Seeing a vivid face every time i try to fall asleep

**Sarahnadine** · 03-10-2019 05:07 PM

Like I will lay there, just kinda drifting off...having my imagination take over (which is normal) and then BAM i get a 'flash' of a persons face. Not just a flash, but like...it stays there for like a solid minute in the absolute most vivid, detailed way. It is like literally, physically looking at a photo. I open my eyes at this time and it is STILL there, like someone's photo stuck to my wall...just as clear. Then it fades out. I try and sleep again and it does it again. O have never had this happen before but it seems routine for me the last week or so. Like multiple times a night. Am i dying or going nuts? (And no, i don't take drugs) This doesnt seem like normal going to sleep imagery if it happens a lot and sticks in my vision even when opening my eyes

**Darkmatters** · 03-10-2019 05:45 PM

You know, I want to help you - I do know a few things about this, but you have a tendency to ignore me in your threads. I just checked your 'started threads' and I see that 3 of the 5 end with a post by me that you never responded to. It's starting to feel like talking to a brick wall. At the very least you could click the Like button to show you saw what I wrote, or it would be a lot nicer to get a thank you or something.

About seeing faces, the brain is wired to see them. There's literally built-in circuitry to help you be able to see faces so that you can quickly recognize people you know in a crowd or tell friendly faces from hostile ones in an instant. Normally this happens below the threshold of conscious awareness, but often near sleep or maybe under stress we can notice it, and it's very common for people falling asleep to see faces, sometimes a single one or sometimes a whole parade of them. And it's not all that uncommon for images to persist when you open your eyes, though it sounds like yours might be more solid or more persistent than usual.

**Sarahnadine** · 03-11-2019 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Darkmatters

You know, I want to help you - I do know a few things about this, but you have a tendency to ignore me in your threads. I just checked your 'started threads' and I see that 3 of the 5 end with a post by me that you never responded to. It's starting to feel like talking to a brick wall. At the very least you could click the Like button to show you saw what I wrote, or it would be a lot nicer to get a thank you or something.

About seeing faces, the brain is wired to see them. There's literally built-in circuitry to help you be able to see faces so that you can quickly recognize people you know in a crowd or tell friendly faces from hostile ones in an instant. Normally this happens below the threshold of conscious awareness, but often near sleep or maybe under stress we can notice it, and it's very common for people falling asleep to see faces, sometimes a single one or sometimes a whole parade of them. And it's not all that uncommon for images to persist when you open your eyes, though it sounds like yours might be more solid or more persistent than usual.

I am sorry, it was not my intention to not respond to the last posts you had made. I apologize, and I do appreciate your reponses. This does make sense. It just freaks me out cause it is so photorealistic. I made a photoshopped image of pretty much exactly what I see. And when I open my eyes, the image moves where my eyes move...is that even normal or does that mean it is physically, and actually an afterimage????

Here is the photo

https://i.redd.it/hy6chqzaxfl21.jpg