Visual Snow

[jmp]

Anyone else here afflicted with this? I've had it for as long as I can recall. Basically is it like static on the T.V except in your vision. This site explains it in more detail; http://www.visualsnow.com/ During the day I can see a static sort of thing on white walls, have these 'floaters' when I look at the sky combined with static and blue balls (which I have been told are white blood cells). This picture shows what I mean clearly; This is not so bad as it's more of a mild visual disturbance than a problem, though at night it is different. At night (read: in the dark) ,and in the evening though it isn't as bad but still worse than day, this minor visual disturbance turns into extreme static causing my ability to see anything to be minimal and there are colours mixed in with the static. This is hard to explain, this paint diagram sort of explains it though the colours aren't as defined and neither is the static. I get afterimages and burn-in from light when in the dark and ghosting. It is sometimes difficult to watch movies at night, especially when tired. This wikipedia article also covers it; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_snow Just wonderin'.. Edit: This is hard to explain, here are some simulations that will help you understand. http://www.visualsnow.com/examples/simulations/

[Bonsay]

I have that. I thought it was normal. Although this snow isn't as drastic as in the pictures shown on the page. That or I just got used to it. I also have lots afterimages and have the same experiences when it's dark. So yeah

[jmp]

I thought it was normal as well, it is annoying at night. I just stumbled across a link to something about visual snow, I thought it might've been something about a book called snow crash (I was wrong). Then I found it there is no known cure. Ohwell.

[ThePhobiaViewed]

Yep i get this too. Whenever I go sledding (and probably alot of other times but its just very obvious when looking at white snowy hills) I get this thing where wherever i look there are black dots going to the point I'm focused on. I havn't really been affected by this stuff at night, just more of seeing floaters during the daytime and that sort of thing.

[Spartiate]

I don't have this, but when I get sleep deprived, I get this sort of staticky hallucination, like my vision is full of brown blotches.

[Bonsay]

Yep i get this too. Whenever I go sledding (and probably alot of other times but its just very obvious when looking at white snowy hills) I get this thing where wherever i look there are black dots going to the point I'm focused on. I havn't really been affected by this stuff at night, just more of seeing floaters during the daytime and that sort of thing. I don't think that has much to do with this visual snow. Although it is an interesting phenomena. Must be a product of staring at the same thing for a long period of time. I've experienced this hallucination somewhere else besides skiing and I guess you see it because you fall into some sort of trance...?

[Asymptote]

Oh, wow...I thought I was the only one. I actually have this fairly bad. Especially the damned floaters...they drive me crazy.

[jmp]

Oh, wow...I thought I was the only one. I actually have this fairly bad. Especially the damned floaters...they drive me crazy. I just thought it was normal. Then I was talking to someone and brought it up and, well, it was an awkward moment.

[red_flag]

i get this too! but it's more sort of transparent flecks/ miniature circles and it really annoys me... then i have to stop thinking about it and distract myself so i don't obsess on it

[ThePhobiaViewed]

I don't think that has much to do with this visual snow. Although it is an interesting phenomena. Must be a product of staring at the same thing for a long period of time. I've experienced this hallucination somewhere else besides skiing and I guess you see it because you fall into some sort of trance...? I do get visual snow and floaters too but this is kinda weird. It could be like a trance. Possibly seeing all the white and being in a calm/cold state makes the mind try to fill in the blanks.

[K-P]

You find more about visual snow at this website: http://www.migraine-aura.org/content.../index_en.html Please participate in the Sofia Greene survey on such persistent perceptual alterations (you find it here: http://www.migraine-aura.org/content.../index_en.html ).

[Idolfan]

I see all that immediatelly upon closing my eyes at any time of day; but loads of people I've asked say they just see pitch black! Am I like, not normal?

[Lucidbulbs]

I see that stuff when I close my eyes too, or sometimes when I'm just focusing off at things [usually near lights and bright places], not nearly as bad, maybe one or two that I really notice... The only time it's really bad is when i have those "classical migranes" I can't even see it blinds me so bad, but typically afterwards it's gone [afterwards as in after the whole purge and wait out painfully the mirgrane thing, plus the required R&R]

[K-P]

Hello, could you participate in the visual snow survey (see the link in my above post) - there is often an association with migraine (Lucidbulbs)

[jmp]

I don't know if it's relevant but I also see streaks of light coming off lights. Hard to explain, internet's going to slow at the moment to make diagram/find a picture.

[Spartiate]

I don't know if it's relevant but I also see streaks of light coming off lights. Hard to explain, internet's going to slow at the moment to make diagram/find a picture. You mean like this?

[Lucidbulbs]

Hello, could you participate in the visual snow survey (see the link in my above post) - there is often an association with migraine (Lucidbulbs) Yeah, I will, and I know it's associated with migranes [at least it is with me], I even said it's with my migranes "The only time it's really bad is when i have those 'classical migranes' I can't even see it blinds me so bad, but typically afterwards it's gone." But yeah, I'll participate.

[jmp]

You mean like this? Yes, for every light. Though not as extreme as that, though about that at night.

[K-P]

Hello jmp, did you get my personal message via this board? Thanks, KP

[Bonsay]

Yes, for every light. Though not as extreme as that, though about that at night. How else do you expect to see brightness etc. ?

[blade5x]

I have that a little. I don't notice it unless I sort of blankly stare into the sky. I can even notice it slightly blankly staring into this bright monitor (thanks to the light background). But at night... I can't say I've ever seen it at night. I also have some floaters in my left eye - again only noticed when I want to see them. I'm definitely going to get it checked out eventually though. I remember reading something about eye detachment which can eventually lead to blindness in the later years - no thanks!

[Bonsay]

So you're telling me that you see "total" blackness when you close your eyes? That's interesting, to me anyway. I've never seen a clear colour actually.

[blade5x]

Well not exactly. When I close my eyes... I think I just see the after-image of everything in my field of vision. It's kind of cloudy at first, and slowly darkens, and then I start to see random patterns everywhere, which I can't say is really anything like the visual snow because these patterns are just so random.

[Bonsay]

Yeah, I see that + the visual snow. That's what I've always been interested in, what do others see.

[yay]

i get this too! but it's more sort of transparent flecks/ miniature circles and it really annoys me... then i have to stop thinking about it and distract myself so i don't obsess on it I have that too. The one in the picture has a lot, I usually don't see that many. But they are transparent and kind of move. But they don't really change, I can recognize a couple by their shape. They aren't all circles, but like the shape of a small piece of hair , or like these ~~. I've tried to figure out what they were, I've thought a lot about it and came up with some guesses. 1. I have a history with drugs, so I was thinking it could be from that. 2. Seeing dust particles, either close to the eye or reflecting light in a certain way. 3. This is the best reason I can think of. Small scratches on my eye. I think this could be it since they are the same shape and size, and they are transparent. I've also had a dirtball thrown at my eye and it was pretty badly stuck in there and I went to the hospital to flush it out. They checked for scratches, but they are probably too small to make a difference, or to be seen easily. I also kind of see the colors in the dark, but not with static. It's sort of a blueish blob that fluctuates in size. Does anyone push their fingers into their eyes at all? (with your eyes closed of course, haha) I do this sometimes randomly, and people don't understand why. I love it, I used to do it as a kid a lot, and would see cool patterns and colors. I' almost always see a tunnel, and going through it and turning left or right, and one time the tunnel ended to my surprise, and fell into a colorful spaghetti-Os place. But now when I do it I mostly see a lot of colorful dots, mostly blue, and almost like that blueish blob that fluctuates, but then everything is all striped , but the striped are vibrating almost.... Its hard to explain. I'd really like to hear what people see though, I asked some of my friends and they didn't see anything, but some other used to do that too when they were young. OH! and one of my favorite things to do is when you look at a bright light, and move your head up down left right and all around while facing the light, then looking away and closing your eyes, and maybe covering them too, you can see the trails and imprint of the light, it looks so cool! :