The Student Room Group

do you ever see "people" out of the corner of your eye?

it's been happening to me on pretty much every day basis. usually when i'm outside, e.g. walking my dog or if im going somewhere with my boyfriend. occasionally at home too. at first it's impossible to tell them apart from 'real' people. but when i try to actually look at them, they disappear. sometimes i see spiders or glimpses our dead cat when at home.

my friend thinks i might be seeing ghosts/spirits or something like that but idk. can anyone relate? i'm wondering it's something with my vision, maybe. do most people experience that sort of thing and is it just my vision playing tricks on me?

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Schizophrenia.
Reply 2
Original post by ArcheryFan20
Schizophrenia.


no, it isn't. i know they're not real people
Charles bonnet syndrome
Reply 4
Original post by pandalovesyouu
Charles bonnet syndrome


but google says it only really affects blind people?
No. I would be weirded out if I did, however.
Reply 6
Original post by gtty123
No. I would be weirded out if I did, however.


damn. seriously, never though? not even like from time to time?
Original post by Ciel.
damn. seriously, never though? not even like from time to time?

Yeah, I have never seen them.
Reply 8
Original post by gtty123
Yeah, I have never seen them.

oh ok :<
Yeah that used to happen to me a lot.
Reply 10
Original post by Sabertooth
Yeah that used to happen to me a lot.


do you know what was causing it?
Original post by Ciel.
it's been happening to me on pretty much every day basis. usually when i'm outside, e.g. walking my dog or if im going somewhere with my boyfriend. occasionally at home too. at first it's impossible to tell them apart from 'real' people. but when i try to actually look at them, they disappear. sometimes i see spiders or glimpses our dead cat when at home.

my friend thinks i might be seeing ghosts/spirits or something like that but idk. can anyone relate? i'm wondering it's something with my vision, maybe. do most people experience that sort of thing and is it just my vision playing tricks on me?


this is very common. if youve ever heard your name being called this is like that; also fine. Having vivid or continous hallucinations like looking at these fake people and them waving back or something would be concerning but this is normal.
Original post by Ciel.
do you know what was causing it?


Yeah, I have schizophrenia.

Clozapine got rid of all my hallucinations and abnormal thoughts.
Reply 13
Original post by metdog
this is very common. if youve ever heard your name being called this is like that; also fine. Having vivid or continous hallucinations like looking at these fake people and them waving back or something would be concerning but this is normal.

they don't wave at me thank god lol. that would totally freak me out
that's good to know tho
Reply 14
Original post by Sabertooth
Yeah, I have schizophrenia.

Clozapine got rid of all my hallucinations and abnormal thoughts.


ah i see.i don't believe i have that so maybe it's just eyes being **** in my case
Original post by Ciel.
no, it isn't. i know they're not real people


You can still have psychosis/a psychotic condition and know they're not real people :fyi:

As to answer your direct question, I've had this happen a lot. In my case, it was the same specific people over and over again, so it was grief-fuelled psychosis (or psychosis-fuelled grief, perhaps - hard to tell)
Original post by Ciel.
ah i see.i don't believe i have that so maybe it's just eyes being **** in my case


Didn't you say in another thread that you're taking psych meds?

FWIW, it was a lot worse for me when I was sleep deprived or stressed. I dunno if you get this more often then too?
after i had a huge panic attack i started seeing spiders on the walls out the corner of my eye. but after a while that calmed down. sometimes it looks like people are staring at me when i walk past them on the street but when i look up they arent :smile:
Reply 18
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
You can still have psychosis/a psychotic condition and know they're not real people :fyi:

As to answer your direct question, I've had this happen a lot. In my case, it was the same specific people over and over again, so it was grief-fuelled psychosis (or psychosis-fuelled grief, perhaps - hard to tell)


i see. i didn't know that
Reply 19
Original post by Sabertooth
Didn't you say in another thread that you're taking psych meds?

FWIW, it was a lot worse for me when I was sleep deprived or stressed. I dunno if you get this more often then too?

yes. but i have a different diagnosis
hmm, yeah it could be that, i'm always stressed eh

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