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Visual hallucination

7 replies

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 21/12/2015 21:57

Can anyone explain this? Yesterday I took a photograph of my son and his new girlfriend. We were on a train , not that that is particularly relevant. This was in the afternoon.

Around mid evening I was looking at the photograph and noticed she had 2 black star tattoos on one arm. My husband hasn't met her and I thought then, oh must mention that, but didn't at the time.

A couple of hours later I looked at the photo again and there is no tattoo. I haven't edited it or airbrushed them out. I don't know how to.

All I could find online was a reference to Charles Bonnett Syndrome.

All I can think of is that I had 2 very late nights on Friday and Saturday and 2 early starts on Saturday and Sunday morning. I am 56, am very short -sighted but my vision with contact lenses is pretty good. My optician at last check up about a month ago advised there is some deterioration, but nothing untoward for my age.

www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-eye-conditions-z-eye-conditions/charles-bonnet-syndrome

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LassWiTheDelicateAir · 21/12/2015 21:57

www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-eye-conditions-z-eye-conditions/charles-bonnet-syndrome

Clickable link

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RNBrie · 21/12/2015 22:02

www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-eye-conditions-z-eye-conditions/charles-bonnet-syndrome

Clicky link for you OP.

That seems to suggest it's caused by loss of vision. Have you lost any vision already? Cause I don't think it can be Charles Bonnet without already having suffered loss of vision. My grandmother had macula degeneration which caused her to go blind and she did have some hallucinations but they started after she had already started losing her vision.

Could you have nodded off on the train and dreamed the tattoos there? It is really weird, but I don't think I'd be concerned unless it happens again.

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LassWiTheDelicateAir · 21/12/2015 22:12

I didn't see the tattoos on her in person on the train but only on the photograph when I looked at it in the early evening. There are none in the photo.

I've always had poor vision. I'm very short sighted and have worn contact lenses for over 30 years. I now also need reading glasses. My optician said there was now signs of glaucoma but within normal parameters for my age.

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sadie9 · 21/12/2015 22:20

What you saw were two blotches of black on her arm area, that your mind decided were tattoos. Did you zoom up on them or could it have been simply floaters in one eye? Or a smudge on your phone?

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LassWiTheDelicateAir · 21/12/2015 22:40

Thank you for the reply.When I looked at the photograph in the early evening I saw 2 star shaped tattoos. They were black outlines, not blotches.

I don't have floaters. The "tattoos" were very geometrically correct and neat. I didn't zoom up on them.

I wish I'd shown the photograph then to my husband. It's interesting that I didn't, isn't it? It's as if subconsciously I knew there were no tattoos to show.

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RNBrie · 21/12/2015 22:44

That is really weird. Was the photo on your phone? Could it have been an "effect"? My phone has a function that let's me add shapes and stuff to photos (clutching at straws).

What's the plan for your glaucoma? Monitor and see what happens or do you have a follow up? It worth keeping a note of when it happened and I'd mention in to gp or optician next time you go. If it happens again then straight off to the gp.

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LassWiTheDelicateAir · 21/12/2015 22:49

Photo is on phone. I'm sure it is possible to do weird effects on photos but I don't know how to.

Re glaucoma, yes monitoring it. I am at the opticians every 6 months. It's actually once a year for the full works eye test and once a year for contact lens check but as they are done separately it works out at every 6 months.

Thank you for the replies.