# What Happens When You're Blinded By Light **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149 "2009-01-26T23:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/1 "2009-01-26T23:40:43Z")
I was changing some light bulbs and when I was done, someone came in and turned the light on before I had a chance to move my head. JEEZ talk about blinded by the light. For the next 30 minutes, I could see I had this huge floater shaped like this \> It would start at the left and move to the right and was colored red, green and blue, It’s gone now, and I’ve has camera flash in the eye before, but never like this. What exactly happens, does an image get burned on the eye till wears down? Or wha? ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/2 "2009-01-27T00:59:55Z")
Very roughly, your retina has light-sensitive receptor cells. When light hits those cells, it causes a chemical reaction which in turn cause the cell to “fire” neuro-transmitters to nearby nerve cells. When you see a very bright light, the cell’s supply of light-sensitive pigments gets exhausted faster than they can be made. That cell thus becomes blind until the light-sensitive chemicals are replenished. If enough light falls on the cell, it’s going to exhaust itself to death, and thus become permanently blind. The reason that the shape appeared to move is because your eyes are constantly moving. You don’t realize it, but it’s actually necessary for them to move for you to see anything. Your brain accounts for that movement so that the outside world appears stable. However, since the image was burnt onto your retina, it’s constantly moving relative to the outside world. What you’re actually perceiving is your brain trying to deal with the essentially corrupted data coming in. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/3 "2009-01-27T01:10:14Z")
You get wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night, according to The Boss. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/4 "2009-01-27T01:11:01Z")
I meant to add: [Adaptation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_adaptation) is also very important. This isn’t specific to the eyes, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the fundamental characteristics of the nervous system. When a nerve cell is constantly receiving the same stimulus it becomes less and less sensitive to this stimulus. This means that if you look at a relatively bright object, the cells that receive a lot of light will gradually adjust themselves to be less and less sensitive. It takes time for them to “un-learn”, and thus for a while you get to see an [afterimage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterimage). ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/5 "2009-01-27T01:17:34Z")
Well, I think you’re wrapped up like a douche and do a “Rover” in the night. AFAIK. 😃 Y’all didn’t think I would let that one get by me, did ya? 😉 And BTW, I know the REAL lyrics! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/6 "2009-01-27T01:19:00Z")
OMG! Sorry, **Spec**! I jumped the gun! 🙂 It’s yours. Q ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/7 "2009-01-27T08:15:32Z")
You can’t tell what the hell he’s singing about, but you know it sounds dirty. Getting that song’s lyrics wrong is like misinterpreting static. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/8 "2009-01-27T15:17:03Z")
I had some extensive eye surgery in Dec. The surgery lasted about 2 hours and apparently a strong light is needed so the surgeon can see what he is doing. It’s been almost 2 months and I can still see the afterimage of that light. It has faded some, so I’m optimistic that it will eventually go away. The doctor did some tomagraphy to check for retinal problems but didn’t find any. He said the problem does occur about 1% of the time for unknown reasons. I say minimize that light when possible! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/9 "2009-01-27T15:23:29Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > You get wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night, according to The Boss. . Revved up like a deuce (coupe), another runner in the night. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/10 "2009-01-27T15:45:44Z")
[**Cut loose like a deuce**](http://brucespringsteen.net/songs/BlindedByTheLight.html). Sheesh, whatever happened to intellectual rigor! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/11 "2009-01-27T15:54:18Z")
> [@cornflakes](#): > > [**Cut loose like a deuce**](http://brucespringsteen.net/songs/BlindedByTheLight.html). > > Sheesh, whatever happened to intellectual rigor! Hmph, you demand intellectual rigor and don’t link to [The Perfect Master’s explanation](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1120/in-blinded-by-the-light-what-exactly-is-the-lyric-following-the-title-phrase)? (It’s both, depending on whether Bruce or Manfred Mann is doing the singing. Bruce wrote it, though.) ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/12 "2009-01-27T16:13:33Z")
[Capote]Manfred Mann: That’s not playing, that’s practicing![/Truman Capote] 🙂 (Personally, and not that it matters, I doubt that Manfred Mann knew what a Deuce was, much less why cutting loose in one was such a big deal. Beyond that, I think that I’ve hijacked this thread enough. My apologies to the OP.) ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/13 "2009-01-29T00:53:04Z")
[that “shimmer” indicating the past] Awwww, y’all are makin’ this old man think about the days of…_DOUG CLARK AND THE HOT NUTS_ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHFxDcKElSM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHFxDcKElSM) [/that “shimmer” indicating the past] Q ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/14 "2009-01-30T04:09:48Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > Very roughly, your retina has light-sensitive receptor cells. When light hits those cells, it causes a chemical reaction which in turn cause the cell to “fire” neuro-transmitters to nearby nerve cells. Interestingly, the optic nerve itself has ‘transmitting signal’ as it’s base state, so when the eye detects light, it actually dampens the signal sent to the brain. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/15 "2009-01-30T12:21:57Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Interestingly, the optic nerve itself has ‘transmitting signal’ as it’s base state, so when the eye detects light, it actually dampens the signal sent to the brain. Cite, please. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/16 "2009-01-30T12:23:39Z")
I thought the OP was going to ask a slightly different question. I’ve heard since I was a kid that if you stare at the sun, you’ll go blind. I also hear anecdotes indicating the truthfulness of this claim, and I assume its true–but just to be sure, is it true? But that’s not the question I thought the OP was going to ask. What I thought the OP was going to ask is, if it’s true that you go blind from staring at the sun or other very bright objects, _why_ do you go blind? What exactly is physically damaged by staring at an extremely bright object, and how is it damaged? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/17 "2009-01-30T12:26:17Z")
> [@flex727](#): > > It’s been almost 2 months and I can still see the afterimage of that light. … He said the problem does occur about 1% of the time for unknown reasons. Wow? Have you talked to any other doctors about this? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/18 "2009-01-30T15:35:26Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Wow? > > Have you talked to any other doctors about this? > > -FrL- Yes, another doctor who performs the same type of surgery (DSEK), and he said the same thing: happens about 1% of the time, dunno why, and it will hopefully clear up in time. I’ve had the same procedure done to both eyes and the first one came out perfect - wish I could understand why there was such a difference with the second eye. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/19 "2009-01-30T16:55:30Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I thought the OP was going to ask a slightly different question. I’ve heard since I was a kid that if you stare at the sun, you’ll go blind. > > I also hear anecdotes indicating the truthfulness of this claim, and I assume its true–but just to be sure, is it true? But that’s not the question I thought the OP was going to ask. What I thought the OP was going to ask is, if it’s true that you go blind from staring at the sun or other very bright objects, _why_ do you go blind? What exactly is physically damaged by staring at an extremely bright object, and how is it damaged? > > -FrL- In past threads where this has been discussed, the consensus has been that the copious visible and near-infrared rays passing through your eyes and hitting your retina can cause a permanent burn on the retina, i.e., the light receptor cells can become overheated and die. Eclipses are even more dangerous, especially total eclipses, because the sun’s visible light is dimmed, so it appears quite safe to look at, and your eyes dilate in response to the low levels of visible light, but the corona and whatnot still radiates plenty of near-infrared light, which cooks your unsuspecting retina. I once spoke to a guy who looked at a total eclipse for a few minutes – less than five, he said – with his right eye. He developed a permanent blind spot in the middle of that eye and could no longer read with his right eye. He couldn’t recall WHY he had his left eye closed, but he was thankful that he had, or he wouldn’t be able to read at all. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149/20 "2009-01-30T20:36:32Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Cite, please. I’ll let you read the explanation on your own, but from [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoreceptor_cell#Signal_transduction_pathway): > [@](#): > > Thus, a rod or cone photoreceptor actually releases less neurotransmitter when stimulated by light. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-youre-blinded-by-light/483149.md?page=2)