Monday 11 April 2011

What the....? How ....?

I really freaked myself out this morning.  That doesn’t happen often.  I may freak others out from time to time but I’m usually quite comfortable with myself.

I walked into the office of a team member and was struck speechless by seeing a deep purple around her head.  Speechless and a bit mindless.  I could only blurt out in a sort of breathless whisper, “Where did that come from?” and step back out the door and looked all around me.  I was aware of her looking at me enquiringly but couldn’t gather my wits and speak coherently.  I stepped back into her office and looked frantically all around her walls as if they held the answer, then back outside once again looking for I know not what.  I was spluttering and spitting out part formed sentances….”What was that?  What …?  Where …?  How did that..?”   Finally I managed to say, “I just saw purple all around your head!  Where did it come from?”  I think we may have been a bit noisy as another of the team came running to see what was going on and asking what colour I saw around her. 

Finally I managed to explain that I’d just come in to get Terri to sign a birthday card and noticed as I handed it to her, that the background was a deep purple!  It was a slightly different shade of purple than what I’d seen but close enough to assure me that I wasn’t turning into an aura seer.  I’m sure that’s not the right title but you know what I mean. 

I wish I understood how I had transferred a colour I hadn’t looked at for a few minutes (it was face down against the envelope in case the birthday girl saw me carrying it around) into what I saw around Terri’s head.  And it was only around her head, not the rest of her. 

Anyone got any explanations? 

14 comments:

  1. I would take more water with it.

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  2. I love the whole medical and psychology thing which could explain what just happened in there but I can't state specifics. Maybe you have seen a different deep purple color besides the background? I mean before you entered the room maybe there was some wall with the same color?

    Or it may be some kind of a medical condition. If the incident happens again, have your eyes checked.

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  3. Well there are two explanations.

    The first is that you transfered some colour, or similar visual process (this happens to me sometimes)

    The other is that the laws of nature were suspended just for you, just in that instant, only to be returned to normal again, a moment later.

    I'd go for the first explanation, which is, (as an aside) a suummary of the famous philospher David Hulme's view as to why we should not belive in miracles.

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  4. As a child I could see colours around people quite often. Now I can't but I can still remember being aware of them. They were rarely very pronounced and I just accepted that people had colours and never really thought much about the whys and wherefores. I've never been a very inquisitive person I suppose.

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  5. Pauline, what colour was behind her head, what was she wearing, and what had you been looking at just before you entered? The thing is, when one stares at a single color for a while, then looks at a white surface, an afterimage of the "opposite" (complementary) color will appear. So I think if you were seeing purple the most logical explanation would be if you had been looking at something yellowish rather than at something else purple. See 'afterimages' and colourwheel in the complementary coolurs article in Wikipedia.

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  6. Pauline, ages ago you caused upset over bokeh now it's halos. I stand by my first comment.

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  7. I think you just saw her aura. I have never seen one, but I know people do see them. The indigo color (purple) is attributed to the third-eye chakra.

    That picture at the top of your blog - is almost exactly like the one next to my bed that I look at each morning.

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  8. That is odd Pauline. I think you should have your eyes checked.

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  9. Of course it could be that it was just the transference of the colour from the envelope. On the other hand (and at the risk of being labeled a loony) I often see colours around people. I don't know why. It's only with certain people and it's consistent over time and place. I don't dwell on it, don't understand it or look for it.

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  10. I would defiantly talk to your doctor about this occurrence - combined with your confusion have you wondered if it might have been a mini stroke? I have no medical background but something similar happened to my father once and it was a minor incident. Please let us know if you do have it checked out Pauline.

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  11. Thanks, folks, for your comments. The only thing I'm sure of is it wasn't a complimentary colour thing, Dawn Treader. I know that technique and I think that may have sprung to mind immediately (some part of my mind I wasn't aware of) and that was why I was frantically looking around to see where it had come from.
    I will contact my brother the optical technician about the eyesight theory and talk to my doctor next time I see him. I appreciate those suggestions!
    I like Mark and Pondy's first suggestions best - probably because they are reasonably simple and I can understand them.
    If it happens again I will let you all know. But I'm hoping it was just one of those random weird things! :)

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  12. No idea, but, it must be a sign!

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  13. gosh - interesting... I have no explanation. I just wanted to thank you for your comment and for sharing your poem - it meant a lot. xx

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  14. Did you get a photo of it. Just kidding. But interesting.

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