Body image disturbances (Alice in Wonderland syndrome)

Lewis Carroll, Manuscript of Alice's Adventures Underground (see here)

The Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), as described by Todd in 1955, denotes a variety of selfexperienced paroxysmal body image disturbances affecting the experience of the size, mass, shape of the body or its position in space (obligatory core symptoms of the AIWS, e.g. macro- and microsomatognosia, out-of-body experiences) which may co-occur with depersonalization, derealization, visual illusions and disorders of the time perception (facultative symptoms of the AIWS). The name comes, of course, from Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", which is believed to have been inspired by Carroll's own migraine experiences documented as early as 1856. Recent studies of the AIWS occurring as migraine aura indicated that the body schema disturbance of macrosomatognosia most frequently affects the head and upper extremities, paralleling the extension of their representation in the human brain (Podoll and Robinson, 1999).

Illustration of macrosomatognosia with sensation of enlargement of the eye in Superman.

A migraine sufferer's report of the Alice in Wonderland syndrome "Throughout my early childhood I suffered from migraine headaches. My mom got migraines too so she just gave me children's Tylenol and told me to tough it out. When I was 10 years old, I woke up one morning and I almost felt like I was still asleep and dreaming. I was still laying down in my bed and I held out my hands in front of me and they didn't feel like my hands, they felt like long skinny dry twigs. If I concentrate hard enough I can 'remember' the feeling and my hands start to feel that way again. After a few minutes it all went away and I didn't say anything to my parents about it. But for the next couple of weeks it happened more and more often, usually in the evening. Most of the time it was when I was sitting still, I would feel so incredibly heavy that I was sure I couldn't move any part of my body and my depth perception felt like it was completely off. One time while I was walking down the hall I felt like the walls were rushing past me at 50 mph. One afternoon after school I was sitting on my bed, which was a day bed with a spiraly-cast iron design on the headboard and while I was looking at it it started to move and rotate, like it was turning like a wheel. When I tried to explain this to my parents I got frustrated because my eyes were telling me that my bed wasn't moving, but my brain was telling me that it was moving. Every episode was accompanied with a strange feeling that at the time I didn't understand, but in retrospect I would call it an extreme-version of light-headedness, kind of like you're on laughing gas but highly uncomfortable and very scary. And every episode was followed by a killer migraine headache... An EKG, an MRI, and a couple of months later the diagnosis was I had an 'abnormal brainwave' which was 'triggered' when I had a migraine, causing hallucinatory side effects to my migraine. The doctor actually called it 'Alice In Wonderland Syndrome' saying that it was compared to how Alice felt while tumbling down the rabbit hole. At the time, we thought this could possibly be the delusions of a Southern California doctor who had spent a little too much time trying out 'herbal' remedies. But he had newspaper clippings and journal clippings to back up his theory." (Jen Smith, Alice In Wonderland Syndrome forum, March 12, 2005)

As a misapprehension commonly encountered in the medical literature, it as been suggested to define the AIWS by the presence of visual rather than somesthetic perceptual disturbances, i.e., metamorphopsia and/or visual hallucinations, but this change and broadening of Todd's definition of the AIWS renders it to a both scientifically and clinically useless concept (Podoll et al., 2002).

E., Normal vision, 2005.

E., Metamorphopsia in left half-field of vision, 2005.

Obligatory and facultative symptoms of the Alice in Wonderland syndrome "I am a female aged 57 and began having migraines with aura late last year. I have not had a painful migraine headache. Above are two photos, #1 an actual view, #2 my attempt to recreate what I experienced earlier this month. I had previously experienced the bright, flashing zigzag effects of migraine aura perhaps six or seven times during the period from November 2004 to April 2005. I saw a neurologist. I was unaware of any other types of aura until May 7. The recreation (#2) represents my experience on May 7, 2005. It seemed as if my right eye saw the landscape realistically, but my left eye perceived a distorted view that seemed to be surging rapidly toward me [i.e. metamorphopsia in left half-field of vision]. There was a sensation of pressure on the eye from within. Then the left eyeball seemed to be on a stalk protruding from my face, turning to the left and right of its own accord [i.e. body image disturbance]. When I tried to describe what was happening to me, I told the people I was with 'Something isn't right and I'm going somewhere else.' I repeated that again to another friend by way of explanation as I left. I had trouble keeping my balance as I walked [i.e. ataxia], with the feeling that the landscape was out of synch with reality and the sensation of motion. This was accompanied by a feeling of fear that I was experiencing a stroke. Nausea followed, then later extreme exhaustion. After a day in the local hospital's emergency room I was assured that this was another form of migraine

aura. I began to learn more through research on the internet. This website, Migraine-Aura, has been most helpful. Through this search in the last week I formed the impression (which you describe as a misapprehension) that the 'Alice in Wonderland Syndrome' would apply to the sort of visual distortion or hallucination that I experienced. I had come to believe it was synonymous with metamorphopsia. However, perhaps the latter portion of the experience (protruding eye) could be labeled AIWS? [Yes, the latter portion of the experiences features a variety of body image disturbance as obligatory core symptom of the AIWS, occurring in succession with metamorphopsia as a facultative symptom of AIWS.] In any case, thank you for the extensive information presented on the website. I would have liked to read accounts [pending] from people who have had the type of visual distortion that I did." (E., Emails to Klaus Podoll, May 15-16, 2005; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

Alice-in-Wonderland syndrome (AIWS, named after the novel written by Lewis Carroll), also known [1] as Todd's syndrome, is a disorienting neurological condition that affectshuman perception. Sufferers may experience micropsia, macropsia, or size distortion of other sensory modalities. A temporary condition, it is often associated with migraines, brain tumors, and the use of psychoactive [2] drugs. It can also present as the initial sign of the Epstein-Barr Virus (see mononucleosis). Anecdotal [citation needed] reports suggest that the symptoms of AIWS are fairly common in childhood, with many people growing out of them in their teens. It appears that AIWS is also a common experience at sleep onset. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome can be caused by abnormal amounts of electrical activity [3] causing abnormal blood flow in the parts of the brain that process visual perception and texture.
Contents
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1 Epidemiology 2 Signs and symptoms 3 Diagnosis 4 Treatment 5 Prognosis 6 References

[edit]Epidemiology Although no studies are available that display any correlation between age, sex, or race, AIWS is [citation needed] thought to be relatively common among migraine sufferers and young children. [edit]Signs

and symptoms

Eye components are entirely normal. The AIWS is a result of change in perception as opposed to the eyes themselves malfunctioning. The hallmark sign of AIWS is a migraine (AIWS may in part be [citation needed] caused by the migraine). AIWS affects the sufferer's sense of vision, sensation, touch, and hearing, as well as one's own body image. The most prominent and often most disturbing symptom is that of altered body image: the sufferer will find that he/she is confused as to the size and shape of parts of (or all of) his/her body. The eyes themselves are normal, but the sufferer 'sees' objects with the wrong size or shape or finds that perspective is incorrect. This can mean that people, cars, buildings, etc., look smaller or larger than they should be, or that distances look incorrect; for example a corridor may appear to be very long, or the ground may appear too close. Similar to the lack of spatial perspective, the sufferer also loses a sense of time. That is, time seems to pass very slowly, akin to an LSD experience. The lack of time, and space, perspective thus leads to a distorted sense of velocity, since one is missing the two most important parts of the equation. For example, one could be inching along ever so slowly in reality, yet it would seem as if one were sprinting uncontrollably along a moving walkway, leading to severe, overwhelming disorientation. This can then cause the sufferer to feel as if movement, even within their own home, is futile. In addition, some people may, in conjunction with a high fever, experience more intense and overt hallucinations, seeing things that are not there and misinterpreting events and situations.

Other minor or less common symptoms may include loss of limb control and general discoordination, [4] memory loss, lingering touch and sound sensations, and emotional experiences. [edit]Diagnosis AIWS is a disturbance of perception rather than a specific physiological change to the body's systems. The diagnosis can be presumed when other physical causes have been ruled out and if the patient presents symptoms along with migraines and complains of onset during the day (although it can occur at night). Another symptom of AIWS is sound distortion, such as every little movement making a clattering sound. This can make a person with AIWS paranoid and afraid to move. [edit]Treatment Treatment is the same as that for other migraine prophylaxis: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers, along with strict adherence to themigraine diet. Chronic Alice In Wonderland Syndrome is untreatable and must wear itself out. Rest is the prime treatment, but another effective therapy is to join support groups to share experiences and to know that you are not alone. [edit]Prognosis Whatever the cause, the distortions can recur several times a day and may take some time to abate. Understandably, the sufferer can become alarmed, frightened, even panic-stricken. The symptoms of the syndrome themselves are not harmful and likely to disappear with time. It is not contagious and rest is the best treatment.

Body image disturbances affecting its size

Fact or fiction? During the migraine aura experience of the Alice in Wonderland syndrome, a migraineur may actually have a bodily feeling of an abnormal enlargement of the head. Courtesy of MomZone.com (see here).

Following the classification of body image disturbances from Lukianowicz (1967), one category of body image disturbances that may occur as migraine aura symptoms can be labeled as disturbances of the body image affecting its size, including macrosomatognosia and microsomatognosia whereby the whole body or parts of it are felt as being abnormally large or small, respectively.

Jean Claude Marseille, Se prendre la grosse tte, 2006. "Plus grosse la tte, plus forte la migraine. [Proverbe serbe]" 2006 Jean Claude Marseille (see here)

In a study published by Podoll and Robinson (1999), the topological distribution of macro- and microsomatognosia was identified in 18 from the 562 pictures of the Migraine Art collection. Macrosomatognosia was encountered more frequently than microsomatognosia and applied more often to single parts of the body, whereas microsomatognosia mostly affected the entire body. In partial macrosomatognosia, the head and upper extremities were the body parts most frequently involved, which paralls the extension of their representation in the sensory maps of the human brain (as visualized in Wilder G. Penfield's homunculus).

In total body macrosomatognosia, the sensation of being abnormally large affects the entire body. (See here and here)

Macrosomatognosia The phenomenon of macrosomatognosia is exemplified by the following observations, where the body image disturbance involves the entire body: "Sometimes I feel 'REAL TALL' -- and I'm only five - two! I'll feel weird and tall, and walk into my kitchen and feel like my head is going to hit the ceiling and like I'm towering over the countertops. It's the craziest sensation. Would other people think we're all nuts??? Before you say I am, (or think it anyway lol) I recently read something to this effect on a headache website and would have never believed it, had it not happened to me!" (Jaye, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: cool aura page, February 2, 2000) "Wow! I never knew there were names for those sensations. I thought I was just nuts (heh heh - the jury's still out on that one). I've never said anything to the dr's because I thought it was my imagination.... Hmmmm.... It's weird.... wow it's real! I'm not that crazy (note: 'that'). Wohoooo!!!" (sillybear, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: cool aura page, February 3, 2000) "Definitely 'feel big' sometimes. Makes you think you're crazy - I didn't tell my doctor about feeling tall..."

(Jaye, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Heres the symptoms... any ideas?, February 16, 2000) The following report from a female migraine sufferer describes total body macrosomotognia (10 ft. woman) co-occurring with total body microsomatognosia whereby the body feels very small. "Has anyone ever heard of anxiety attacks being caused by ocular migraine? And accompanied by the Alice in Wonderland syndrome? I have suffered from anxiety attacks for more than 25 years. I get at least one a day and they can last for hours. When they first started I found a great psychiatrist and saw her four more than 4 years. We found and dealt with many problems but the anxiety continued. She thought there could be some physical cause and I had an EEG and glucose tolerance testing. The results were inconclusive so we stuck to Valium. When I moved to the US 15 years ago, I saw a doctor and went through my usual spiel about why I wanted a script for Xanax. He said that because my anxiety symptoms did not include heart palpitations, I did not have anxiety attacks. He said I have ocular migraines. He gave me a sheet of paper that listed all of my symptoms including the 'Alice in Wonderland' syndrome. I'd never told anyone about that one because I was sure they'd just lock me up. The AIWS causes me to feel like I'm very small or very large compared to my surroundings. This happens often when I go to bed. Sometimes, when I'm walking, I feel like I'm 10 feet tall and there's no way my feet can reach the ground, or I feel like I'm walking in a trench. Since I moved from Los Angeles, I haven't been able to find a doctor who agrees with my old doctor. All the antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs Ive tried have made my symptoms worse. Caffeine makes them worse. Nyquil is a nightmare. After surgery I preferred the pain to the painkiller. I managed to stay employed through all of this until this year. The attacks haven't really increased in severity but I've just run out of the strength it takes to deal with them constantly." (emgscot53, Med Help International, Mental Health Forum, Topic: Anxiety, Subject: Ocular migraine?, December 7, 2002) In addition to migraine-related body image disturbances affecting its position in space, the following account from isotripy describes a history of recurring experiences of an alternation between macrosomatognosia and microsomatognosia of the entire body, i.e. a sort of somesthetic pulsation phenomenon. Whole body pulsation phenomenon "I get migraine aura that can be dissociated from headaches. Usualy I see blue and yellow lights, blobs and tunnels. But only when I close my eyes. Occassionally I'll see brief rainbows of brilliant colour, like oil slicks in the rain. I tend to get vesibular illusions too, and feel like I'm travelling though space." (isotripy, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, November 23, 2005) "... whenever I experience it I am always aware that it is an illusory sensation and that my body is not actually moving through space." (isotripy, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, November 23, 2005) "When I was a child I had similar feelings as you describe in your hands, but my whole body filling up the room then being a miniscule dot within it. like in 'alice in wonderland'. All very fascinating ." (isotripy, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, November 23, 2005)

"I got this [alternating experiencof macro- and microsomatognosia, respectively] maybe once a fortnight as a child, between the ages of 7-9, ususally when trying to get to sleep. I only experience 'glimpses' of the sensation as an adult, never as full blown as when I was young." (isotripy, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, November 23, 2005) "Hello, :). Sorry I didn't give you a more lengthy description of my experiences before, but I have some doubts as to whether they are really migraine related or not. The truth is I don't get migraines, only the visual (and other sensory) disturbances that are related to it. For this reason I have been 'diagnosed', or my experiences have been labeled, migraine aura [without headache], because that's what they most resemble." (isotripy, k_something's LiveJournal, December 13, 2005; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

In partial macrosomatognosia, the sensation of being abnormally large affects parts of the body, e.g. the head. Entry to art contest Migraine Images, 1992. 2007 GlaxoSmithKline

Partial macrosomatognosia of the neck. Entry to art contest Migraine Images, 1992. 2007 GlaxoSmithKline

In other cases, macrosomatognosia may apply only to one ore more body parts, e.g. the head, lips, tongue, neck, hands or feet. "today i had the weirdest thing happen, i thought i was having a stroke!! my tongue got really thick feeling ... does anyone else have these type of auras? (i used to just smell things before a bad headache) or am I just the freak of nature?" (Krista, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Auras, January 5, 1999) "i now have a three foot long neck and still have migraine." (Paul Heslop, Newsgroups: alt.surrealism, Subject: 14 July 1789, August 7, 2003) "The sensory aura was one I frequently had as a kid -- a feeling that my lips and tongue were hugely swollen. I would keep looking in the mirror at them. They were fine. Oliver Sacks clued me in on that one too. My headaches were not severe then, just common, and I didn't realize it was an aura. I didn't develop the classic zigzag/throbbing stuff like Julie until college. Amazing feats the human brain can perform (or is it playing tricks!)" (Reader77, BrainTalk Communities, Subject: What's "Weird" About YOUR H/A's?, March 29, 2004) "Also sometimes it feels as if I've got huge hands and feet with fingers and toes like inflated sausages." (Tom, Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum, February 21, 2005) Tom's previously cited report of macrosomatognosia as a feature of his manifold AIWS experiences is likely to represent an example of migraine aura without headache, since he noted elsewhere in his posts to the Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum: "I suffered from bad headaches/minor migraine when I was much younger (between 10 and 14 years old) but I've not suffered since." (Tom, Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum, February 21, 2005)

"I can't say that i feel this exactly as you describe it -- because it only affects the head, leaving the rest of the body 'normal' -- and it does not happen often. When the affected side of my head is the right side (the most common side in my case) the region of the head enervated by the trigeminal nerve seems abnormally large -- but only when i am in pain. This has never happened with a left-side migraine, and i cannot say why -- but it just never has. The sensation of enlarged head-pain region is altered in a very odd way if i first take Amerge (my prescription triptan drug) and then smoke marijuana for the accompanying nausea of migraine (which is exacerbated by the Amerge, even as the pain is lessened by it). Amerge makes me slightly dizzy, spinning slowly backwards in space, like an astronaut. I do not always take Amerge and i do not always experience nausea with my migraines, so i only rarely smoke marijuana for migraine nausea -- maybe 1/10 of my migraines have nausea and half of those are bad enough to result in both the Amerge and the marijuana being used at the same time. I do not get high from the marijuana, and usually take only 1 or 2 puffs of very low THC pot, but if i have previously taken Amerge i almost immediately i experience a characteristic and replicable sensation of hollow, echoing vacancy in what i presume to be my neural pathways. The sensation is very difficult to describe -- after all, i have smoked a psychotropic drug and have aphasia at the time -- but it is a real, sensory feeling and i can reproduce it at will with the combination of severe right-side head pain, Amerge, a mild marijuana dose, and lying down in bed with the lights out. (I have replicated it on purpose, several times, just to test it out for the sake of my own curiosity.) What happens during these events is that the subjective 'space' occupied by my trigeminal nerves seems to expand to many times the normal volume, and it seems as if the side of my head were tunneled through and through with a vast echoing, empty, cold subway system, comprised of tile-lined neural tubes with no nerves inside. The space is so enormous that my entire body can fit inside it. No pain is transmitted along the nerves, but no 'anything' is transmitted either, just a cold, echoing, airy emptiness. It is weird, not like being anaesthetized, but like a limited synaesthesia during which all sensory pain input is transformed into a vast wind-swept coldness, echoing hollowly through the neural tubes of my hyper-enlarged head and out to my neck and shoulder. I hope that makes some sense. Cordially, cat yronwode" (Catherine Yronwode, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Alice in Wonderland syndrome, October 29, 2005)

Pat O'Connor, Balloon head, photograph taken in Galway during the arts festival, 2001. 2001 Pat O'Connor (Lost webpage, November 2, 2005)

"When I've had some *way beyond tolerable* migraines in the past, I recall my head feeling like a balloon." (Sage, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Alice in Wonderland syndrome, October 30, 2005) "LOL! Trust me, I cannot sketch, draw, paint etc. Click on these links, they're the best pictures I've found so far of a balloon head: here, here, here" (Sage, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Alice in Wonderland syndrome, November 1, 2005) "Joaquin had an appointment with the neuro a little over a week ago and he gave me some info about ME that just blew me away. As we were wrapping up the appt, my husband mentioned that I'd had an MRI done recently because my migraines were becoming more frequent (1-2 a month instead of 1-2 a year). After a little chit-chat about that the neuro mentioned that he'd be interested in seeing the MRI films and asked that I bring it in next time if I remember. Then I said that I sometimes wonder if I had sz as a kid because I used to get the sensation of my tongue being huge -- literally it felt like it was the size of a car! It was the first time my husband had heard of it because I was embarassed by it (stupid, I know). Anyway, the neuro said that was from my migraines -- something called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. I was so blown away by it. I came home and read about it and wow! it's really something. I later mentioned to my son's school nurse that the neuro had told me about some weird stuff with migraines (I didn't mention what exactly) but she said that migraines do some weird things that look like

seizures. Anyway, it's all very interesting. I found lots more when I googled it but this is a good one: http://www.migraine-aura.org/EN/Alice_in_Wonderland.html. Peace, Anna" (Anna, Epilepsy Foundation, Parents helping parents, Subject: Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, Kinda OT - about my migraines, November 23, 2005) "Mine would be a toss-up between feeling that my hands and feet were really big, and smelling liver sausage when driving through my neighborhood when there was no liver sausage to be found. My typical migraine auras are kaleidescope, a shimmering fractal-type (my icon reminds me of these), strobing/flashing, or vertigo/spinning. I've also had double-vision once." (porcubinebarb, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, November 22, 2005) "The 'big hands and feet' aura has only happened to me once. It came on suddenly, rather than gradually - I was sitting at my computer, and when I got up, my hands and feet felt completely out of proportion - my feet felt maybe twice as long. It only lasted about 10 minutes. My auras have been getting stranger and stranger in the last few months. I'm not 100% sure the liver sausage smell was an aura, since there was no one else to confirm that they couldn't smell it, but it seems like the most reasonable explanation. I've also smelled sulfur that the only other person around didn't smell, so that might have been one, too." (porcubinebarb, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, December 4, 2005) "'feeling that my hands and feet were really big' is actually rather common apparently, so common they named it anyway. It is referred to as the 'Alice and Wonderland' effect. i thought i was crazy for years. When i was young i would lay my head on one hand and cover my eyes with the other, and once realized that all the sudden my hand felt huge, like it was expanding. So much so that looking my perfectly normal hand failed to convince me that my hand was indeed... perfectly normal and i would go into hysterics. i try now to lay my hands so they don't touch other things when i have migraines, because it upsets me so much. i have the sense that my head or arm or feet are larger too sometimes, however it isn't as convincing as the hands when i close my eyes. also, my weird smell is roasting marshmallows and i spend most migraines with my nose covered by something. its just the expanding blood vessels triggering unknown brain components. i just tell myself its all in my head and nuzzle my nose into blankets or my shirt. it doesn't fix anything, but its comforting." (untouchablegrac, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, November 23, 2005) "I started getting a migraine at 10:30 this last night. It was shaping up to be pretty bad: visual disturbances, numbness in my hands and face, a serious case of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome... As for what experienced last night, my arms seemed extremely long (rather like snakes) while my legs were more like stumps. My body felt so out of proportion that movement was challenging... I've always had it [the AIWS] with my migraines. It just varies in severity along with the headache." (the girl with the guitar, LiveJournal for migraine sufferers, December 15-17, 2005; addittions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll) "I know I've had depersonalization/derealization, and Alice in Wonderland Syndrome [AIWS] because those too are just too unusual for me to forget or brush off as something else... The AIWS I sort of feel like I'm larger than my body. If I look at my feet it somehow registers that they're on the other side of the room." (r_monoxide, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: I guess I should introduce myself here, January 30, 2006)

LF, Macrosomatognosia of both hands, 2007. 2007 LF (larger image see here)

"I recently watched a documentary on AIWS on ABS news 'Medical Mysteries'. I am a 53 year old female. My migraines started when I was 14 years old (1968). They subsided following the birth of my last child (1988). A recurring symptom that I have is a tactile hallucination. I have had them since I was a child. My hands, jaw, and tongue become extremely large. The hallucination lasts for about 1/2 hour. I am able to talk myself through by looking at my hands, gripping my fists, biting my tongue, and looking in the mirror to assure that all is normal. This is the only type of hallucination that I experience. What are your thoughts on this matter? Could it be AIWS? This often occurs when my anxiety level is very high. It seems that the AIWS syndrom acts like a release valve for the panic. The panic continues so high then all of a sudden the syndrom occurs and calms the panic. I have had many occasions that the AIWS just occurs with no reason, but, always the same part of my body." (LF, Email to Klaus Podoll, September 21, 2007) "This is a drawing that depicts what I sense is happening to me during an episode. Although it was not drawn during one. I am anxious to draw while I am experiencing the hallucination. I draw simultaneously with both hands." (LF, Email to Klaus Podoll, October 4, 2007)

In total body microsomatognosia, the sensation of being abnormally small affects the entire body. (See here)

Microsomatognosia Likewise, microsomatognosia may affect the entire body or parts of it (the last mentioned experience being labeled partial microsomatognosia), e.g. the head or the hands: Mella Wyrden describes her recurring experience of total body microsomatognosia. "migraine-o-rama both today and yesterday, I've felt as if I'm much too small. I wonder if it's the symptom of migraine I've read about, but have never yet experienced? As usual lately, there's one steadily brewing on the stage-right side of my head. Pound pound pound." (Mella Wyrden's LiveJournal, October 24, 2005) "I felt about half my usual size. It was extremely weird. The effect started in a Wal-Mart, which always has bright lights that bother me. But I've never felt smaller than usual in there before. Walking behind the shopping cart, I felt miniature and it was like everything around me was massive and looming above me, even the cart I was pushing. That was about an hour. Then it started up again when I got to work (again, bright lights) and lasted for about six hours. It hasn't happened since. I'm thinking it might be that strange Migraine symptom, or perhaps some other thing having to do with medication, or possibly my vision? or maybe I'm insane?" (Mella Wyrden's LiveJournal, October 25, 2005) "This is very fascinating to me. I wonder if it'll ever happen again! I'll try to remember the circumstances surrounding the effect. Actually, I'm being inspired by you & your

Migraine Aura website, to keep a notebook of any migraine related (or even possibly migraine related) events, dreams, and the migraines themselves. I think maybe if I document it, it'll feel less overwhelming & random. I just need a small notebook I can carry with me, to get started!" (Mella Wyrden's LiveJournal, October 27, 2005) The following reports are examples for partial microsomatognosia, where the body image disturbance affects not the entire but just parts of the body, e.g. the head or the hands: "Recently a neighbor's 6-year-old girl was remarking 'Uh oh, my head's getting smaller again.' Her concerned parents took her to a doctor who sent them to a neurologist. He said he thought the girl was suffering from migraine headaches without the pain. ... When the girl's mother related this to her own sister, the sister commented that she had experienced the same symptoms when she was a child, and now suffered from painful migraines." (Robert Crosson, Newsgroups: sci.med, Subject: Migraine headaches without the pain?, October 15, 1992) "Throughout my early childhood I suffered from migraine headaches... When I was 10 years old, I woke up one morning and I almost felt like I was still asleep and dreaming. I was still laying down in my bed and I held out my hands in front of me and they didn't feel like my hands, they felt like long skinny dry twigs. If I concentrate hard enough I can 'remember' the feeling and my hands start to feel that way again. After a few minutes it all went away and I didn't say anything to my parents about it. But for the next couple of weeks it happened more and more often, usually in the evening. " [more] (Jen Smith, Alice In Wonderland Syndrome forum, March 12, 2005) A variety of body image disturbances: Sensation of being choked as migraine aura symptom "I have been a migraine-sufferer since childhood and am now 46 years old (male, caucasian). My mother was also a sufferer and experienced a series of strokes at the age of 55. My aura experience has always been limited to black spots in my vision but about two years ago, I started with a sensation of being choked prior to the onset of a migraine. My GP seems to feel that this is rather the onset of an anxiety attack that then triggers the migraine. I have tried to document this and have found that the choking sensation is experienced in moments of calmness. I have tried to find similar experiences on the Internet but have not met with success. Is the choking sensation a form of aura or is it a migraine trigger?" (AJ, Email to Markus Dahlem, October 18, 2005) "The sensation of being choked feels as if the collar of the shirt is too tight or as if someone is strangling me. I do get enough air; breathing does not change at all. I generally feel that I should either loosen the button of the shirt - which does not help at all- or that I want to apply pressure to the neck area and then that a release of this pressure would bring relief - which also does not help. I have found some measure of relief if I hold a cold object against the neck area. The sensation last anything from a few seconds to five or so minutes. Generally the sensation is accompanied by visual aura: black spots in the eyes (both). The migraine attack then normally follows within 30 minutes. I have resorted to taking some form of antiinflammatory coupled with codeine (Mybulen is the South African product). Normally this helps within a hour, but not always. I suffer from debilitating migraines perhaps once a month and then little helps." (AJ, Email to Klaus Podoll, October 18, 2005) Such body image disturbances or cenesthetic sensations of constriction and strangulation are a rare manifestation of migraine. One of Fr's (1881) patients had cranial pain, together with a "sensation of constriction" of her head. Mingazzini (1897) documented the case of a patient who complained of "a sensation of strangulation and pain in the throat", a patient of Pick's (1894) choked with emotion during

the course of a migraine attack with visual symptoms and aphasic disturbances, and a patient of Schob's (1917) had a sensation of constriction of the throat that sometimes preceded his headache attacks. Fisher (1980) reported a migraineur who reported that his "trousers felt often tight as if 'closing in on me'".

Lewis Carroll, manuscript of Alice's Adventures Underground (see here)

The similarity of the phenomena of macro- and microsomatognosia to the bodily transformations described by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) doesn't escape notice, as has first been pointed out by Lippman (1952) and Todd (1955), the latter suggesting the medical term Alice in Wonderland syndrome to account for the body image disturbances in question. "Did you know that the scene where Alice (in Wonderland) drinks the potions and gets bigger and smaller is supposed to be because the author suffered from migraines and was just describing his own sensations?" (Starbug, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: cool aura page, February 3, 2000) "Heh, I was always fascinated by that story. Dunno, some how makes me feel better that a famous writer suffered from migraine but used his experiences for literary inspiration!" (Infrazone, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: cool aura page, February 8, 2000)

Disturbances of the body image affecting its mass

Following the classification of body image disturbances from Lukianowicz (1967), one category of body image disturbances that may occur as migraine aura symptoms can be labeled as disturbances of the body image affecting its mass, i.e. feelings of heaviness, or of weightlessness or of hollowness of the whole body or of its parts. Sensations of heaviness "Throughout my early childhood I suffered from migraine headaches... Most of the time it was when I was sitting still, I would feel so incredibly heavy that I was sure I couldn't move any part of my body... " [more] (Jen Smith, Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum, March 12, 2005) Sensations of weightlessness "I get ocular migraines that way -- the visual and cognitive aura without the headache bit. Rarely do I get them with the headache that sudden though; there's usually a buildup. For instance, on Christmas I went outside to wait for my friend to pick me up. The light changed, since I went outside in the daytime. With no warning there was pulsating transparent stuff all around the borders of my visual field, and pulsating colored stuff in the middle, and I got light-headed and confused. I hoped it would not turn into a headache, and it didn't, but the aura is annoying enough." (skrewt, Livejournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: Issues, December 28, 2002) "The first time I had an aura that I was actually awake for, I thought I was high. My head felt all floaty and my arms and legs got light, and I had to speak and write very carefully - I had no control over my words." (christyedna, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, April 12, 2004) "One afternoon after school I was sitting on my bed, which was a day bed with a spiraly-cast iron design on the headboard and while I was looking at it it started to move and rotate, like it was turning like a wheel. When I tried to explain this to my parents I got frustrated because my eyes were telling me that my bed wasn't moving, but my brain was telling me that it was moving. Every episode was accompanied with a strange feeling that at the time I didn't understand, but in retrospect I would call it an extremeversion of light-headedness, kind of like you're on laughing gas but highly uncomfortable and very scary. And every episode was followed by a killer migraine headache..." [more] (Jen Smith, Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum, March 12, 2005)

Disturbances of the body image affecting its shape

tisha edwards, migraine, oil on canvas (30" x 36"), undated. 2008 tisha edwards (here)

Following the classification of body image disturbances from Lukianowicz (1967), thedisturbances of the body image affecting its shape include a variety of types, among whichautoscopy (see here) and reduplication of the body image are most frequently encountered as aura symptoms in migraine, two phenomena occurring jointly in the so-called out-of-body experiences.

Migraine Art: Out-of-body experience with duplicate phantom body and autoscopy. 2007 Migraine Action Association and Boehringer Ingelheim

Disturbances of the body image affecting its position in space

Following the classification of body image disturbances from Lukianowicz (1967), one category of body image disturbances that may occur as migraine aura symptoms can be labeled as disturbances of the body image affecting its position in space, e.g. sensations of levitation, floating, falling or sinking. "As the heading implies, the subject experiences an apparent movement of his body in space. The direction of this movement may be various, although most often it seems to be either upward or downward. It seems that sporadic kinesthetic sensations are not uncommon in entirely normal subjects, particularly in the drowsy state before falling asleep..., when they represent the kinetic variety of the hypnagogic imagery..." (Lukianowicz, 1967, p. 39) Kinetic variety of hypnagogic imagery "The hypnagogic state (occasionally spelled hypnogogic) is the stage between being awake and being asleep. (Not to be confused with hypnopompic which is the stage between being asleep and waking up). A few years ago, one night while falling asleep I realized I could feel myself subtly shift from being awake to being about to fall asleep. It was the most curious feeling, as if some inner part of myself was falling. Then, after noticing the feeling, I fell asleep - surprise." (John S. Cooper, Hypnagogic Creativity, July 7, 2005) In migraine sufferers, such body image disturbances affecting its position in space may be experienced as aura symptoms (either being associated with headaches or occurring in isolation as migraine aura without headache) in the awake state or during dreams, with the body image disturbance sometimes being carried over into the awake state after awakening. If such body image disturbances occur in a migraineur whilst lying in bed in the dark, trying to fall asleep, it is difficult to tell whether the experience represents a hypnagogic hallucination or a migraine aura without headache, a differential diagnosis suggested by the following self-report from a male migraineur who "used to have bad ocular headaches when I was young, but not in many years. My mother and matrilineal aunts all suffer severe migraines." (John D, Newsgroups: alt.dreams, Subject: Migraine auras experienced as child, December 18, 2005) "Another time years later I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep, but I was having trouble relaxing, my mind was on a million things, work, etc. I closed my eyes and began a relaxation exercise, deep breathing, etc. I began to feel like I was growing outside the dimensions of the space I occupied. It's hard to describe. I could feel my physical body touching the sheets, pillow etc. and didn't feel like I was getting any bigger than the bed, but I had the distinct sensation of growing immensely huge at a very fast rate. At the same time, I began to feel like I was hurtling headfirst (I was lying on my back) through space at speeds faster than the speed of light. It was amazing and I can describe it as a sort of religious experience (although God didn't show up) kind of like the guy's trip at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The whole experience seemed to last a very long time but when I thought myself out of it by trying to figure out what was going on, I looked at the clock and it had only been a few minutes." (John D, Newsgroups: alt.dreams, Subject: Migraine auras experienced as child, December 17, 2005) Sensations of levitation "On Friday I suffered a strange [migraine] attack. When I arrived at work, around 8 AM, I had a strange sensation in my body. I felt slightly 'elevated' (for lack of a better word) and there was a tingling in my arms, especially my hands." (Tormod Guldvog, Migraine attack, Hypography Science Forums, August 22, 2004; additions in square

brackets by Klaus Podoll) "That experience is the strangest thing that ever happened to me... I felt very lightweight and it was as if I were floating. But I knew I was not, if you know what I mean. I was sitting in my office chair but I couldn't feel it at all - it felt like I was hovering above it. Not by much, but the lack of sensation was very apparent... In a strange way it was a 'good' experience, almost like when using asthma medicines to relieve an attack - but it all happened just before the migraine kicked in so it was the other way round... Sorry if this is unclear. It happened almost a year ago." (Tormod Guldvog, Email to Klaus Podoll, July 8, 2005) - (For the further course of this migraine attack see here). Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of floating "I woke up with a migraine this morning and now I feel like I'm in some kind of a psychogenic fugue. Objects appear to be undulating, I feel like I'm floating, my chest feels tight, and my limbs are tingling. No real pain in my head, just moving pressure." (Cameron Felix the Cat, Livejournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: your next stop, the migraine zone, January 19, 2003)

Freya Moon, Migraine, circa 2001. 2001 Freya Moon (see here)

"Migraine is one of the early images I made and it is nice to see it is noticed after 3 or 4 years. I made it right after a really bad migraine and it expresses very well how I was feeling." (Freya Moon, Email to Klaus Podoll, February 12, 2005) "I have a terrible feeling in which I sense as if my head is floating in the air, when this happens I can't think, read, watch T.V., anything.... I can't tolerate light; my only recourse is to lay down, cover my head with a blanket and hope it passes... I have this condition every day... I was misdiagnosed with Menire disease and had surgery in both ears without any results... I am depressed and suicidal, with no way to earn a living..." (Pedro Gonzalez, Ronda's Migraine Page, On-Line Migraine Journal, January 19, 2005)

In the following report from the LiveJournal for the Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, a sensation of being "just a head floating" is described as part of a http://www.migraine-aura.org/EN/Near_death_experience.html near-death experience with tunnel and out-of-body experience: "maybe that's an aura. I use to get like 'tunnel vision' and I felt like I wasn't in my body. I like was just a head floating. I was told later on that it was an aura. Kinda like how some people get really hyper the day before a migraine. That is also an aura. It's like a warning our bodies give us." (ninjakm, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: a question, January 12, 2005) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of falling

Freya Moon, Falling web, undated. 2005 Freya Moon (see here)

"In the meantime, here is another picture I made during a mild headache: Falling web. I have noticed that my art tends to have more 'dark' aspects when my head hurts. This one was made with Poser and Paint Shop Pro. I am afraid I do not have a lot of migraines. I have more tension and cluster headaches than migraine." (Freya Moon, Email to Klaus Podoll, February 18, 2005) "Mine [i.e. AIWS] is usually from migraines - but it gets really bad with stress. the worst episode was last year right before finals when I thought my girlfriend was pregnant but sometimes it's just random - like I'll be sitting there just relaxing and it kicks in. driving also does it to me." (maegman, Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum, April 4, 2005; addition in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

"The most vivid experience I can remember was waking up one night when I was having distortions. I had a dream that night that I was falling and when I woke up, I still had the sensation of freefalling through the air." (maegman, Alice in Wonderland syndrome forum, February 22, 2005) "Hi, I'm new to this group... it seems like a great resource for migraine sufferers. My question is possibly related to migraines, but possibly not. About 2-3 years ago I started to have strange episodes of vertigo. I don't know if 'vertigo' is the right word. I'll try and describe it but it's hard. Out of nowhere I will get a 'jolt' or 'zap' that feels like it's going through my brain. At the same time my vision will turn on its side. I feel like I'm falling. That lasts for a split second and then my vision returns to normal. Afterwards I feel very dizzy, like I'm going to fall over, for hours. My vision is back to normal and I can walk around, but something still feels off. I've never had this happen while I had a migraine. The neurologist I saw about this couldn't find anything wrong, and suggested that it could be part of my migraines. Has anyone else had anything remotely similar to this? It scares me to death! It used to happen a lot (once a week or more) but then it gradually slowed down. Now it won't happen for 6 months or more and then out of nowhere it will strike again. I have tried to look for some kind of pattern or trigger that might cause this, but I haven't found any. Thank you for your help." (Jessica, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Vertigo?, August 11, 2005) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of sinking "Well, it usually happens after getting into bed after a stressful day and closing my eyes. It feels like I'm being sucked into the bed, and everything around me seems overwhelming. If I open my eyes, it will continue, but the things around me are not physically bigger - they just 'feel' like it. [EDIT: and I also get the sensation of my senses not quite responding the way they should, although on inspection they seem fine] Like the ground is swallowing me up?" (Placebo, Dream Views, Lucid Dreaming Discussion Forums, Beyond dreaming, Subject: Anyone ever get that 'spaced' feeling?, August 26, 2005) "Yep, I used to consider it just another part of hypnagogia... however this happens before I'm anywhere close to sleeping. I can still speak to my wife, hold a conversation, etc. In addition, it has happened to me twice while sitting at my computer, typing.... I seldom get migraines. I get headaches only from e.g. sleeping too hot, and dehydrating. Nothing unusual anyway. Nope, [I have other migraine aura symptoms, e.g. the typical visual auras ...] only before a migraine. Which as I said is highly infrequent." (Placebo, Dream Views, Lucid Dreaming Discussion Forums, Beyond dreaming, Subject: Anyone ever get that 'spaced' feeling?, August 28, 2005; additions in square brackets added by Klaus Podoll) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Other disturbances of the body image affecting its position in space Sensations of the brain moving within the skull "My migraines are more neurological then painful... yesterday with my most recent I SWORE I could feel my brain moving within my skull. I drove to the store and felt the reach to the steering wheel was unusually long... the pretty colored flashing lights are bothersome because they really aren't there, heh." (jagnightwalker, Livejournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: your next stop, the migraine zone, February 14, 2003)

Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of disclocation "Very few people are unfortunate enough to collect the whole set of migraine symptoms. I avoid two of the classic ones, severe headache and sickness. Let's see... Aura: awareness of an impending migraine before any other symptoms. This can be a variety of things but in my case involves an unwonted level of well being and energy: feel like being able to take Tyson in two rounds. Olfactory illusion: in my case a burnt caramel smell. Pins and needles *and* numbness in left hand and left side of face. Visual illusion: I get a shimmering caterpillar that wanders slowly across my vision. With some people this is a larger arc, with jagged lines. Frequently the area inside the arc is blanked out. Hemianopia: loss of vision on one side, in my case the left, as a later stage in the attack. Blocking of memory: either/both of failure to recall very well-known information and a fixing of a single thought which cannot be got rid of. Dislocation: something approaching an out-of-body experience, a lack of identification of oneself. Post-migraine lassitude: feeling completely washed out and exhausted. Of the other common symptoms, I also miss out on light sensitivity and super-acute hearing. Mine are mainly stress triggered, but as not uncommonly, they hit most often when the stress comes off... -- CB " (Chris Brown, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: What do you know about migraine?, October 8, 2000; emphasis of sentence in cursive letters by Klaus Podoll) "Or sometimes if I'm sitting pretty still, I'll start to feel as though my body's in a different position than it really is. Sometimes I even feel like I'm sideways, but my body is still sitting up." (char, Livejournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: Tell me about your aura, October 14, 2004) "I used to get vertigo before all my migraines. Sometimes I my vision throbs with my pulse. And I still get the feeling that I'm in a different position than I really am. Like I'll feel like my hands are at my sides, but they're folded in my lap. It's real bad when I feel like I'm sideways, but I'm sitting up in my chair." (char, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: "Different" Sorts of Auras, March 8, 2005) "My other aura I get is a sort of vertigo too, and I can only describe it as some hidden something or other smacking me across the head. It almost feels as if the room shifts or topples to the left in front of me. I end up with several minutes of disorientation (like flying cartoon birdies around my head hee) and I know I'm in for a doozy of a headache." (jagnightwalker, Livejournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: Tell me about your aura, October 14, 2004) "Yup, sometimes I feel that way too. I can be walking through the store and feel as if I've been slapped upside the head as the room falls sideways in front of me, heh. Very disturbing." (jagnightwalker, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: "Different" Sorts of Auras, March 8, 2005) "Do any of you experience weirdness after your aura, but before the pain hits? I have found that I almost become 'drunk' (for lack of a better term), or at the very least LOOPY. I'm uncoordinated, like my fingers don't want to work quite right, my perception is off a bit etc. When I'm alone and I'm feeling this, it normally leads to panic attack. But if I'm with my fianc, it can be *almost* fun. Not REALLY fun, but comical anyway. ... Yea, I guess it could be considered a part of my aura itself! Normally this confusion starts about 10-15

minutes after what I've always considered my aura, a moment of extreme dizziness, confusion, and the feeling as if I've been smacked upside the head (as if the room itself turns on edge). It's actually a bodily feeling, not visual at all, just as if someone came up from behind and whacked the side of my head. I have actually stumbled when this happens because I get an almost 'faint' feeling when it happens, combined with a feeling of force of some sort. After this I know... nonalcoholic drunkenness, then pain. I can usually stop the pain from happening if I take some drugs right after the initial onset." (jagnightwalker, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: Between Aura and Pain, August 26-27, 2005) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of experiencing an earthquake "I have experienced a similar symptom, where the 'zap' comes on, kind of like a pulse of electrical shock. It doesn't hurt, but it is very disorienting. About a year ago I had one single episode, and for that split second I thought we were having an earthquake. Last October I had another session, started the day after a particularly bad migraine. The first day was really bad, and they lasted three days, slowly tapering off. I had mega tests done, including an MRI, and everything came back normal. I live with the dread that they may return." (Trixie, Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine, Subject: Vertigo?, August 12, 2005) Caro W. Lippman (1951) described two similar cases of space-motion hallucinations occurring in migraineurs under the heading "The earthquake". Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of jerking, thrusting back, or rocking "Several years ago I began taking Effexor Xr for depression/anxiety as well as vertigo that my neuro attributed to be connected to migraine. After having severe and almost constant vertigo and going to many different doctors and trying many different things this drug finally helped. ... I get a few different feelings. One is a more severe vertigo that was chronic until I began taking Effexor. I was tested by all sorts of methods and saw all kinds of doctors and it was finally concluded that the vertigo was related to migraine and is influenced by the same things that effect migraine (like stress, sugar, heat, exhaustion, etc) but occurs when I am not having an actual migraine. The vertigo feeling I experience is like a feeling that the flow is rising up or falling down or moving a bit or my head is jerking or thrusting back a bit when it is not. Sometimes I also get a feeling like I am rocking. The vertigo sometimes comes with a feeling of general unbalance. Since beginning the Effexor I only have the vertigo every once in a while, especially when I bend my head down at the sink in a well lit bathroom, or step out of an elevator. I have recently had a return of the vertigo with my reduction in Effexor, but have also heard this is a side effect of withdrawal of Effexor." (wallacebizbot, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: Auras sans migraine, December 13, 2005) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of moving through space

"I get migraine aura that can be dissociated from headaches... I tend to get vestibular illusions too, and feel like I'm travelling though space... It could be described like that (astral travel), but whenever I experience it I am always aware that it is an illusory sensation and that my body is not actually moving through space." (isotripy, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: Weirdest migraine aura, November 23, 2005) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of moving through tunnel The so-called tunnel experience as part of a so-called near-death experience may involve, besides a visual hallucination of tunnel form dimension, a disturbance of the body image affecting its position in space with a feeling of moving through a dark tunnel towards a light, as suggested by the "tunnel moving" feeling recorded in the following account of a migraine sufferer's recurring migraine aura symptoms featuring near-death experiences: "I get migraines. When the medicine they give me doesn't work I sometime get the near-deathexperience. It doesn't change my life because it happens not a lot, but too often to be unusual, it's just part of a bad migraine. I'm surrounded by a darkness that is bright at the same time and all is peaceful, and it appears to be a tunnel sometimes it moves around me (which sometime is a little scary) sometimes I'm just looking at it. I don't have any other thoughts that I'm aware of just the peacefulness. (unless the tunnel moving feels scary)" [more] (Lisa Smith, Omidyar Network, Groups Religion Discussion, Subject: Does God exist?, April 24, 2005) Are you acquainted with similar phenomena associated with your migraine attacks? Please contact Dr Klaus Podoll if you wish to share and discuss your experiences. Sensations of sailing "Dizziness - Mr. migraine man hit me with his baseball bat and now I am sailing. Anyone has any good advice about dizziness any herbs or so that can stop me from feeling that I am sailing? And is this normal btw?... I know nausea is very normal, but I don't see a whole lot of people complaining about dizziness. ... I am dizzy even when I am lying down... it feels like my bed is sailing with me or my whole house even... big waves today." (the northbound, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, Subject: dizziness, August 19, 2005)