

Missed you like a sandwich you make then put down then forget where you put it and are like, "But what if I have to make ANOTHER ONE," and that bothers you because the fridge is empty and there is no bread.

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Missed you like a sandwich you make then put down then forget where you put it and are like, "But what if I have to make ANOTHER ONE," and that bothers you because the fridge is empty and there is no bread.

That would crush my hopes and dreams. I try not to forget when I make a sandwich and go to do something else before eating it....and yet I still discover it ten minutes later on my kitchen table. So sad.


On topic, I've never had this experience, but what I have had is something rather peculiar and sorta related, sorta not related. It deals with having strong thoughts of particular colours when listening to or playing music. One of the songs I used to play in my band would, during the guitar solo, make me think of a very vivid orange shade, as if there was a strong auburn light being cast over the fretboard while I watched my fingers fly up the neck. Odd, I know, but that's what I have that relates.

Originally Posted by Clyde Machine

That would crush my hopes and dreams. I try not to forget when I make a sandwich and go to do something else before eating it....and yet I still discover it ten minutes later on my kitchen table. So sad.


On topic, I've never had this experience, but what I have had is something rather peculiar and sorta related, sorta not related. It deals with having strong thoughts of particular colours when listening to or playing music. One of the songs I used to play in my band would, during the guitar solo, make me think of a very vivid orange shade, as if there was a strong auburn light being cast over the fretboard while I watched my fingers fly up the neck. Odd, I know, but that's what I have that relates.

A
Am
B
C
D
E
Em
G

Strangely, though, nothing discernable (at the moment, at least) for F. Perhaps a sort of greyish/clear inflection.

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Missed you like a sandwich you make then put down then forget where you put it and are like, "But what if I have to make ANOTHER ONE," and that bothers you because the fridge is empty and there is no bread.

I knew it.

Same as when you see familiar images in clouds. Or in anything. The brain likes seeing faces.

this doesn't happen to me because i live in Hawaii where THE SUN IS ALWAYS SHINING

no but really living on the 2nd smallest island the buildings aren't tall enough to block the sun and it's always shining lol, believe it or not it can actually get irritating

yea i get that too with my band

I don't see any particular images, but I feel disoriented.

Originally Posted by InvisibleWoman

I don't see any particular images, but I feel disoriented.

That sometimes happens to me too; I feel like I suddenly moved or something.