The Daily Omnivore

The Prisoner’s Cinema is a phenomenon reported by prisoners confined to dark cells and by others kept in darkness, voluntarily or not, for long periods of time. It has also been reported by truck drivers, pilots, and practitioners of intense meditation. Astronauts and other individuals that have been exposed to certain types of radiation have reported witnessing similar phenomena.

The ‘cinema’ consists of a light show of various colors that appear out of the darkness. The light has a form, but those that have seen it find it difficult to describe. Sometimes, the cinema lights resolve into human or other figures. Scientists believe it is a result of phosphenes (flashes of light, often associated with inflammation of the optic nerve) combined with the psychological effects of prolonged exposure to darkness.

An aura [awr-uh] is a perceptual disturbance experienced by some migraine sufferers and epileptics before a migraine or seizure. It often manifests as the perception of a strange light, an unpleasant smell, or confusing thoughts or experiences. Some people experience aura without a subsequent migraine or seizure, which is called a silent migraine.

Auras allow epileptics time to prevent injury to themselves or others. The time between the appearance of the aura and the migraine lasts from a few seconds up to an hour. Most people who have auras have the same type every time. Visual changes can include bright lights and blobs, zigzag lines, distortions in the size or shape of objects, a vibrating visual field, pulsating patches, tunnel vision, blind or dark spots in the field of vision, kaleidoscope effects on the visual field, or temporary blindness.

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A Migraine (Greek: ‘half skull’) is a neurological syndrome which often presents itself as a severe headache. There are different types of migraines, most give the sufferer a headache, and might make them dizzy or want to stay away from bright lights (photophobia) or loud noises (hyperacusis). They can also include visual disturbances (such as seeing funny patterns or lights/colors) and other disturbances of senses (funny smells or tastes). Migraines can last from 4 to 72 hours, but in most cases only last about 4 hours. The cause of migraines is unknown, but it is often believed to be linked to family medical history. It is about three times more common in women than in men.

The typical migraine headache is unilateral pain (affecting one half of the head) and pulsating in nature. Approximately one-third of people who suffer from migraine headaches perceive an aura—unusual visual, olfactory, or other sensory experiences that are a sign that the migraine will soon occur. Initial treatment is with analgesics for the headache, an antiemetic for the nausea, and the avoidance of triggering conditions. The cause of migraine headache is unknown; the most common theory is a disorder of the serotonergic control system.

A headache or cephalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the pain-sensitive structures around the brain. Several areas of the head and neck have these pain-sensitive structures, which are divided in two categories: within the cranium (blood vessels, meninges, and the cranial nerves) and outside the cranium (the periosteum of the skull, muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, subcutaneous tissues, eyes, ears, sinuses and mucous membranes). There are over 200 types of headache, and the causes range from harmless to life-threatening.