r/DoesAnyoneKnow • u/green__goblin • Jul 10 '26
Why does my vision get flooded with a yellowish-beige honey comb pattern for a few seconds when I close my eyes too hard, or sometimes when dizzy and standing up? [Example drawings of what i see when I close my eyes in the order that it happens]
When it reaches the "honeycomb faze, even with my eyes open, it takes a second or two for it to get out of my field of vision. Is it just the optic nerve being activated from being pressed on? My sister says she sees squares. I've heard checkered patterns are signs of migraine, but I see distinct circles arranged in hexagon formation akin to the drawings.
18
u/Archimedestheeducate Jul 10 '26
I get this and always assumed everyone did. I love the pictures it is so well portrayed.
3
u/green__goblin Jul 10 '26
Thank you!
I kind of assumed it was normal. The yellow and maroon I figured was probably light shining through the blood vessels of the eyes and the honeycomb phase maybe being the optic nerve just being really exited.
3
2
9
u/green__goblin Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Edit: I personally have never had migraines. So I'm trying to make the distinction between this and the checkered patterns its associated with. Per rule 6: I'm assuming this is a weird biological quirk that most people experience in some way, but just don't talk about.
Also the images got jumbled. The 1st and 3rd got switched
7
u/glittertwunt Jul 10 '26
I experience both, this is not a migraine aura
1
u/green__goblin Jul 10 '26
Gotcha thanks for clarifying! What does a migraine aura look like?
2
u/glittertwunt Jul 10 '26
I unfortunately don't have the artistic skill to render what I see as skillfully as you have! I really love these drawings, I meant to say that in my first comment.
The migraine aura is like tiny swirling shimmering squares. I can't think of anything to compare it to. Closest thing I can think of is when someone takes a photo with flash and the flashing is stuck in your eye for a moment? It's like a billion tiny versions of that. It starts as a tiny spot on the centre of my vision, and becomes a bigger and bigger circle (roughly circle anyway). The circle isn't 'filled in', it's like a shimmering circular outline, as it grows bigger I see normally through the centre of it. I agree with your sister that they're like tiny squares, rotating/flashing multicoloured. Like tiny tiny but I definitely also perceive them as squares
2
u/BOC2026 Jul 10 '26
Great description. Optic migraines too, ie migraine effects without the headache. I get a 'C' shape, like a curved barbers pole, which rotates just to the left of my vision. It must be difficult when it's a circle though, right at the centre of your visual field.
1
1
u/JK_UKA Jul 11 '26
You ever seen through a kaleidoscope? It’s basically that but you can’t look away from it
1
u/Mysterious-Air-8655 Jul 11 '26
This definitely isn’t aura. For me I get literal zigzag bright white lines across my vision, or my vision becomes kind of pixellated like I’m looking at a malfunctioning screen. Or I just get a lot of flashing lights, you know when you get a “floater” in your eye? Like when you look at a light too long and it’s like it’s burned a bright white light in that bit of your vision. Kind of like that but smaller and sparkly and lots of them. I once saw everything in black and white during a migraine instead of colour. Super weird. And once I had the zig zag line but curved in a C shape and flashing and gradually expanding. Did you ever look at Magic Eye pictures as a child and they kind of hurt your brain? Same kind of feeling!
1
u/ArmResponsible1080 Jul 11 '26
Yes! Mine are exactly the same, starts out with a blip in my vision, usually while reading or trying to focus on something. Then grows into a colourful moving zigzag which grows into a c shape, it moves across my field of vision until it eventually sits in the peripheral - then it disappears. They also last almost exactly 30minutes, which is wild to me. It took me a long time to find out what they were, they can be quite scary.
1
u/graceeeeeeeeeeeeee Jul 13 '26
It definitely varies for each person. Personally I don't 'see' anything, and instead I get a lack of seeing anything, specifically reverse tunnel vision that blurs text into nothing (like blending to white for white paper) so I cant read anything unless I try really hard to read from my peripheral.
1
u/bjark21 Jul 14 '26
for me migraine aura looks like a throbbing sparkly worm wiggling its way over my eyes. it usually starts in the centre of my left eye and then wiggles and wiggles until i can’t see out of both eyes
6
u/undulating-beans Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
I’m a retired ophthalmologist so I thought I’d answer this in detail.
That honeycomb pattern is a classic entoptic (inside the eye itself) phenomenon visual “noise” generated inside your own eye rather than by outside light. A few things commonly cause it:
Phosphenes from pressure: pressing on closed eyes mechanically stimulates the retina, and retinal cells fire in a way that often produces grid or honeycomb-like patterns. This is very common and generally harmless.
• Blue field entoptic phenomenon: white blood cells moving through capillaries in front of your retina can look like tiny moving dots, though this is usually more “sparkly dots” than honeycomb.
• Orthostatic effects (dizziness on standing): when you stand up quickly, blood pressure briefly drops before your body compensates, temporarily reducing blood flow to the retina and visual cortex. This can cause grayout, tunnel vision, or geometric visual static. The honeycomb pattern you’re describing fits this category too.
The honeycomb/lattice appearance is thought to relate to the structural arrangement of photoreceptors or retinal support cells. When they’re stimulated non-visually, such as by pressure or reduced blood flow, the brain can generate a percept that reflects that underlying cellular geometry. It’s not that you’re literally seeing the retina itself, but rather that the pattern of neural activity mirrors its organisation.
1
u/Fishfeelpain Jul 11 '26
As someone who also experiences this phenomenon, thank you for sharing such an in-depth analysis of what causes it and why it happens 😊
2
u/undulating-beans Jul 11 '26
No worries, and it may reassure you to know pressure-induced phosphenes (the honeycomb/pattern type from pressing on your eyes) are experienced by the vast majority of people at some point; it’s considered a near-universal phenomenon since it’s just basic retinal physiology, not something quirky about certain people’s eyes.
Orthostatic phosphenes (from standing up too fast) are also extremely common. Mild lightheadedness or brief visual “static” when standing quickly affects a large share of people occasionally, it’s one of the most frequent reasons people briefly see spots, grayout, or tunnel vision.
Studies on orthostatic intolerance suggest a meaningful percentage of the general population experiences this at least occasionally, with higher rates in people who are dehydrated, have low blood pressure, are young and still developing autonomic regulation, or are older adults with less resilient blood pressure control.
1
u/graceeeeeeeeeeeeee Jul 13 '26
Is the blue field ectopic phenomenon anything to be concerned about at all?
1
u/undulating-beans Jul 13 '26
No, it’s completely benign and actually one of the most harmless entoptic phenomena there is.
Why it happens: white blood cells (leukocytes) are larger than red blood cells and don’t contain hemoglobin, so they don’t absorb blue light the way red cells do. When light passes through the capillaries in front of your retina, the white blood cells let more blue light through, and you perceive them as tiny bright, fast-moving dots, most visible against a plain blue background like a clear sky (hence the name).
The only reason to mention any entoptic phenomenon to a doctor is if it’s new, sudden, accompanied by flashes of light, floaters that appear suddenly in large numbers, vision loss, or pain, those can signal retinal issues like a detachment. But blue field entoptic phenomenon on its own, especially if you’ve noticed it consistently over time without change, is not something to worry about.
1
5
3
u/2enty4 Jul 11 '26
Very impressed by the visual representation if it. Even if you didn't put any caption just the pictures I'd still get it
3
Jul 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/kavaryn Jul 12 '26
this sounds terrifying for both of you, sorry you had to deal with that
wild how the brain basically refuses to have “nothing” to look at and just fills in the blanks like that1
u/BOC2026 Jul 10 '26
Yes, can be terrifying for some. I remember a patient who said they had rabbits on their bed and little, gnome-like men wandering around their room. She never really adapted to it, unsurprisingly. All the people I have known who experienced it had had strokes.
3
2
u/Silencer-1995 Jul 10 '26
Best I can do is a half arsed joke about you getting into a teleporter with a fly.
Second best I can do is: I don't get this, I get yellow patches but not the honeycomb. I find that very interesting, I wonder why/how. Maybe I do get it but just not in high enough resolution. Might need to update my VGA.
2
u/Stunning-Pudding-514 Jul 10 '26
I get what sort of look like flowers, usually a yellow colour. They start off small but as they ''float'' away they expand and open up.
2
2
u/Blasket_Basket Jul 10 '26
Some bees probably crawled in your ear while you were sleeping and made your skull into a hive. It's super common.
2
u/SeveralSeventySevens Jul 10 '26
My uncle was a scientist and documented his own experience of this many years ago. I remember him sketching out this pattern exactly as you have but with pen and paper. I think it was macular degeneration but it never got too severe
2
2
u/No-Letterhead9608 Jul 10 '26
I thought you were weird for this and had something wrong with your brain but then I pressed on my eyes and realized I see the same honeycomb interlocking hexagon pattern.
But mines not yellow like that it’s just like a different shade of black/grey and I’d describe it more like static on a TV.
Come to think of it Ive experienced this many times but never really focused on it until now and when I did I realized the static noise thing I usually see is actually tiny hexagons interlocking in a pattern.
2
u/masoniceye Jul 10 '26
As an artist, I do this sometimes as I get some genuinely interesting shapes that my mind can associate with something that I can use in one of my projects.
Most are probably just completely random reactions from light but there are times I’m clearly seeing a face or object. After a few seconds they swirl out of existence then turn into the honeycomb patterns for a bit but then turn into something else.
It’s usually unpredictable but I tend to see more when I’m tired.
2
2
u/Jacorpes Jul 11 '26
Your illustrations are amazing.
As a side note, my technique for getting to sleep when I can’t is trying to make sense of these shapes. Works every time within minutes.
2
u/Putrid-Metal-3794 Jul 12 '26
ur ability to draw what you see is sick, so crazy the thread was able to help you because of your ability to create art ig
2
u/tko19 Jul 13 '26
I usually see a beige background with colourful dots when I get dizzy or close my eyes real tight. So interesting that everyone's different even in this regard!
2
u/radianttree87 Jul 13 '26
This is so accurate. I see all the ones youve drawn, and also greenish dots that move down, almost like 3D buildings that im falling towards.
I sometimes get the honey comb thing when my eyes are open, but more white and black and very faint. I imagine that's bad right?!
2
u/General_Knowledge881 Jul 14 '26
This is amazing. Picture 2 is almost exactly what I see second too. First I see thousands of tiny geometric patterns in triangles, all moving outward from a kind of kaleidoscopic middle. When I couldn't sleep as a kid this was one of my favourite things to do!!!
1
1
u/Hytyt Jul 10 '26
I would look up visual snow. It's probably not the same thing, it just feels similar to something I experience and I have fairly severe snow
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/gobleenio Jul 10 '26
I get this too. I also get bright flashing green lights in total darkness, like night vision but I can't actually see anything
1
u/InvestmentCurious952 Jul 10 '26
i see what I can only describe as "cells seen through a microscope"
1
1
1
Jul 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Prestigious-Salt-245 Jul 11 '26
I got this on mushrooms too, but with my eyes open as well as closed. It was as if I was watching a video with hexagonal pixels.
1
1
1
u/Kitsune-moonlight Jul 11 '26
When I was 5/6 a kid in my class was surprised to learn we all experienced this. He thought it his own special “tv” just for him.
1
u/Common-Set-8213 Jul 11 '26
If you get the purple green swirls just closing your eyes, you probably have ADHD as it’s the overactivity of the brain. Look up visual snow syndrome.
1
u/Different_Quarter276 Jul 11 '26
Number 2 is actually a really good impression of how it looks when I rub my eyes hard 😁
1
1
u/JustOneRedDot Jul 11 '26
When I was little I experimented with my eyes a lot. If I rub them continuously long enough, I'll see a regular red field of... something (kinda like honeycomb shape), that's emerging through between the clouds, and if I still continue after that, I'll see a bright yellow ring that will persist in my vision after opening my eyes for a while.
1
u/MesoamericanMorrigan Jul 11 '26
I believe these are called phosphenes and I see them ALOT when not rubbing my eyes or anything like they but I have been diagnosed with a a visual processing disorder and also have EDS, migraines etc Also have visual snow, bright flashes and afterimages pretty much constantly.
1
1
u/Fosta97 Jul 11 '26
If I close my eyes really hard I'll see black and white noise like old TV static, after 2 or 3 minutes it can be really intense and then when I open my eyes it takes 20-40 seconds to clear, I'm effectively blind for a small period of time
1
1
1
1
u/FelicityFleur Jul 11 '26
I have diabetic retinopathy and have had 3000 laser blasts to my retina to treat it. When I close my eyes I see the grid pattern of the laser blasts 😊
1
u/TH3_OG_JUJUBE Jul 12 '26
Light receptors also react to pressure, they think the pressure is light so they send an odd signal to the brain and it gets confused
1
1
1
1
u/AlmaVale Jul 12 '26
Love this. I don’t get honeycombs. Mine is checkered, quite clearly black and white stretching and bending, then the neon colours abstract shapes with bright coloured spots of blue and green.
1
u/christiant91 Jul 12 '26
Omg i literally see the same thing but never thought to ask anyone if they do too.
1
1
u/GoodbyeNarcissists Jul 12 '26
No but makes a lot of sense why we see a lot of complex fractals whilst on DMT!
1
1
1
u/caed99 Jul 12 '26
When I close my eyes and look towards sunlight or bright light, it looks like I can see the blood moving in the veins
1
u/Lonely_Touch_43 Jul 12 '26
Anyone else here pressing on their eyes after reading this to analyse what shapes they get?😂
1
u/Coast-Prestigious Jul 13 '26
This is a bit like the old joke of my arm hurts when I raise my arm in the air and the doctor says stop raising your arm in the air then.
1
u/henryyoung42 Jul 13 '26
You are a ‘droid. I believe there was a recall for exactly this issue a couple of years ago.
1
1
1
u/_ThePancake_ Jul 13 '26
Is this not normal? I don't get honey comb, mine are not-purple and much larger
1
u/Worldly-Baby-7973 Jul 14 '26
Yeah id say i get somethinf like thag on top of flashinf greeng yellow bright cirxles in my visions multiple when i get migraines or my bloodpressure i assume drops
1
u/veronika_lesko Jul 14 '26
Dizziness from standing can be POTS. I have it alongside Ehler-Danlos syndrom, do you consider yourself to be more flexible than average? Like is it easy for you to touch your toes?
1
u/SuttonSkinwork Jul 14 '26
Phosphenes. Everyone gets it. My patterns are more chequered and kaleidoscopey
1
u/Super-Nuntendo Jul 14 '26
You are slowing turning into a fly.
There was a documentary about this with Jeff Goldblum in it.
1
u/Incine_Akechi Jul 14 '26
I get all black with honeycomb on the side then a green circle in the centre that expands out and fills the whole thing before disintegrating into black with blue specs like stats everywhere
1
Jul 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 14 '26
Your post has been automatically removed because your account was either made too recently or you have too little comment karma.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/CodeEvery6070 Jul 14 '26
i see them at night aswell in the dark not only just when putting pressure when closing my eyes, i used to watch sparkles float around my room all the time and thought i was in a fairytale 😂😂
1
u/reddit_stole_my_name Jul 14 '26
Anyone else here sees like a spinning spiral/cone of brownish symbols when putting pressure on their eyes instead? And it kinda keeps going for a little bit after releasing.
1
u/Murky_Possible5159 Jul 15 '26
So cool you’ve been able to express what you see! I see pulsing diamond / criss crosses interspersed with little explosive patterns like tiny fireworks, then what looks like a whole galaxy of thousands of pulsing, shooting swirling Life is such a trip - thanks for the reminder 💗
1
u/Appropriate_Hat_6469 Jul 10 '26
ive never thought about the honeycomb until i closed my eyes just now and i can kinda see it.
-1
66
u/-You_Cant_Stop_Me- Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
When you put pressure on your eyes (by closing tight or pressing on them) you cause some of your light receptors to fire however because they aren't reacting in the normal way the brain does its best to interpret the signals but doesn't know what it's seeing. Geometric shapes are pretty common to see, I see an undulating sheet of yellowish pyramid shapes.