Just wondering how many of you.......

It's actually a mystery to me but both me and hubby discovered that when we close our eyes and rub them...

We see this mysterious checkerboard like pattern while we are doing it.

How many others see that too? I'd post this as a poll but I don't think I can.

So....who sees the swirly checker pattern.

If you don't see that what do you see when you have your eyes shut and you rub them.

And who knows what causes it. This is a totally random thread and I'm probably going to look up the phenomenon myself but heck...this could prove interesting.

I do. Some kind of neuron firing pattern, perhaps.

I can't try it right now because I have mascara on

I will let you know later on

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

I can't try it right now because I have mascara on

I will let you know later on

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DOH! Too bad I didn't read your post until after I did it!!

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

DOH! Too bad I didn't read your post until after I did it!!

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I see it! I never really noticed it until I had Lasik so I always wondered if it had something to do with that

Originally Posted by ButterflyDreame

And who knows what causes it. This is a totally random thread and I'm probably going to look up the phenomenon myself but heck...this could prove interesting.

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If I remember correctly, when you rub your eyes the pressure causes the nerves in the eye to fire randomly. Your brain interprets this as little bursts of light.

I can't do it either... I'm all dolled up for work

Yes! I have done that before too!! LOL...great thread btw!!

If it cause the brain to fire neurons, why does everyone see a checker board.

It's strange. Very odd...

<----Off to research

i dont really see a specific pattern... i see more like little explosions and random lights... ugh now my eyes hurt

I can't find anything about it.

Strange, very very odd.

to me it appears as a swirly checkerboard white and grey squares.

Rather than a checkerboard, I see a chessboard complete with playing pieces. Right now the black side is winning.

If you ever see a Monopoly board, go see an eye doctor.

lol. This is funny.

But yea, I see it too. I always wondered about that too.

You guys ever see those little clear stringy things when you concentrate too hard on something? They just like kind of float off into nowhere.

Originally Posted by lilleah

You guys ever see those little clear stringy things when you concentrate too hard on something? They just like kind of float off into nowhere.

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I thought I was the only one!!!!!!! Yeah I get those I see them best at night under like streetlight etc... cool! I'm not the only one

Those little strings are called floaters... they are actually small (very small) particles of dust on your eye's surface. I used to watch them on a clear blue sky when I was a kid...

I see checkerboards, bursts of lights, and other things... not very disimilar from the closed-eye visuals that one might see while on some psychedelics. Not that I would know...

I get the checkerboard when I rub my eyes if I am really tired.
I get the floaty looking things If I am rubbing my eys and finding it difficult to concentrate or figure out a problem. They remind me of DNA strands.

I had always wondered if it was just me. I am glad you asked that question, ButterflyDreame.

Sometimes I see funky patterns if I'm in a dark room and I'm really tired.

I hate floaters! I get them all the time when I look at something that's one colour (sidewalk, clear sky, etc.)

Originally Posted by krazy kat2

They remind me of DNA strands.

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YES! THANK YOU! THAT's exzactly what I was trying to say. Dna strands. Perfect!

I see the little light balls myself if I'm tired or if I have a migraine coming on.

I kinda like to pretend they are little fairies....if I'm in a goofy mood.

Course I'm lucky I didn't screw up my vision as a kid. I used to stare a the sun then look quickly down at the grass and see this like green oozy ball thingie sorta looked like "Slimer" from Ghostbusters.

I don't do that anymore, I was like 8 years old and me and the kids I'd walk to school with would do that....look up at the sun then immediately down to the ground. I guess as kids we do some weird stuff.


But anyways.

I'm glad that I've verified everyone's sanity.

Of all the things I've researched trying different combos in google search the checkerboard pattern with the eye thing, the nearest thing I could come up with was an LSD page.

Huh?