To think I'm not mental?

[Maybemental123]

I was chatting to my DH today about an "episode" I had the other day. I wouldn't call it "normal" but I also don't think it means I have some sort of disorder. Basically I had a very vivid imagination episode where I could see souls ascending to heaven. My DH said it was definitely not normal, but also no need to be concerned.

You recognised it as vivid imagination, so I would not say that is something to be worried about.

I'd agree it's not normal! But I'd try not to worry too much -

-How old are you?
-Any history of dementia in family?
-On any drugs?
-Do you get migraines?
-Any anxiety history?
-Had you eaten/had enough to drink that day?
-Any diabetes symptoms?
-Any headaches, instability or ear probs?

Forgot to add sleep to the list? How many hours did you get the night before?

I’d say it’s a bit worrying. Were you aware it wasn’t actually happening? Like in the moment did you know this was a daydream/hallucination? Or did you think it was happening?

You need to get Seen by your GP, if you actually saw it and didn't daydream it in your head.

I was fully aware it was a product of my imagination and could turn it on/off.

So you had a thought? If you imagine something and can stop imagining it at any time isn’t that just thinking about something?

You just have a good imagination- as do many people.
Please don’t use the term “ mental”. It’s derogatory, and discriminatory against people who are mentally unwell

Second this. Its offensive. I have mental illness including psychosis and loathe that term.

I hope you feel better soon OP, hopefully just a one off from lack of sleep.

A one off that you could control is not anything to worry about. I have mental illness with psychosis and it doesn't go down like that. Fwiw I don't find 'mental' offensive at all 😅

I have Schizoaffective disorder and dislike being called 'mental'.

Anyway... It's when you are wide awake & see things or hear things that are not real, or feel so paranoid that you're getting delusional that you should worry.
Like, once I was wide awake and saw a pure black cat curled up on my tshirt. I closed my eyes & when I opened them it was still there. But it didn't actually exist as when I tried to touch it my hand touched nothing.

If by ‘mental’ you mean suffering from a mental illness, I’d say you were fine and just have a good imagination.

Us ‘mental’ people can’t really control our symptoms that well and they impact our lives massively. Put that together with the battle of stigmatisation and being called mental and it makes for a difficult existence at times.

Sorry for the use of word mental, no excuse really, and it's always a school day.

The best way to describe it, is like of it were an "augmented reality" layer. It also looked like a sketch drawing (think of the A-ha video). I was driving at the time.

Sometimes when I'm very happy I can see and feel like I'm in a field with flowers, other times I've been able to see letter/words floating and glowing around me.

Wow sounds amazing! Have you looked into synaesthesia?

Its when stimulation of one sense - involuntarily & automatically triggers another - like seeing the words you mention.

People report different dimensions to their perception.

Could be worth looking into.

Or you have a slightly trippy & vivid imagination!

www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/synesthesia?amp

Yes, I've thought about synesthesia before. Thanks for the link, it looks like what I can see and feel is likely to be that. The day I could see the souls ascending I thought it was very aesthetically pleasing. It wasn't scary at all.

That’s not synesthesia though… it’s simply daydreaming. Not abnormal.

I also daydream and that's different. At least to me, daydreaming is related to be "absent '. In any of these examples, my mind goes "somewhere else", but I rather see/feel an extra layer to it.

They might be the same, but they certainly feel different to me.

I don't get it. Are you physically seeing these things as in hallucinating? Or are you just viewing them in your head?

I know they're not real. They feel more like projections out of my head, they're like a second layer to reality.

I've never had an acid trip or shrooms (my DH has) and he says they sound similar but not quite the same.

They don't alter reality which is why I don't think their hallucinations.

But do you physically see them? Could you reach out and touch them?

When I had an acid trip I definitely hallucinated, no second reality etc. just hallucinations.

I have synaesthesia and the last part describes what I see.

The "ascension" day I wouldn't know if I could touch them.

The flowers I can touch, the letters I can see the glow reflected on my skin.

I'm an atheist but have you considered the possibility it's an actual vision? Those who do believe in God in all religions going back millennia have reported not dissimilar types of vision. If you do have a belief or faith in the supernatural you may want to entertain the possibility that it's real.

Do you mean interpreting clouds in a particular way?
The afternoon the queen died I could see Scotland in the far distance and there was an ascension cloud effect going on.

Or do you mean seeing people out of the corner of your eye walking in our realm. Seeing their dark shadows moving without making a sound and there being no one near you.

Or perhaps sensing a disturbance in the ether as spirits pass on?

I'm a semi religious person, (more about the inner peace that gives ritual and sense of community) but I'm not a Christian of any denomination, so not something I would believe in.

I did think that probably people who claim to have religious experiences, have similar "visions". As I mentioned it was definitely "arty" for lack of a better word.