Current Events > Anyone else ever get this sensation when reading text on a screen?

(+) Yeah! (+)

That sensation where it feels like the text isn't small and a couple feet away, but instead that it's really large text that's really far away? Like the screen is actually a huge tunnel you're looking down?

It happens for me most easily when the screen is mostly just text, without a bunch of pictures or weird colors/formatting. I can sort of force it to happen if I cover one eye to get rid of my depth perception, but sometimes it'll just happen randomly even with both eyes open. I also notice it more frequently when I'm really tired, like I am right now, which makes sense.

It can be pretty trippy, and when I notice it I try and keep it going as long as I can before my brain sort of snaps out of it. It's one of the few tricks of the brain that doesn't seem to break when you notice it's happening. I like to try to push it to the extreme and make it feel as far away as possible. Just now I was reading a topic on here when it happened, and I literally stopped reading and just stared at one line for like 10 minutes gradually "pushing" it further away. It felt like the text got miles away and became almost like an out-of-body experience.

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I can't say I've experienced that, but it sounds like an anomaly in depth perception / optical illusion. Sounds fun.
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You may have a brain tumor - might want to look into that

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Corrupt_Power posted...

I can't say I've experienced that, but it sounds like an anomaly in depth perception / optical illusion. Sounds fun.

Yeah, it's definitely a really unique and curious sensation. I could see some people getting a little freaked out by it, though. It's pretty strange. But it's really simple to snap out of if it's making you uncomfortable by just looking away for even a split second. I had a friend when I was younger who experienced it too, but it always freaked her out so she never tried to keep it going.

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It doesn't just happen when reading text

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LookANinja posted...

It doesn't just happen when reading text

Text on a screen is the only place I've ever experienced it. Interestingly, I've never been able to get it to happen with text in a physical book or sheet of paper. I think it has something to do with the lighting, maybe?

Where else do you experience it?

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I feel like sometimes it just happens randomly, usually when i'm pretty relaxed, and i'll be looking at something like my computer screen. It's also happened when i'm laying in bed and just looking at the wall. It feels like a weird tunnel vision thing. Like i'm at the bottom of a well, but everything around me is the same size, but the perception is different. Very much how you described it.

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I can't read

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LookANinja posted...

I feel like sometimes it just happens randomly, usually when i'm pretty relaxed, and i'll be looking at something like my computer screen. It's also happened when i'm laying in bed and just looking at the wall. It feels like a weird tunnel vision thing. Like i'm at the bottom of a well, but everything around me is the same size, but the perception is different. Very much how you described it.

Ah, describing it that way, yes I have had that. Used to happen more as a kid/teen... I honestly can't recall the last time it did. Was very neat, and yeah, I could be fully aware of it without ruining it.
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Yeah it usually happens when Im reading

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I'm not sure what you're trying to describe TC.

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Yeah, that happens to me to infrequently.

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