# Exploding head syndrome? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435 "2017-11-01T21:17:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scratchmarc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@scratchmarc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratchmarc)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/1 "2017-11-01T21:17:31Z")
Have you ever experienced this, seems like one of those strange but true things that can happen. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/2 "2017-11-01T21:22:03Z")
Experienced what exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/3 "2017-11-01T21:27:43Z")
Of course I’ve experienced it. My head exploded just the other day. Doesn’t that happen to everyone? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/4 "2017-11-01T21:48:59Z")
Here are two earlier threads: [Ask the guy with Exploding Head Syndrome](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=582329) [Does anyone have “Exploding Head Syndrome”?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb///showthread.php?t=251340) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/5 "2017-11-01T21:52:32Z")
Is this a thread about _scanners_? I just rewatched it a month or two ago. It holds up well. I mean, it was never super great, but it is still fun. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/6 "2017-11-01T21:59:44Z")
[Exploding head syndrome (EHS), alternately termed episodic cranial sensory shock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome) is a benign condition in which a person hears loud “imagined” noises (such as a bomb exploding, a gunshot, or a cymbal crash) or experiences an explosive feeling when falling asleep or waking up. Or so says Wiki. Not everyone believes in it. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/7 "2017-11-01T22:00:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Of course I’ve experienced it. My head exploded just the other day. Doesn’t that happen to everyone? I can’t believe your head exploded! You’re never going to be a good doctor if your head explodes! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/S5morTMZpFo/hqdefault.jpg "Scrubs 'I Can't Believe Your Head Exploded '") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5morTMZpFo) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/8 "2017-11-01T22:03:42Z")
My head is hurting right now. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/9 "2017-11-01T22:15:04Z")
Medical advice is best suited to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/10 "2017-11-01T23:00:20Z")
“The man standin’ next to me, his head was exploding”… Bob Dylan said it, so it must be true. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/11 "2017-11-01T23:37:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Medical advice is best suited to IMHO. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator This made me laugh out loud! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/12 "2017-11-01T23:45:41Z")
My head explodes at least once a day when I read certain message boards. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/13 "2017-11-01T23:56:05Z")
Mine sorta collapses in upon its own footprint, at FREEFALL SPEED! ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/14 "2017-11-02T00:13:21Z")
I think these heads exploding are just part of a campaign by Chronos against the use of _literally_ as an intensifier. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/15 "2017-11-02T00:34:01Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > [Exploding head syndrome (EHS), alternately termed episodic cranial sensory shock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome) is a benign condition in which a person hears loud “imagined” noises (such as a bomb exploding, a gunshot, or a cymbal crash) or experiences an explosive feeling when falling asleep or waking up. > > Or so says Wiki. Not everyone believes in it. Is this related to the hypnagogic jerk, by any chance? I’ve definitely experienced being suddenly awoken by what I thought was a loud noise, but I didn’t think that it was anything special enough to deserve its own name. It’s been a long, long time, but in college I would also get auditory hallucinations when pulling all-nighters and finally getting to sleep, sleep paralysis (in the same sorts of situations), hypnogagic jerks, and I guess what is being termed “exploding head syndrome.” They all seemed to happen in that state between consciousness and sleep. Whenever I would have the auditory hallucinations (which I loved) if I slipped out of the semi-conscious state, whether into full consciousness or sleep, they would disappear. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/16 "2017-11-02T00:54:23Z")
I’ve had a few EHS but it’s been years since the last one. Did you get a flash of light with a bang in your head? ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/17 "2017-11-02T01:00:47Z")
I got a whole nuclear war. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/18 "2017-11-02T01:23:27Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > I’ve had a few EHS but it’s been years since the last one. Did you get a flash of light with a bang in your head? I’ve experienced the flash of light, but I’m not entirely sure if it was with the bang or just with a run-of-the-mill hypnagogic jerk. But, yeah, that big flash of blue or blueish white or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/19 "2017-11-02T01:27:59Z")
my head only ever asplodes ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/20 "2017-11-02T03:37:30Z")
Mine was like a white light. I thought it might be a flashback from going to the shooting range but it was a bang rather than a pop like my guns. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435.md?page=2)