Near, Far, Near, Far

[jamesq]

Perception is a funny thing. Every now and then mine gets out of kilter and I don't understand why. Almost always it's when I'm in bed, just prior to sleeping. It's happened just enough when I'm awake that I know it's not related to falling to sleep or dreaming though.

The symptoms? Everything seems super far away, but is still the same distance. It's happening to me right now. The screen looks like it's across the room and the keyboard is about ten feet away. Looking down at my typing hands it's like they're not really connected to me because they are so far away. I can follow the arms up to my torso though so I know that's not the case.

Now it's not like my vision is warped or anything. Everything is still the correct proportions and nothing is bent or stretched. It's just like my depth perception has vanished. Like my ability to judge distances has been switched off.

I can get rid of it any time by focusing on something that really is far away and giving my head a shake - that's always worked before. Right now I'm concentrating on it not going away so I can describe it better.

Whoops, looked away and it's gone now. I wonder if there's a name for this as I'm sure I'm not the only person to have ever experienced this.

And no, I'm not currently drunk.

Comments

WOW

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

I thought I was the only one that experienced this. I only get it when I am super stressed or overtired - like you it most often happens in bed or just before bedtime... I get this weird disconnected feeling and distances are all wrong but nothing actually is odd if I focus and I can make it go away - though sometimes it is harder to do than others. I have it sometimes when I wake up tired too - I'll look at the clock and it seems to be many feet away when is only inches from my pillow and the hand that reaches out seems not mine...I've experienced this as long as I can remember...

I can't tell you how strangely relieved I am to hear someone else has these moments. I've honestly never told anyone about it....

I suffer from a sleep disorder so I just presumed they were related since it happens most when I am overtired but maybe not.

Used to...

[nosarious.livejournal.com]

I used to have this happen. The strongest part was when I was staying at an Aunt's place, and it almost seemed like it was Agrophobia (fear of open spaces) where the field across the road where all my cousins were playing was so far away that I was worried I would get lost.

Of course, I was around 6 or so. I don't recall anything while awake in the past few years.

My pre-sleep oddities were ususally more along the lines of standing at the railing of a caboose and being pulled in the direction of train whose destination is unknown and whose twists and turns are surprises for me. Or the short hallway full of dust that I have to traverse, and I step forward knowing that every grain of sand I touch affects an entire universe but no matter how careful I am someone always dies. Weird, I know, but so am I.