What causes after images?

[melamommy]

I hope someone out there knows what I am talking about.  I have been experiencing 'after images' for the past 10 years or so.  I am referring to a visual disturbance that occurs most obviously when in a dimly lit place.  The way I would describe it is that when in dim light, as I move through a room or move my eyes and look around....,  everything, every object in my presence has a trail of the object that moves after it.  It's not all the details of the objects in the 'after images'...it is mainly the outline or a blur of the object that follows.  Like I mentioned...just walking through a dimly lit room at night, the furniture, the corners of a wall, my hand moving across my face, someone passing by...everything has a blurred trail that follows it.  It's very obvious in the car at night where the lights on the dashboard will have trails following them as I move my eyes around.  Those are just examples of what I'm seeing.  I don't use drugs, NEVER have, nor smoke nor drink.  I live a very healthy lifestyle.  Just endlessly curious as to what these after images really are...what's really happening.  Is it an eye problem or a brain problem?  My opthamologist says that some people notice them more than others, but I just can't take that for an explanation.  I don't think it's normal and I think there must be a logical reason people that have after images see them and others don't.  But I will also mention that I notice them some days more than others.  Maybe on days when I am more tired at night but I can't really think of any other reason why I have them worse on some days more than others and somedays maybe not notice them at all.  SOMETHING causes them.  It could be harmless.  But I'm just wondering what's going on in my eyes or brain that makes this happen.  They've happened for so long now that I'm very used to them, and I don't get freaked out by them, as to where I think if other people could see what I am seeing they would be freaking out.  Anyway....anyone with thoughts or info on this?
Thanks so much~

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Teenager101]

From your description of symptoms it sounds like you may have  Palinopsia. It is thought to be a brain related disorder but doctors are not really shure about what really causes it. Check this site out for more information regarding Palinopsia.

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palinopsia