Gamers Who Play For Hours Are Prone To Hallucinations

sir-gold said:

and "retinal sensations" when players see "game elements intermittently or episodically in the back of the eyelids"."

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And again. Visualizng things with your eyes closed is not what I would call Hallucinating, or something to be alarmed about.

Respondents reported seeing "distorted versions of real world surroundings" and "misinterpreted real life objects" after they had stopped playing. Others said that game menus appear in front of their eyes during conversations.

Some gamers told scientists at Nottingham Trent University’s International Gaming Research Unit that they see "coloured images" and "heads up displays" while driving on the motorway.

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That is much closer to hallucinating, and a cause for concern.

What happens with your eyes closed is trivia. Drive for a few hours on the highway and pull over, close your eyes. I bet you see highway... OMG hallucinating!

If your mind is racing after a marathon gaming session thats the sign. You flood your brain with excitatory neurotransmitters, glutamate, norepinephrine and dopamine. A small percentage of people who have the potential to hallucinate could under such circumstances.

Its like my shrink says, if ya keep anyone up long enough they become psychotic. this goes for all human beings. For some people the psychotic symptoms occur much faster, say in someone with Bipolar or Schizophrenia.

In order to play long enough for this too happen you most likely have to stay up late. disruptions in circadian rhthym are also linked to psychiatric problems, in fact its a hallmark of certain mood disorders.

I suspect if a person gets a good night sleep, begins playing at 9 am and goes until 4 pm will be much less likely to experience " hallucinations " than someone who begins playing the game at 9pm and plays until 4 am.

1erCru said:

I suspect if a person gets a good night sleep, begins playing at 9 am and goes until 4 pm will be much less likely to experience " hallucinations " than someone who begins playing the game at 9pm and plays until 4 am.

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I have played games until dawn on numerous occasions, and no hallucinations. Susceptibility to hallucinations is likely more of a factor.

But play games for 48 hours straight and that might be most poeple. Keep anyone awake long enough and they start to hallucinate.