'So we fill in the gaps with whatever might fit. Our imagination. Our memories. ..' My mother had Macular Degeneration and part of that was Charles Bonnet Syndrome. If she looked at something and couldn't see it properly, her brain supplied her with a visual from its nearly 90 year old catalogue. Some of them were so odd - for exapmple, looking at the river and she would see men's ties.
In the beginning, she thought she was going mad but once the syndrome was explained, she would laugh at what her brain was supplying. I think in truth, she was also grateful that her brain could still DO things like that!
"Basically, tarsiers see everything. Their eyesight is so good that there’s one of them watching you right now. At least one. Maybe more."
Is it terribly weird that your intro on tarsiers might be one of my most favorite things you've ever written? Thank you for so many delightful lines that all had me almost spitting my tea out 🙌 🙌
(dots in question never went away but others appeared too and I became super dizzy. I tried three times. then I decided it's more important to stop the dizziness)
I think now: many folk customs might be explained by this phenomena....say, maidens looking in the mirror at midnight to see the face(of a future groom, fate, whatever)...I remember being very scared of a proposition even..we had this game going as very young girls-get up at midnight and look in the mirror...
When I was a college student, I used to sit in dimly lit rooms and stare in the mirror until my features shifted and changed. I thought it was some strange thing unique to me. Now I learn that it was my ordinary human brain doing what ordinary human brains do. Huh. I'm happy to have learned that, though I think my 20s self would be sad at not being so unique.
This was so much fun! I hope you feel better soon - though I’m grateful for the opportunity for this throwback :)
I’m firmly in the unbearably cute camp regarding tarsiers. But I am a sucker for ugly-cute and grumpy-cute, so I am not sure my cute-meter is properly calibrated 🤷♀️
Fantastic article, Mike! Thank you! I will have to try the mirror thing. Lol. About the myopia, it sounds veridic. After reading an ebook for quite a while on my tablet or phone I feel a pressure in my eyes. And incidentally, I go outside on my terrace and look at the nearby horizon and I see double if I look straight at it! I have to squint, move my eyes, head, to try to relax my eyesight. 😄
Preteen slumber party activity: pair up and stare in someone’s eyes repeating “Mary Worth” over and over until “Mary” (or a monster) appears. Sure to provoke lots of screaming from some and utter bewilderment for those who couldn’t maintain the stare.
'So we fill in the gaps with whatever might fit. Our imagination. Our memories. ..' My mother had Macular Degeneration and part of that was Charles Bonnet Syndrome. If she looked at something and couldn't see it properly, her brain supplied her with a visual from its nearly 90 year old catalogue. Some of them were so odd - for exapmple, looking at the river and she would see men's ties.
In the beginning, she thought she was going mad but once the syndrome was explained, she would laugh at what her brain was supplying. I think in truth, she was also grateful that her brain could still DO things like that!
"Basically, tarsiers see everything. Their eyesight is so good that there’s one of them watching you right now. At least one. Maybe more."
Is it terribly weird that your intro on tarsiers might be one of my most favorite things you've ever written? Thank you for so many delightful lines that all had me almost spitting my tea out 🙌 🙌
I knew there’d be a catch to turning myself into a lion. In this case, staring into the depths of my own soul. No thanks.
Very cool
(dots in question never went away but others appeared too and I became super dizzy. I tried three times. then I decided it's more important to stop the dizziness)
I think now: many folk customs might be explained by this phenomena....say, maidens looking in the mirror at midnight to see the face(of a future groom, fate, whatever)...I remember being very scared of a proposition even..we had this game going as very young girls-get up at midnight and look in the mirror...
Thank you for the amazing post
When I was a college student, I used to sit in dimly lit rooms and stare in the mirror until my features shifted and changed. I thought it was some strange thing unique to me. Now I learn that it was my ordinary human brain doing what ordinary human brains do. Huh. I'm happy to have learned that, though I think my 20s self would be sad at not being so unique.
Ended my week here with a bunch of laughs, an interesting idea, and a reminder to get off my damn laptop. Thanks for writing, Mike.
Inspiration for Yodo tarsiers are.
Experienced this phenomenon I have.
This was so much fun! I hope you feel better soon - though I’m grateful for the opportunity for this throwback :)
I’m firmly in the unbearably cute camp regarding tarsiers. But I am a sucker for ugly-cute and grumpy-cute, so I am not sure my cute-meter is properly calibrated 🤷♀️
Fantastic article, Mike! Thank you! I will have to try the mirror thing. Lol. About the myopia, it sounds veridic. After reading an ebook for quite a while on my tablet or phone I feel a pressure in my eyes. And incidentally, I go outside on my terrace and look at the nearby horizon and I see double if I look straight at it! I have to squint, move my eyes, head, to try to relax my eyesight. 😄
The video of the artist and her former lover almost made me cry. What a great article!
Not sure how I stumbled across your article, why it showed up in my feed.
But fascinating stuff and I’m looking forward to the next one.
Marvellous, and so much that’s fascinating, especially the starting/hallucinating!
damn i love learning!
and damn you teach me through such brilliant writing. truly deeply I thank you
A human being cannot turn into a lion.
Soooo good!! Great article. Amazing writing
Preteen slumber party activity: pair up and stare in someone’s eyes repeating “Mary Worth” over and over until “Mary” (or a monster) appears. Sure to provoke lots of screaming from some and utter bewilderment for those who couldn’t maintain the stare.