Flashing sunlight

[Ron Mauer Sr]

While I drive when the sun is low in the sky and the roadside trees create the effect of flashing sunlight it feels as if I am losing control of something. I mentioned this to a friend and he said he has the same experience.

Has anyone else had this reaction?

[Bill Ryan]

Flashing sunlight through trees can create a flickering 'strobe' effect that (e.g.) some videos and TV programs have an attached health warning about.

Different people can be affected in different ways (some not at all, and others to varying extents) — depending on the frequency of the 'strobe' flickering.

A couple of references — there are many more!

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flicker_vertigo
• https://epilepsy.com/learn/triggers-...y-and-seizures

[RogueEllis]

I've never experienced this - but I know what you are talking about. How interesting that their is actually a term and information describing its effect! I wonder what it means...is it some kind of warning?

[Ron Mauer Sr]

I also wonder what it means. My initial thought was that the experience was related to a technique, an intentional effort to manipulate consciousness that was somehow familiar to me.

Just a first thought.

The easy workaround while driving is to use my hand to shade the side of my head.

[Kotch]

I always drive with a peaked hat, and I'm not too proud to wear the peak on the side where the flickering is coming from.

I note that you wear a peaked hat too.... Flip it across baby!!

Also, flickering lights at certain frequencies are known to cause seizures in those with epilepsy.

Cheers,

Kotch

[Cara]

I’ve had a similar disturbing effect from light from a shop window in one of the malls here. The window consisted of two or three layers of glass with different patterns of narrowly spaced, varying thickness vertical white lines on each. The effect was rather like each layer had a large white barcode on it.

Anyway, the light shining through these layers from inside the shop was all “chopped up” and as one walked past, the interference pattern changed.

It was horrible and gave me a vertigo-like, disoriented feeling. I used to avoid it and cross to the other side of the passage to limit its impact. It had no effect on anyone else I could see or anyone that I asked about it.

Thank goodness they’ve recently decided to change the shop decor so everything is now covered in board.