Seeing bright visual artifacts that look like lightning in slow motion

[smalltowngirl86]

Do you get bright shimmering lights in your vision that last about 20 minutes to half hour? If they look anything like the following; it's caused by migraine headaches; which can have headache pains or not; and may in rare cases last different lengths of time. I get these my self and have had the for 30 years with no long lasting ill effects.

I started getting these several years ago. I had no idea what it was and it terrified me. I looked it up and learned what they were.

 

[Dave-W]

Do you get bright shimmering lights in your vision that last about 20 minutes to half hour? If they look anything like the following; it's caused by migraine headaches; which can have headache pains or not; and may in rare cases last different lengths of time. I get these my self and have had the for 30 years with no long lasting ill effects.

Yep - that is exactly what the migraine "aura" looks like about half way thru the process. (at least when it is in color) Most of mine start off as a small spot in the center of vision and it grows into a "C" shape. After about 20 minutes it grows outside my field of vision. Then the headache hits. When the aura is in black/gray/white the headache is not too bad. The color auras are worse.

ETA: amusing anecdote:

The first time I had one of those was in 1969. I was looking at a US flag and all of a sudden it started to move and sparkle. then it started looking like that image. Recalling the lyric "The Girl with kaleidoscope eyes" from the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," I wondered for a few minutes if someone had slipped me some acid.