h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The fact that so many of these symptoms are associated with children and often continue into the late teens and early twenties made me think back to similar situations I experienced in my early years but always put down to being part of 'growing pains'.

No doubt as the body expands (in all dimensions) new neurons are being created which must 'learn' from others already in the chain which would share their 'experience' in terms of spatial and temporal distortions. I think this because these experiences seemed more like memories than actual real time events.

My perspective may be prejudiced by medical advice I had when complaining of migraine headaches in my pubescent years. I was told that my skull was still maturing and the pain I felt was because of pressure and stretching of bone structures especially in the forehead and sinus regions. It was easy to accept because the face does obviously change shape between childhood and maturity.

This 'growing pains' theory satisfied me at the time and perhaps later caused me to overlook perception distortions (such as described in the entry) that have continued to occur from time to time all my life. When these were sufficient to cause conscious concern I have usually put them down to inner ear disturbances of balance. I grew accustomed to what I suspect was similar to feelings of vertigo when still firmly planted on flat level ground. Dizziness was slight and easily shrugged off but my ears were keenly aware of some sspatial distortion.

And there was also a period of several years when visual distortions occurred not unlike a camera 'snap-zoom' effect with people suddenly developing 'pinheads' on normal sized bodies when I made eye contact or otherwise focused on their faces. It would disappear if I looked elsewhere but return immediately if I looked into their eyes. As this was more amusing than frightening I never considered it a serious disorder.

peace
~jwf~