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Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

binghamton.edu

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Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#11

Post by meowface »

colordrops wrote: post #5

I have always had these distortions throughout my life. I sometimes feel like high-functioning psychotic. I recall the story of that researcher James Fallon that found out he was a psychopath when he scanned his own brain. Everything feels intellectualized rather than a concrete physical reality.

Just because there's a correlation doesn't mean distortions inherently imply psychosis. It's difficult to know your experience just from your brief comment, but it's possible that you may have something like depersonalization-derealization disorder, without any psychosis.

Psychosis generally involves delusions and hallucinations. For example: hearing things that aren't real, believing governments or other powerful entities are specifically targeting and watching you (much more so than just being caught up in the standard dragnet surveillance), thinking you're a divine being or on a divinely-mandated mission, frequently thinking people you see IRL are stalking and following you, thinking some external entity or machine is inserting invasive thoughts into your head via photons.

And as the other commenter said, psychopathy and psychosis are unrelated, and as far as I know not even correlated. But I understand you're probably just referencing that story as an example and weren't suggesting a connection. (The context, for anyone unaware: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-neuroscien...)

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#12

Post by meowface »

metra wrote: post #9

What is a perceptual distortion or aberration? Is it an umbrella term? What's included? Migraine auras? Vertigo? Seizures? Acid trips? I haven't been able to find a precise definition.

Not sure if there's a clear definition, but the article lists these as symptoms:

>These early perceptual distortions included a heightened awareness of sound or color, uncertainty about the boundaries of one’s body, feeling that the world around them is tilting, and similar experiences.

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#13

Post by meowface »

01100011 wrote: post #3

This is a bit disturbing to read as someone who had perceptual distortions in my late teens. I always attributed it to HPPD after using LSD around 15 years old. Now I'm not so sure.

HPPD would definitely be a major confounder, here. I really wouldn't be worried. If it's been many years since it happened and you haven't ever experienced anything that seems like it could be psychosis, then it very likely isn't something to be concerned about, I think.

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#14

Post by SavantIdiot »

ImuMotive wrote: post #7
01100011 wrote: post #3

This is a bit disturbing to read as someone who had perceptual distortions in my late teens. I always attributed it to HPPD after using LSD around 15 years old. Now I'm not so sure.

I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. I've also had odd sensations that accompany these perceptual changes. All of these occur very rarely. Like I said, maybe twice a year, but closer to once per year. I can't find it now, but I had learned about seizure activity and h…

Sounds like vertigo maybe? Does it feel like someone tilted the floor and there's no "up"? Followed by sweating and vomiting and 48 hours of headaches? (Source: I get it a few times a year.)

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#15

Post by meowface »

ImuMotive wrote: post #7
01100011 wrote: post #3

This is a bit disturbing to read as someone who had perceptual distortions in my late teens. I always attributed it to HPPD after using LSD around 15 years old. Now I'm not so sure.

I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. I've also had odd sensations that accompany these perceptual changes. All of these occur very rarely. Like I said, maybe twice a year, but closer to once per year. I can't find it now, but I had learned about seizure activity and h…

>I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep.

I think this is very common and occasionally experienced by most people, including myself. Typically when you're on the border between being awake and falling asleep.

>I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room.

Haven't experienced this one, but perceptual distortions in a dark environment shouldn't be a concern, I think. I definitely get thrown off sometimes. It's natural, since your brain is constantly trying to predict what should be there, and ambiguous signals due to limited light can throw a wrench into that, especially if you're not habituated to the light conditions.

>I've also had odd sensations that accompany these perceptual changes.

Could there be a nocebo effect? After learning about seizure auras, it's possible that when these things happen, you might enter a brief positive feedback loop where aura-like things could psychogenically manifest. Was this also the case before you learned about such things?

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#16

Post by ImuMotive »

SavantIdiot wrote: post #14
ImuMotive wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. I've also had odd sensations that accompany these perceptual changes. All of these occur very rarely. Like I said, maybe twice a year, but closer to once per year. I can't find it now, but I had learned about seizure activity and h…

Sounds like vertigo maybe? Does it feel like someone tilted the floor and there's no "up"? Followed by sweating and vomiting and 48 hours of headaches? (Source: I get it a few times a year.)

None of that, it just looks like the floor is tilted forward. It doesn't feel like it though. It's a very odd visual distortion.

I noticed while at the eye doctor when testing different lenses I guess he could recreate the feeling by using incorrect magnification on one eye? Making my brain thing the room is tilted left or right.

Unrelated, anybody ever feel like they lost consciousness for 250ms? Super rare, but I get the feeling that I feel asleep and all my muscles went limp in that moment. It's like when you are falling asleep and you sometimes jerk yourself back awake.

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#17

Post by EamonnMR »

meowface wrote: post #15
ImuMotive wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. I've also had odd sensations that accompany these perceptual changes. All of these occur very rarely. Like I said, maybe twice a year, but closer to once per year. I can't find it now, but I had learned about seizure activity and h…

>I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I think this is very common and occasionally experienced by most people, including myself. Typically when you're on the border between being awake and falling asleep. >I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. Haven't experienced this one, but perceptual distortions in a…

The name for what you're talking about is Hypnic Jerk https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#18

Post by meowface »

EamonnMR wrote: post #17
meowface wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I think this is very common and occasionally experienced by most people, including myself. Typically when you're on the border between being awake and falling asleep. >I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. Haven't experienced this one, but perceptual distortions in a…

The name for what you're talking about is Hypnic Jerk https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk

I was going to mention that, but I'm actually not 100% sure if it's the same thing. Maybe it is? Either way, I definitely occasionally experience hypnic jerks and sudden vertigo-ish feelings when I'm right on the edge of falling asleep.

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#19

Post by pjerem »

ImuMotive wrote: post #7
01100011 wrote: post #3

This is a bit disturbing to read as someone who had perceptual distortions in my late teens. I always attributed it to HPPD after using LSD around 15 years old. Now I'm not so sure.

I get a world tilting thing maybe once a year. Usually while falling asleep. I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room. I've also had odd sensations that accompany these perceptual changes. All of these occur very rarely. Like I said, maybe twice a year, but closer to once per year. I can't find it now, but I had learned about seizure activity and h…

> I also sometimes get this weird perceptual thing where objects look huge, again, normally while in a dark room.

Does this happen in total black ? I sometimes (really rarely, like once or twice a year) have a strange « feeling » at night while in my bed without any source of light : I can distinctively see the objects around me.

The twist is : I’m heavily myopic and even with my glasses (which I don’t wear at night) I can’t see anything in the darkness. So there is no way I could distinctly see things with their contours in the darkness.

It only happened in places I know, so I can’t know if my brain is making my bedroom up or if I really see something, or if it’s a combination.

Re: Perceptual distortions in late-teens predict psychotic symptoms in mid-life

#20

Post by handol »

GavinMcG wrote: post #10
colordrops wrote: post #5

I have always had these distortions throughout my life. I sometimes feel like high-functioning psychotic. I recall the story of that researcher James Fallon that found out he was a psychopath when he scanned his own brain. Everything feels intellectualized rather than a concrete physical reality.

Psychosis and psychopathy are distinct, for what it's worth.

The article seems to treat psychosis, psychotic symptoms, and Schizophrenia as though they all refer to the same thing.
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