That Time I Hallucinated a Whole Car out of Existence

Ever heard of Charles Bonnet syndrome? It’s a condition that affects an estimated 100,000 people in the UK. Those who live with it are either a) born sighted but lose their vision or b) visually impaired but get blinder. My sight has always been relatively stable, but my eyes have still deteriorated ever so slightly as a young adult. It is thought to be the brain’s struggle to adjust to vision loss that triggers Charles Bonnet.

So what is it? The NHS website explains the condition well, but here are the basics- you get visual hallucinations (no sounds or other sensations) which can last a few minutes or several hours. The hallucinations vary greatly from person to person. In my case, I see strange patterns. The most common is ribbons of neon blue, red and green snaking around in front of my eyes for a while; it’s usually triggered by sudden changes in lighting. (This is slightly different to the flashing lights and colours many VI people experience.) Usually that’s it. I only get mundane, boring hallucinations- not the spiders pouring out of the tap reported by a colleague. However, the situation I’m going to tell you about was very different. Perfect for Halloween!

Let’s set the scene. I was in my taxi home after volunteering for the day. It was mid-afternoon and quite sunny. I was exhausted. This also happened to occur a few months after I left college- my sight deteriorated during this time and caused frequent migraines. All this combined led to a terrifying situation.

As the taxi pulled up to the curb, I looked at the empty driveway. This was nothing new; my mom was usually in the office on days I went out. So I grabbed my house key to let myself in. It wouldn’t turn in the lock though, no matter how angrily I tried to force it. At one point, I double-checked the drive to make sure the car wasn’t on the other side. It was definitely empty. When I reinserted my key and pulled on the handle in frustration, the door swung open. For a horrifying moment, images of burglars took over my mind. I froze in shock. Yes, this wasn’t the most logical assumption- people can forget to lock doors! But anxiety and sleep-deprivation have strange effects. While deciding what to do about the criminal with magic lockpicking abilities, I suddenly heard my name shouted from upstairs. Mom was home after all! But how did she get back without a car?

The surprise of finding out I wasn’t home alone was bad enough, but what happened next was far worse. As I turned on the spot to look outside, the car materialised right in front of my eyes. Call it a glitch in the Matrix if you like. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever witnessed. There are times when small objects disappear and only pop in again once I’ve tripped over them. I’ve always been able to rationalise that- but A WHOLE CAR?!!! My sight is definitely not bad enough to miss such a large object just a few centimetres away. Needless to say, I took myself straight to bed after that.

Looking back it’s easy to laugh at this situation. However, the truth is that at the time I was incredibly shaken by the hallucination. For those who aren’t aware of Charles Bonnet syndrome, their first experience of it can make them feel crazy. Even for me it caused a few moments of questioning my sanity. If you or anyone you know begins to lose their vision, please remember this condition exists. It’s NOT a mental health disorder, just the brain having a bit of a tantrum. There’s a chance the hallucinations could stop completely once your sight is stable.

I hope you liked my spooky story! To learn more about Charles Bonnet syndrome please follow this link to the NHS website.