Visual hallucinations of lattice form dimension

Checkerboards

"I get migraines every so often (like sometime in the next 20 minutes, which is what brings this to mind), and when they're approaching, they tend to take out the vision in one eye. Let me explain. I know when one's coming on, because I get a grey/ black/white checkerboard pattern swirling in front on one eye (sometimes both, but rarely). It's really disconcerting, because it *doesn't* move when you move your eyes. Anyway, it really takes one eye completely out of usefulness. And, it means that there's a migraine on its way in the next 20 - 30 minutes (which is happening right now)."

(Dan Nitschke, Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles, Subject: One eyed motorcyclists, March 22, 1996)

"Another common visual disturbance in the aura phase of a migraine is 'checkerboards' -- scintillating checkerboard patterns that sometimes become very complex, like quilt patterns. These do not circle around a scotoma, like the fortification patterns do, but the entire checkerboarded area is in effect a scotoma, because you can't see very well through its flashing."

(Catherine Yronwode, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Migraine Aura - HELP, January 27, 2000)

"I'm not a regular migraine sufferer but I've had the occasional attack and I know how debilatating they can be. I find the visual effects somewhat interesting. Once I saw a pulsating electric checkerboard in my peripheral vision w/o knowing what it was. For a little while I thought I was having a stroke or developing a brain tumor. Still it was an amazing effect, like being trapped in one of those Cinematic POV shots where the hero has been drugged."

(elag, Newsgroups: alt.surrealism, Subject: H0llyw00d Flatlands, May 14, 2003)

Criss-cross "mesh" patterns

"Oh yeah, an' you get kewel effects like a criss-cross 'mesh' pattern of (eg) blue luminous lines, and bizarre perception effects not unlike wot Picasso depicted in his later stuff, like profile-view of faces with both eyes, both ears, etc. Somewhat weird. The luminous blue meshes are possibly among the oddest."

(Carl LHS Williams, Newsgroups: uk.rec.sheds, Subject: What do you know about migraine?, October 7, 2000)

Gratings

"I had an episode of visual blurring similar to yours back on 14 February after an auto accident in which my head and right hand broke the passenger window. Though I was diagnosed free of head injuries, I experienced a very odd blurring of my vision beginning in the center field of view in both eyes. I felt like I was looking through diffraction grating or crinkled cellophane. I could not focus clearly. Gradually the spot migrated to the edge of my field of view, again in both eyes simultaneously. Eventually, the distortion disappeared. The final conclusion was that I suffered an 'ocular migraine' ..."

(Lori L. Paul, Newsgroups: sci.med.vision, Subject: Blurred Vision... unexplained episodes, April 11, 1995)

Grids

"I found out that its uncommon when i was raving to one of my friends about the 'beautiful grid-patterns' and fancy lighting effects i saw when i closed my eyes and she said she had no idea what i was talking about. She saw medicre colour sqwirls. I see those too -- but those are not 'the real thing.' Those are just blah colour swirls.

So i asked another friend -- and another -- and none of my friends had ever seen the 'flashing quilt patterns' and the 'flip-flopping leggo blocks of fire' and the 'writing microbes of light.' In fact the first person who knew what i was talking about was a male migraineur who saw 'the outweard march of the zig-zaig glowing-ember matchsticks.'"

(Catherine Yronwode, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Visual Disturbances, December 17, 1999)

References

Podoll K, Robinson D. Migraine Art - The migraine experience from within. Neurol Psychiat Brain Res 2002; 10: 29-34.
Sacks OW. Migraine. Revised and expanded. University of California Press, Berkeley-Los Angeles-Oxford 1992.
Siegel RK, Jarvik M. Drug-induced hallucinations in animals and man. In: Siegel R, West L (eds) Hallucinations: Behavior, experience, and theory. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY 1975, 81-161.

top