6

I wonder what is this color noise I see when I close my eyes. The visual field is black but there is definitely some subtle color noise which I can "see." I wonder where it comes from.

rumtscho
  • 2,793
  • 16
  • 33
mechanicious
  • 171
  • 2
  • 2
    Welcome to Health SE. In its current state, this question is very unclear. Could you give us some more details. What screen are you referring to? What do you mean you "see" a subtle noise? I'm afraid I'll have to close this unless you edit. Thanks :) – michaelpri Jul 06 '15 at 01:12
  • @michaelpri It's 2015, when someone says the "Screen is black", they are probably referring to computer screen in front of them, or using it as a metaphor for the current "vision" of their eyes. They probably wont be talking about an antique French dressing room screen, as those were not often black. Other then that the question is quite straightforward – TFD Jul 06 '15 at 10:40
  • 1
    @TFD I was using a metaphor ofc. – mechanicious Jul 07 '15 at 00:49
  • 1
    I suspected you weren't talking about antique French dressing room screens :-) – TFD Jul 07 '15 at 00:55
  • 2
    On Biology.SE: What do you see when your eyes are closed? – Susan Jul 07 '15 at 13:50

1 Answers1

6

You are seeing phosphenes.

These have been described in medical notes for thousands of years

They are assumed to be caused by random firing of optic nerves due to stray electrical stimulation in the brain, or pressure on the eye

Other causes are; sudden changes in air pressure, moving from bright light outside into a dark room, violent body motions (like coughing or sneezing), over stimulation (sexual, drugs, grief), diabetic shock, violent sports (boxing, rugby etc); all these may cause pressure on the eye, or over stimulation of the bodies electrical system

If you are getting increased phosphenes, bright flashes of light, or fixed objects appearing with your eyes closed, these may be a sign of eye nerve damage, and a trip to the doctor may be a good idea

Interestingly, this is similar to the CCD device in a camera chip. They are very susceptible to stray electrical charge, and this causes a low level background noise in the picture, even in a totally dark room

Cellular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological induction of phosphenes

Phosphenes

Wikipedia - Phosphene

michaelpri
  • 7,739
  • 4
  • 42
  • 61
TFD
  • 194
  • 7
  • I just want to emphasize the importance of going to the doctor if you see bright flashes of light or other unusual visual disturbances. Although often benign, they can be indicative of a variety of serious conditions, which are best treated when caught early. – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL Jul 08 '15 at 00:08
  • @Sue This is only if dramatically changes in your lifetime. Most people see phosphenes as it is a normal sign of a working brain – TFD Jul 10 '15 at 22:18
  • I think it's super cool and interesting that our eyes and CCDs exhibit the same phenomena for similar reasons. – Nate Barbettini Jul 13 '15 at 13:43