Does what your gaze focuses on cause you to relax/become stressed?

[Vinca]

Does what your gaze focuses on cause you to relax/become stressed?

There are specific types of still and moving images that cause me to pysically relax when I watch them. For example videos of streams, still photos of the beach and photos of woodlands. I think the key elements which cause me to relax are a sense of movement (streams), large open spaces (beach, sea and sky), a sheltered but not totally enclosed environment (woodland) and reflective surfaces (water).

I can also process audio information more effectively if I am focusing on still or moving arrangements of form, colour, shape and pattern. For example if I listen to an audio CD whilst looking out my window and watching the clouds pass by, I will take in and understand more of what I hear than if I were to stare at a blank patch of wall.

If I look at persons face, in particular, their eyes, whilst they are talking, I experience physical tension and experience symptoms of stress. It's worse in person, but still happens to a degree when watching people on TV. I much prefere to dance around the colours, shapes and patterns on a person, with my eyes, than to focus on their eyes. Also, I find watching the movement of a persons lips whilst they are talking helps me to process what they are saying, it's as though I experience the movement of their lips, as if it were a form of dance, and it helps me to connect with what is being said.

Focusing on anything solid and statcic, such as a rock or a mountain causes me to feel pysically agitated, as though I were being shaken about inside and I feel the need to move about.

I wondered if anyone else experiences anything similar?

 

[Harrison]

I can become very 'still' watching raindrops run down a window, or watching a waterfall, although in the latter case the white noise holds my attention too.

Snow falling is a big one for me although living where I do I don't get to see it too often. I will pick out individual snowflakes and watch them as they fall, see the relationship of all the other snowflakes to that particular one. It can keep me happy for hours.

Like yourself, I process sound better if I am watching something like clouds moving, or wind blowing across a field.

Looking people in the eyes is something I rarely do, if it's a partner or close friend I can hold it for a very short time otherwise my eyes wander around their face or surrounding scenery.

Never had issues focusing on static objects though.

 

[Berianireth]

I can't look at cluttered rooms. I read labels on cans/books/cards/etc that are on shelves beside and nearly behind me semi-consciously and I become sort of disoriented if there is just an overabundance of THINGS everywhere. I will start saying the words I see on items instead of what I mean, or lose my sense of space/balance. I cannot look directly into a person's eyes for very long without getting nervous unless the person is very very calm. If they have very expressive eyes I will normally get anxious and start looking at their nose or forehead. I guess that's because I honestly try to read what the expressiveness could mean, but it usually evolves into a game of "what did I do wrong?". I can't look at fluorescent lights without feeling seasick and anxious. I've experienced some odd seasick feelings looking at rocks and mountains before as well! How interesting. I wonder what that is about.
I also have texture issues. I cannot stand the feel of dry or wet hands, dry hair, regular cotton, wool, acrylic, or most apolstery.

 

[Maelstrom]

Does what your gaze focuses on cause you to relax/become stressed?

HI Vinca Hi Harrison Hi Barianireth...is that from Tolken? I love blue sky, white clouds, and golden sunlight, my favorite colors. All lights other than sunlight are evil and get turned off when possible. I hate dirt under the finger nails and slimy cooked onions. So Vinca I'm not sure what you mean on the rattling rock thing, but I get wiggly eyes after certain video games and stuff. Anyways I think it's because my left eye is a little lazy, because it seems to go away when I do eye exercises to strech out the eye muscle range. I was wondering if eye wiggliness was making your brain feel wiggly when looking at stationary things. just a thought. Best wishes Mael

 

[Berianireth]

Mael eye movement functions mainly to take in various spectral components of what you are viewing. The brain interprets the scene from an integrated assortment of lines that it takes in based on direction and then cells specific for various line types in the occipital cortex converge and reassemble the scene.

 

[Maelstrom]

Mael eye movement functions mainly to take in various spectral components of what you are viewing. The brain interprets the scene from an integrated assortment of lines that it takes in based on direction and then cells specific for various line types in the occipital cortex converge and reassemble the scene.

Hmmm... well my eyes seemed to have missed that memo they do what they please, on the jiggly thing and it can make my head feel funny. Speak of the head feeling funny after I got back from almost being shipwrecked in the Sanwan strait my head kept swishing back and forth even with my eyes closed for 2 weeks. And one night I woke up and i was trying to climb through the bedroom ceiling. I was dreaming I was trapped in the boat cabin while it was sinking and I couldn't get the hatch open Uug!

 

[Berianireth]

My eye movements are oddish too. I think it has something to do with brainstem activity in asds honestly.

 

[Maelstrom]

My eye movements are oddish too. I think it has something to do with brainstem activity in asds honestly.

Mine seems to show up more after computer games or working on the computer, maybe TV too, I'm not sure why if it's a screen thing or bad eye use habits????