Recurring involuntary “memory flashes” that I can’t explain — has anyone experienced this?
I’m not diagnosed with epilepsy or any type of seizure disorder, and I’m planning to see my doctor and ask about a neurology referral. I’m hoping to hear from people who may have experienced something similar.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve had this happen a few times. The episode I had today was exactly the same as the previous episode. The only difference is that the previous time it felt more intense, so I remember noticing it more strongly.
What happens is extremely difficult to explain. I’ll suddenly get a millisecond-long flash in my mind that feels like a memory or a tiny scene, but I know it isn’t one of my actual memories. It also doesn’t feel like a normal dream or the usual déjà vu I’ve experienced before.
The flash happens so quickly that I can’t even describe what I saw afterward. It’s almost like my brain gives me a tiny fragment of something and then immediately takes it away. I don’t consciously think about it or make it happen. It just appears in my mind and disappears.
During an episode, I remain completely conscious and aware. I don’t lose consciousness or awareness of what’s happening around me.
I’ve noticed that when I’m overwhelmed, these flashes can happen more frequently — sometimes as often as every 10 minutes. Other times they’re much less frequent.
The weirdest part is that the flashes seem to have this feeling of being a memory that isn’t mine, even though I obviously don’t know whose memory it would be. I don’t literally believe I’m accessing someone else’s memories; that’s just the closest way I can describe the sensation.
I’m not asking Reddit to diagnose me. I’m just wondering if anyone has experienced this particular kind of extremely brief, involuntary memory/vision flash that disappears before you can even identify what you saw.
If you’ve experienced something similar, what does it feel like for you?