It took me quite a while to learn that the visual disturbances I sometimes experience are called Ocular Migraines and are physically related to the other WEIRD phenomena I have been blessed-cursed with: an abundant and unearthed personal electrical field. Yes, I often emit surplus electrical frequency from my person, under periods of stress in particular. I zap things and people on contact, break and overload unearthed electrical circuits and often can't be "SEEN" by sensor-driven automatic doors. I can't wear a watch of any kind because it simply doesn't consistently work. Yup, I'm that person who lurks at the shopping center to sneak in behind someone else - because the sensor simply doesn't register me sometimes. In Australia, the endlessly malfunctioning sensor lights at my home were a running joke with the local electrician. And it was HE who actually brought a gadget to measure electrical leakage from my person.
It was only after I developed a severe ocular migraine this morning, that yesterday's phone screen collapse made sense. You can read more about that irritating and expensive electrical tech glitch here 😂 As I sat there in a nauseating, visual swirl this morning (but thankfully zero pain or headache) I remembered that static electricity turns to plasma and is the bane of electronics manufacturers globally. It's fundamentally why your phone screen won't swipe with damp hands - because water conducts electricity efficiently and that excess charge disrupts the phone screen function. It's SUCH a problem that many electronics factories have very strict rules about clothing to reduce static electricity, and use humidifiers to reduce the impact it can have on sensitive electronics - like phone screens. 😊
So what do people experience in an Ocular Migraine??
Basically the person suffers visual disturbance, often characterized by blind spots, or swirling-neon shapes and colours. Something like this....
For me, the neon geometric images tend to be on the periphery of my visual field, vaguely resemble a flashing DNA spiral and are quite literally nauseating. I get no headache or pain, just a tight sensation over my forehead and at the back of my neck. Computer work instantly becomes impossible and driving not smart. That said, I CAN focus through it and drive in straight line, but am always aware that being unable to SEE the periphery in traffic is stupid and dangerous.
What's happening physically during an Ocular Migraine?
It's quite literally a small electrical storm in the cortex of the brain.
A migraine aura can be overwhelming and nauseating. These auras happen in the cortex of the brain. The cerebral cortex is made up of tightly packed neurons and is the wrinkly, outermost layer that surrounds the brain. It is responsible for the higher thought processes including speech and decision making. The cortex is divided into four lobes, the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital, which are each responsible for processing diverse types of sensory information. Auras are the result of abnormal electrical activity involving regions of the cortex of the brain. The abnormal activity spreads across the cortex at a slow rate of about 3 mm per minute and this spread is responsible for the growth and movement of the visual disturbance over the period that the aura lasts, which ranges from 20-60 minutes. Retinal migraines are the same type of visual disturbance but happen in the back of the eye. This can be due to a reduction of blood flow to the retina. Source
When an Ocular Migraine hits it can be sudden, and last for up to an hour. If I'm at home, my Go-To Strategy is to run a bath.
Strategy #1. Water.
Water is a superb conductor of electricity. It helps disperse current quickly and effectively. And yes, I find if I don't soak in the tub regularly (as in 3-4-5 times week) the incidence of Ocular Migraines escalates. For me, living in a house with a bathtub and a decent hot water service is literally a health strategy and not a luxury.
Strategy #2: Modified Uttanasana.
If I'm at the office (like today) and driving home for a bath is not an option, I take off my shoes and start the simple yoga pose of Uttanasana.
I hold this for a full 10 slow, deep breaths. How do I modify it? As I hang (holding my balance through the ankle contact) I slowly allow my head to roll - one breath, one direction. And then the other way with the next breath. I'm aiming to allow the weight of gravity to improve bloodflow to the brain, whilst releasing tight muscles in my neck and shoulders. Releasing muscle tension enables the freer flow of the watery lymph around the body, which helps to dissipate and even up the little electrical storms in the body.
It's counter intuitive though. When you start feeling nauseated and the world is rimmed with odd psychedelic shapes and spirals, the last thing your logical brain wants to do is exacerbate that. Word of caution: get up VERY, VERY slowly.
Strategy #3. Hydrate - with bare feet!!
Increasing hydration enables the body to more efficiently distribute electrical current.
Photo by Engin Akyurt on Unsplash
Stranding with your bare feet on the ground (or some natural surface like ceramic tile) allows you to earth and allow that excess electrical charge to seep away in the most natural way possible.
Photo by Ariel Pilotto on Unsplash
If I'm not in a gorgeous beach location, I simply close my eyes whilst I'm connecting with the ceramic tiled floor in my office and imagine myself there.
Today the swirling haze of disturbing Ocular Migraine colour & nausea lasted 10 mins instead of 60 or 90 mins. I was able to release and stabilize the currents in my body really effectively and quickly, using just 2 of these strategies and choosing to understand.
Unfortunately, once my unstable electric field has nixxed an electrical gadget, it isn't usually fixable. Yesterday's fried phone screen can't be unfried through a glass of water or a hot magnesium bath. But I COULD choose to more regularly engage in these strategies during periods of high stress as a preventative measure to preserve my tech gadgets ... and then I wouldn't need to be planning for an expensive phone shopping exercise this weekend.
Feeling a little wiser & more grounded today, the colours have stopped swirling and I'm planning a long soak in the tub tonight.
Grateful.
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