what do you see when you close your eyes?

[LaMbaL]

I think the point is to what extent you can summon up crystal clear images with your eyes closed, simply by imagining them.

As for me, mostly I have a hard time visualizing anything more than a vague shape in the red/purple static. On occasion I have managed to visualize clear pictures, such as landscapes, however I have mostly no control over what I see, it just happens when I let my mind wander free.

[Drewbacca]

I can clearly picture whatever I like eyes open or closed. The visualization is crisp but becomes blurry when I try to capture it in the form of a painting/drawing.
If I close my eyes for a while and allow myself to relax, I see mostly white light dancing around in a black space. Sometimes I see faces.

[Ipsofacto]

I can't visualize crystal clear images. It's more blurred flashes. If I'm visualizing sports, it's more the physical aspect that I experience. I feel, my balance, my muscles and tactile sensation.

Originally Posted by keliza

When I shut my eyes it looks kind of like a lava lamp. I see purple, green, and blue shapes morph in front of my eyes in the blackness, expanding and contracting, disappearing and allowing the next one to take over. It's always been that way, I thought that was normal. Maybe not!

That's what I see if I'm deep into relaxation or meditation.

[Acey]

Depends on how much I've smoked. If I smoke enough, I see the universe when I close my eyes.

[Geno]

I can visualize detailed scenes and even imagine a whole (made up) movie in my head. It's weird though because I really can't take an image in my head and draw it on paper(if I try, it won't look good at all). I'm a good drawer if I'm drawing something I can physically see, though.

[Drewbacca]

Originally Posted by Acey

Depends on how much I've smoked. If I smoke enough, I see the universe when I close my eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P6ds11QzWA

[keliza]

Are we talking about if you just shut your eyes, or if you try to visualize something? If I try to, I can visualize an entire detailed, complex scene in my head. It's great because I almost never get bored (how can you get bored when you can make up an entire story in your head?), but it's also the bane of my existence because it means I can lay awake in bed at night for hours caught up in my fantasies, and never actually falling asleep.

[steveno1570]

plank80, Conman, Jynical, Assumption, I think your experience is the closest match to mine own. Everyone else, I should have been clearer, but what I 'see' with my eyes shut varies depending on the colour, brightness, and orientation of any light source. If you've ever used a hand to block a flashlights beam, and observed how it filters the light, this is the closest example of what I'm describing.

Rockydaydreamer, whether I close my eyes or not, I don't see an internal 'image'. Not even a flicker. When asked to describe something, I relay the words my thoughts offer up. The funny thing is, I've known this for years, but it only became 'relevant' recently. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this. If I get the time and energy, I'll put up a blog post about my very own 'Drop Dead Fred' and link here. If anybody has any tips for healthful activities that don't rely on image-a-nation I'd be grateful to read them.

[yellowflowers]

Originally Posted by keliza

Are we talking about if you just shut your eyes, or if you try to visualize something? If I try to, I can visualize an entire detailed, complex scene in my head. It's great because I almost never get bored (how can you get bored when you can make up an entire story in your head?), but it's also the bane of my existence because it means I can lay awake in bed at night for hours caught up in my fantasies, and never actually falling asleep.

I am so so jealous of people who can do this, see imajes in their head as if almost a photo, or even moving ones! I never fully got people could do this, conjure up scenes like this. In last few yaers couple things suddenly made me realise that it wasn't just "I'm crap" or can't concentrate long enough, or can't decide what to imagines or keep changing my mind, the trust is I cannot actually do this, and that it is probably not a skill I can learn?

Has any one with pretty much no ability to conjure up imajes in there head taught themselves over time?

Mediation
Over the arrears I've been unfortunate enough to be subject to 'mediation' exercises in diff settings (they used to do ones in school?). I used to get kicked out. Closing my eyes was a no no, it would be even harder to sit still on my own inside my head! I often lapsed into giggling, and often set someone off giggling to who would then be ****** off I got them in trouble.

But yeh, visualising a beautiful scene? walking through a golden field you see a beautiful tree, a magical tree? HUH Not relevant right now but these 'mediations' would often has religious message... meeting Jesus on a beach and he is smiling at you or something. Em I can't picture Jesus. I'd look around me to all these peaceful looking faces!! And felt like clearly I wasn't just trying hard enough Then I'd catch the teachers eye, who would be giving me evils....

Dreaming
If I can't picture stuff how is it I dream? Anyone else wonder this? CaUSE I sure as hell do dream! Sometimes I think its more in a 'verbal' forum though? and certainly intense physical and emotional stuff.

Maybe I can picture some things... there must be another way to 'picture' stuff without seeing it like a photo... Like memories? I have memories (surprisingly.. )! I presumed others were the same until I realised people could actually picture something in there head like an 'image' or a 'movie'.

If I'm trying to really really conjure up the look of say a leaf, I think I'm kind of doing it, its dark....grainy... if I try 'zoom out' add any more I can't - and I've lost any idea of the leaf. I think I may be kidding myself even in this.... you just think your brain must work like others, you hear others talk about picturing stuff, your 'supposed' to be able to do it.... but what I describe as 'picturing something' or getting an imaje in my mind .... I now suspec its not what other people are describing at all.

Zooming out and that damn Wally
This 'zooming' thing is also a bit true looking at the real world, I find it really hard to take in a hole scene, I tend to focus right in, I don't understand this, what happens here for me. So if I have a picture in front of me I'm sort of narrowed in to something, if I'm searching/scanning, well thats really hard.... word searches or wheres wally are my worst nightmare. I hate that Wally bloke

Drawing a picture
When I try draw it comes out crazy detailed to, and I cannot draw from my imagination, need to be lucking at something. These ppl who draw the big sketchy outlines? can't do it.

Picturing Faces
I guess the worst of this really is that I cannot picture faces in my mind, not even my parents, closest friends. And that I cannot picture where I am relative to anything else, so continuly getting lost. I can not picture where I am, so I feel all the time this sense of being lost in space (and time, but thats another story).

Clumsy
Also, being an absolute clutz, catching my shoulder in a door frame I'm walking through my classic... oh trying to hold you dignity after that? Making your way into a room full of intimidating people, have composed yourself as best you can.... then the door... and everyone has turned around to see. Or I trip, oh I'm trying to look o so composed, stand tall walking down the street, and then BAM.

Yeh and I supposed the psychometrics pretty much sealed the coffin on that, poor visual spatial skills. oH dear I did not mean to make this so long. What I am going to do seen as I am medicated today is go back over this!!!!! And put in headings!!!!! oooooooooo I must be turning into someone else.....


<3

[FlusteredCognition]

The original post was very interesting to me. Usually I have a hard time going to sleep because my head is going a gazillion miles an hour, and this technique is what I use often to cause sleep... almost like hypnotizing myself.

The scenario is this:
I'm going to the movies. The scene starts with me walking up to the window and asking for a ticket and paying. I picture the whole scene in full detail, glass doors, girl I'm buying the ticket from, flashing lights inside, maroon ugly pattern carpet... usual movie theater stuff. Then I picture taking the ticket, walking inside, noting to myself details. I walk in the theater and will consciously pick a different seat in a different part of the theater each time I use this method. When I sit, it's still bright and I can see fine. Usually there is only one or two other people in the theater, sitting nowhere near me. No distractions, they're very quiet. Soon the theater dims and the movie starts. All I see is big black screen with GIANT block letters that read "SLEEP". By the time I get to this part of the "scene" I'm usually falling asleep, and there isn't much more to it.

So I guess my point is I can imagine anything I want. I can "see" it clear as day. I even spent a year or two as a 4-5yr old being able to lucid dream at will... though I cannot now and haven't been able to since.

Now if you mean what do I literally SEE when LOOKING at the back of my eyelids? In the dark I see grey/black pulsing that tends to be grey pulsing over the surface then a black little "hole" starts to form and gets larger until the whole "area" is black. And then it starts over again... make sense? Interesting thread!

[mctavish23]

I don't know, but I can tell it's mine...


u r welcome