Kaleidescope

[mrdreamjeans]

When you close your eyes, squeeze them tight, do you see colors and patterns? Since I was a boy, I've always been fascinated by the kaleidescopic colors ... the wash of reds, yellows, oranges and purples ... that make vivid patterns behind my closed eyelids. It's one of those things that you assume everyone else experiences ... Do you see patterns? What colors do you see?

Patterns for me most often resemble sunrises and sunsets, tie-dyed shirts from the 60s or dots, the kind that you see when a camera flashes or the sun gets in our eyes. I think it's kind of wonderful.

Comments

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

I get those too, but for me it's sometimes more like little sparkles than true dots but yes, I do get them if I close my eyes hard enough.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Then Close those eyes, Bubba, and sparkle plenty:)!

[bradferd23.livejournal.com]

I have always thought this was cool... I see patterns. Best way to describe it is stained glass windows???? I think????

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Is this so people kneel at your altar? LOL! *teasing*

[bradferd23.livejournal.com]

Now... I do think that is a good ... thought! Hehe... Bow down!!! and pray my son! hahahah... and that was this mornings laugh folks... :)

[elfkat.livejournal.com]

I usually get geometric patterns in complimentary colours or I get washes like water colour. I used love to lie in the sun when I was a kid and just watch the inside of my eyelids. Weird thing was even though I was blind in one pretty much til I was 7 I could see the colours.

It's fun and relaxing to do since it kind of makes you go within.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered if other people watched the inside of their eye lids. It's good to know I'm not alone:) I wonder what causes the colors ... the pressure of shutting the eyes ... or is it something else. Geometric patterns ... do the colors shift as in a kaleidescope? HUGS!

[elfkat.livejournal.com]

Yes, they shift colours and they drift into different position but that may because you move your eyes to watch or because of blood flow patterns. It's just mindless fun.

[detailbear.livejournal.com]

Hmm. If I squeeze my eyes shut, I only get white, ghostly nets and electric blue flashing dots in non-patterns.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

How very Stephen King of you! *grin* No colors then, except the blue flashing dots? Doesn't it shift to other colors after a second or two?

[detailbear.livejournal.com]

Nope. It just stays white.

I'm afraid the Stephen King reference is lost on me. I don't do horror or suspense films.

[blackwingbear.livejournal.com]

I get the white nets, and the geometric patterns..little psychedelic,though...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I'm trying this between comments to this post. No matter how many times I close my eyes, shut them tight, I don't get the white. I've gotta stop, though, it's giving me a headache:) Hugs!

[blackwingbear.livejournal.com]

I usually get them right before I fall asleep..

[alpenhorn.livejournal.com]

I see huge slimy bugs coming at me to tear my eyeballs out.

Sometimes we never escape childhood fears.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to say I don't share this phenomenon:) Given my recent run-ins with spiders spitting our their prey and killing tarantulas next to the house, it would be a bit much if the colors behind my closed lids gave me visions of spiders too. You never know what's lurking behind other peoples' closed eyes, though, do you:)

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

If I squeese my eyes shut, I can't read your post . .

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

It's probably for the best:)

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I get white sparkles in a navy blue void, sometimes there is something that must be like your tie-dye pattern, always in a deep beet red and very dark green, and sometimes its a black and yellow checked pattern that shifts around.....diamonds, squares, pyramids....kinda cool.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

WOW! As artistic types, I wonder if it's a factor in the vividness of the colors and variety of patterns. A couple of my friends who have replied to this whimsical post are engineering types and the colors and patterns they have experienced are very different. I'm fascinated by this:)

HUGS!

By the way, how did Junie Moon turn out?

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

how did Junie Moon turn out?

They've been running around and hollering, pretty regularly.....the toilet started to leak, (the gag one, on stage) and was finally fixed yesterday.....I worked wardrobe for 10 days, so I brushed out a LOT of "pageant hair". Honus had a layoff week, due to some international kid's fest, and they're ALL off this weekend, for folklife. They need it, they're all past the halfway mark, and getting a little punchy!

[sohipithurts.livejournal.com]

It's fireworks and camera flashes for me. Always liked how it looked when it squished my eyes closed tightly. I just did it again. Reminds me of being a kid in wonder.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Isn't it nice to revisit that place .... A kid in wonder ... I think that is an apt description of creative Vinny:) HUGS!

[truthfeather.livejournal.com]

You mean I'm only supposed to see those things with my eyes closed?
Lots of patterns here.

Peace

Matthew

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

LOL! I'm sure there were lots of people from the 1960s and early 70s who saw the same things I do with my eyes squeezed shut, with their eyes wide open ... course, they may have had chemical assistance. *grin*

Howdy! Come back and visit again.

[truthfeather.livejournal.com]

LOL, no chemical assistance here (except coffee.) I suspect some of it may be related to a history of CP related petit mal seizures I used to have in childhood, at around 12 y.o. they spontaneously resolved.
You can also "create" various colors and images by staring at an object for a short period of time, and then closing your eyes. Its a trick that has been used in meditation (usually with a candle flame) to focus concentration, and improve imagination skills.

Joy to you

Matthew

[ex-quietdanm235.livejournal.com]

No patterns for me when I do that. The closest way I can explain it is to look at a lava lamp. Changing clusters/irregular shapes of color floating in a dark background. The colors change depending upon my mood or stress level. Usually they are blue or green (calm), but occasionally they are red or yellow (stressed).

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

A Lava Lamp? Very cool! I don't get the greens and blues ... just the reds, oranges and yellows ... I consider them happy colors ... course, it may just mean I'm always stressed:) May you see only blues and greens for the foreseeable future! Hugs!

Interesting though ... does color=state of mind when it comes to looking outward from behind your eye lids?

[ex-quietdanm235.livejournal.com]

Possibly...

Most of my life centers around things that fall into the blue/green hues, so perhaps there is a connection.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Aside from the colors I see with my eyes closed, I've found that the palette of colors I'm most drawn to is changing. I used to be a blue/green guy, now I find my "favorite" colors are yellow and orange. Hmmmm .... Hugs!

[madisonbear.livejournal.com]

Yup! I get those too!

Besides color splotches mine has a kind of pusing moire pattern that starts in the center then expands out. Kinda funky yet neat.

:D

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Now, that sounds very like a kaleidescope to me! Great!

[emramesha.livejournal.com]

I would experience similar things with closed eyes. Sometimes I'd get like a brilliant golden brown that will fill the void and hurt my eyes. Eventually, a purplish black splotch would start in the upper right corner and fill my whole field of vision of my closed eyes and no more colours would appear and it's about then I sleep. I actually haven't attempted to have my eyes perform like that intentionally since I was a teenager! I had almost forgotten about that phenomenon.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You're the second or third person to mention the purple blob. I don't see that, I'm brighter colors. I wonder if that's significant. I have extra time on my hands ... I just may ponder that for a bit:) *grin*

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Not only do I miss reading your posts ... I miss our occasional chats! The trip to the UK sounds like fun if you've got lots of chaperoning help:) I wonder what your young ladies would experience if they squeezed their eyes tight! Would they would see the colors of the rainbow, like so many of us:)? HUGS! Safe journeys, my friend ...

[nanocub.livejournal.com]

I have always been facinated by the colors and patterns too. It's especially interesting that you can see them even in complete darkness -- the sensation of color even when there is no light! Pretty amazing.

An interesting variation on this is to first close your eyelids shut tight, then look toward the sun -- the colors become red and golden. I don't recommend doing this for very long, of course, and be careful not to open your eyes while still looking at the sun.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I like the sensation of reds and golds. Perhaps, it's the optimist in me.

The sensation of color even when there is no light ... I'm curious, Scott ... What colors do see from behind your lids when you're in the dark? I'm going to try this tonight.

I'm pretty used to looking under the spot lights ... or being able to look at the sun without actually looking ... so, I wonder if that's why my palette is so bright when I do squeeze my eyes shut. I also wonder if mood, orientation, creative nature, gender ... if any or all of these factors contribute to this phenomenon.

Hugs from Texas!

[anziulewicz.livejournal.com]

The visual phenomenom you are referring to is called "phosphene." You can read more info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphene

Exactly what visuals occur depends on how hard I squeeze my eyes shut. I've seen sparks, flashes, paisleys and other sorts of patterns.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for putting a name to the phenomenon! I appreciate the link. I love to figure this kind of stuff out! HUGS!