# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/21 "2017-11-02T04:04:26Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I think these heads exploding are just part of a campaign by Chronos against the use of _literally_ as an intensifier. My head literally exploded when I read that. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/22 "2017-11-02T04:16:45Z")
Gentlemen. Exploding head syndrome, is indicated by the presence of exploded heads, which yours are. (Headnanigans) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/23 "2017-11-02T04:33:25Z")
> [@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 had one or two like that. I believe I posted about them in the other threads. I’ve always described them as a ‘comet’ flying through my head. I could ‘see’ it coming (similar to the falling/jerking awake sensation), and then a bright and very, very loud explosion as it went through my head. I’ll bet it’s been close to 20 years since the last time it happened and I’ll be perfectly happy if it never happens again. ---
**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, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/24 "2017-11-02T10:18:55Z")
Mine is without warning. I don’t remember what I was doing but suddenly “BANG!” and I looked around wondering WTH just happened? ---
**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 2, 2017, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/25 "2017-11-02T14:05:43Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > This made me laugh out loud! 😃 My proudest moment as a mod was when I moved a question about cannibalism from GQ to Cafe Society since it was about food. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/26 "2017-11-02T14:13:30Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > My proudest moment as a mod was when I moved a question about cannibalism from GQ to Cafe Society since it was about food. 🙂 I’ve heard about the _soft bigotry of low expectations_, but this is a whole new low for personal standards. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/27 "2017-11-02T14:18:36Z")
Really? This is a thing? I wake up occasionally hearing a phone ringing, but it’s an old-style phone with an actual bell-- you know, a [desk phone](https://static.graybar.com/supplierimages/Cortelco_New/250013VBA27M-orig.jpg) that they made from the 1950s-1980s. I haven’t had a phone like that since about the mid-1990s, when text messaging was introduced, and the only reason I kept the old phone as long as I did was that it fit my TTY, so I needed it to use the phone with Deaf people. I had an electronic cordless phone I used for everything else. But I still wake up to the sound of that old phone ringing. Happens maybe three times a year. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/28 "2017-11-02T14:22:30Z")
_waves hand wildly_ I have it. It took me years to figure out what was happening. In the past when it happened, I’d think a car had crashed or something exploded outside and I’d go flying out of bed and run to the window and, of course, nothing would be out there. I’ve even put on my shoes and coat to go look around. Until I knew what it was, it was pretty terrifying. I’d be asleep in bed and suddenly _BOOM!!_ accompanied by a very bright light. One time it was so loud and bright that I thought a plane must have crashed. Now that I know what it is (it’s still a shocking way to be woken up) I can lay there for a bit while my heart stops racing and go back to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/29 "2017-11-02T14:25:29Z")
I’ve experienced it twice. Falling asleep and hearing an immense explosive noise and flash of light. I just assume it is something akin to the more common sleep twitch that man people get. i.e. “weird shit that your brain does” ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/30 "2017-11-02T14:44:52Z")
It’s bad when your head assplodes, but it’s worse when your ass headsplodes. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435/31 "2017-11-02T14:45:02Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Really? This is a thing? I wake up occasionally hearing a phone ringing, but it’s an old-style phone with an actual bell-- you know, a [desk phone](https://static.graybar.com/supplierimages/Cortelco_New/250013VBA27M-orig.jpg) that they made from the 1950s-1980s. I haven’t had a phone like that since about the mid-1990s, when text messaging was introduced, and the only reason I kept the old phone as long as I did was that it fit my TTY, so I needed it to use the phone with Deaf people. I had an electronic cordless phone I used for everything else. > > But I still wake up to the sound of that old phone ringing. Happens maybe three times a year. Yes! I don’t get explosions, but I regularly get the old timey ringing phone, knocking on the door, crashing sounds, as though shelves full of glassware fell down, and random booming/banging noises. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-head-syndrome/800435.md?page=1)