what do you see when you turn out the light?

Question

i've been meaning to ask this for ages (but only remember in bed when i'm going to sleep) - when you close your eyes at night do you see just black or do you see any colours or light (other than the image of the light you've just been looking at etc).

thanks x

i'm asking because i've heard a theory about being able to see energies, i see lots of colours (sort of like a television that's not tuned in but in colour) and sometimes white light usually coming from the left. it's not the imprint of the light, even ages after the lights been turned off i see this and it's different than the light thing.

could be to do with pressure on the eye but it's not related to rubbing them.

i thought everyone saw colours x

i'm even more confused now (must be the alcohol john!). i don't rub my eyes every night - that's not the reason for the colours and 'lights'. how can light stay bouncing round your head? i know it can imprint images on your eyes (retina?) which you can still see when you close your eyes but it can last for hours can it? i only have 12v powering my lights! x

haven't got a clue which answer to chose, there are some really good ones but i'm lost! i'm going to put it to vote. thanks for all your answers everyone - given me lots to think about while i'm lying there looking at the pretty colours in bed x

Answer 1

I see patterns of bright white light, and electirc blue.

then it calms slowly,

ending up in a dark swirling mass in a darkness,
Not sure if I am seeing it, or feeling it.

Answer 2

To stimulate your retina and create images in your mind (simple english words rather than biological) you need light.

It takes a little (millionths of a second) time for the message from retina to go to your brain. Though you may not feel this.

So with the light on before you go to bed... you see objects clearly. And when you switch the lights off the last message is still being sent to your brain. You may see the last objects you looked at, as blurred images but see the outlines a bit more clearly. Then a blackout.

This happens to me.

Answer 3

Come On now!
1. You are drinking too much if you go around all day without remembering to ask a question like that! Heavy drinking my first thought..

2. I also think you are staying up too late at night if you have to rub your eyes when you go to bed. Could be caused by the heavy drinking, ya know.

3. As to the colors. Poking yourself in the eyeballs with your knuckles before going to bed is not doing your eyes any good.
Last couple times I got poked in the eyes by someones knuckles I saw colors. Could be caused by heavy drinking, I am sure. Was in my case.

4. Try AA they can help.

John

Answer 4

The cells on your retina will polarize when hit by photon (i.e. light energy). Usually if the source of light is too intense, it'll take a longer time to repolarize, resulting in the phantom image of light. In dark, your eyes are more sensitive and detects lights coming from periphery or the sides, much better that the item you look at directly.

Answer 5

Whatever! I mean whatever your eyes happen to focused at at the time the switch is turned off. It could be some colorful figure or aura if you happen to stared at the light at the instant you switched the light off. Try it if you don't believeme, even if you're in a broad day light. Do this. Stair at some thing right or at the sun or light bulb then close your eyes. you'll see exactly that same figure as you would have when you are in similar situation where you can turn your light switch off without having to close your eyes. Good enough, yes?

Answer 6

Think its because some of the cells in your retina are still firing- even lacking a direct stimulus- like a kind of 'visual tinitus'.Also even with your eyes shut it is possible to distinguish between areas of different brightness. In the absence of sufficient visual clues, your brain may interpret these signals as arbitrary and fluctuating areas of colour etc.
Helmholtz actually studied the patterns one gets when the eyeball is subjected to varying degrees of pressure. His sketches showed zig-zag geometric patterns..

Answer 7

I see vague coloured shapes. These are usually in greenish or reddish shades. Sometimes they make me think of other things; like seeing 'faces' in wallpaper patterns. I can alter them if I think hard enough; I do this if it's an image that bothers me.

Answer 8

I see oranges and reds. very occassionally purples and greens. I don't know why. Its a large ball of colour to start with, gradually diminshing to a small spot or speck before diasappearring.

Answer 9

well technically you always see even if the light is on or off but how well you see depends on the amount of light reflecting of your eyes .
But the lights that you see are probably the later effects of the light throughout the day.

Answer 10

Sometimes i see white specks and other times i see all the rainbow colours and silver streaks.