Hi:

I would like to experience a migraine aura as long as there is nothing
but the aura and the aura is only temporary [approximately 15 minutes to
6 hours]. I've read about the aura and find it both enjoyable and scary
at the same time. I like the visual symptoms, the dizziness, the
numbness, etc.

I certainly would *not* want to have the headache phase or the
post-headache* phase of the migraine. I just want the aura.

Unfortunately for me, I am a migraine patient who does not experience
any aura. Just the torture of the headache. I hate those aches and pains
-- the common triggers being:

1. Oversleeping
2. Caffeine withdrawal
3. Sudden standing after a long period of lying down.
4. Sudden and intense physical exertion after a long period of lying down.

This is one reason why I so yearn to experience just the aura without
the headache. I've read about the aura symptoms, and I find them
psychedelic and enjoyable. But the aura is something I can only imagine.
I have to deal with the torment of the headaches. I just want to say,
those who experience the psychedelic migraine aura [*without* headache,
or ANY pain for that matter] that I describe below, are really blessed
with an innate hallucinogen without the side effects.

*After a migraine headache, many patients experience tension headaches.

NOTE: sensitivity to light/sound is *not* part of the aura -- only the
prodrome. I only want the aura and no other part of the migraine.

AFAIK, the aura is due to the intense vasoconstriction. The headache
OTOH, is due to vasodilation. Then the tension headache is an
after-effect of a migraine headache.

The vasoconstriction in "migraine with aura" is more intense and
longer-lasting then in the "migraine without aura." This is probably why
the former causes an aura while the latter does not.

In addition -- prior to and during vasoconstriction -- the blood
entering the brain is hyperoxygenated. The excess oxygen may play a role
in causing the brain's blood vessels to go into spasm and narrow. In
patients with "migraine aura", the brain's blood contains significantly
more oxygen than patients who experience "migraine without aura"

Here are the affects of my favorite painless migraine aura caused by
vasoconstriction solely in the brain and nowhere else [not even the eyes
or the ears]:

1. Unilateral visual symptoms which affect only the left half of the
left eye in which the more left you go [in that left half of the left
eye] the more the vision is affected, while the right eye -- as well as
the right half of the left eye -- have their vision intact and totally
unaffected. The left half of the left eye experiences the following
symptoms [the extreme left of the left half of the left eye is affected
the most severely by the symptoms]:

A. Blurry vision

B. Image distortion [e.g. 2-D images appear 3-D]

C. Dysmetropsia, i.e., macropsia, micropsia, pelopsia and teleopsia
(objects appearing larger, smaller, nearer and further away, respectively)

D. Tilted vision, inverted vision and other forms of illusory rotation

E. Diplopia (double vision)

F. Polyopia (vision of multiple images)

G. Visual perseveration, i.e., prolonged afterimages, palinopsia (the
persistence or reappearance of an image of a previously viewed object),
illusory visual spread (the illusory extension of the visual perception
over an area greater than that which the stimulus-object would be
expected to excite)

H. Cinematographic vision (visual illusion whereby the normal perception
of moving objects is replaced by seeing a series of "stills" as in a
film run too slowly)

I. Corona phenomenon (extra-contour around objects)

J. Metamorphopsia (distorted vision)

K. Facial metamorphopsia (distorted vision of human faces),

L. Mosaic illusion (fracture of the visual image into pieces dovetailed
together as in a mosaic),

M. Autokinesis (illusion of apparent movement of stationary objects)

N. Hallucinations of blobs, amorphous shapes, blurry patterns, watery
patterns with no definite design

O. Hallucinations of herringbone patterns, zig-zags, polygons, all
angular figures without curves or rounded corners, crosses

P. Hallucinations of circles, ellipses, parabolas, hyperbolas, sine wave
patterns, fingerprint whorls, spheres, balls, scribbling

Q. Hallucinations of spider webs, nets, unsymmetrical lattices and
filigrees, veins

R. Hallucinations of lattices, gratings, grids, screens, fretwork,
checkerboard, honeycombs

S. Hallucinations of tunnels, funnels, alleys, cones, vessels, pits,
corridors

T. Hallucinations of spirals, pinwheels, springs

U. Hallucinations of kaleidoscopes, mandalas, symmetrical snowflakes,
lacework, mosaics, symmetrical flowerlike patterns.

V. Hallucinations of any recognizable imagery such as faces, people,
landscapes, panoramic vistas, animals, inanimate objects, cartoons

W. Upside-down vision

X. Blindness [*without* any blackness, darkening or dimming of vision]
[Now for those of you who think blindness is the same thing as seeing
blackness when you close your eyes - you are completely wrong. Blindness
is like trying to see and there is nothing registering with the brain.
You don't see blackness... you don't 'see' anything. The sense to see is
gone.]

Y. Body image disturbance -- Alice in Wonderland syndrome -- macro- and
microsomatognosia, out-of-body experiences or felt presences

Z. Achromatopsia (loss of color vision), chromatopsia (distortion of
color vision), and prosopagnosia (agnosia for faces).

In addition there are also visual distortions, visual hallucinations,
and visual illusions that alter the sense of balance even if the organs
of balance and their associated brain-regions aren't directly affected
by any ailment.

2. Non-visual symptoms affecting only the left side of the body [and
getting more extreme at the extremities (e.g. finger and toes) and
milder at the center]. (To make the symptoms easier to describe, let’s
draw a line two divide the body into left and right -- the further you
go to left, the more extreme the symptoms will be. If you are on the
left, then the closer you go the line [i.e. the center] the milder the
symptoms will be). Here are the symptoms:

A. Paralysis
B. Numbness
C. Painless sensation [tactile hallucination] of gentle coldness
resembling that caused by TRPM8-receptor stimulation [caused by
vasoconstriction in the part(s) of the brain the interpret signal from
TRPM8-receptors.
D. Tactile hallucinations of movement
E. Impaired coordination
F. Involuntary movements
G. Body image disturbance -- Alice in Wonderland syndrome -- macro- and
microsomatognosia, out-of-body experiences or felt presences

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Pain.html

"One, designated TRPM8, is a channel that admits Ca2+ and Na+ in
response to moderate cold (<28°C) or menthol (the ingredient that gives
mint its "cool" touch and taste)."

3. Other symptoms:

A. Disturbance in the sense of balance in terms of the left inner ear --
i.e. the brain's reception of balance signals from the left inner ear is
altered due to vasoconstriction in the part[s] of the brain concerned
with balance from the left inner ear. Symptoms are dizziness, impaired
balance, loss of balance, vertigo, as well as random hallucinations
involving the sense of balance. Hearing and digestive functions are
totally unaffected. No nausea or vomiting.

B. Body image disturbance -- Alice in Wonderland syndrome -- macro- and
microsomatognosia, out-of-body experiences or felt presences.

C. Speeding up of time perception -- "time flies abnormally fast" --
opposite of marijuana's affect on sense of time.

D. Depersonalization

E. Derealization

F. Aphasia -- motor and sensory

G. Dysarthria

H. Stuttering

I. Involuntary vocalizations

J. Paralysis of speech muscles

K. Global aphasia

L. Broca's aphasia

M. Wernicke's aphasia

N. Anomic aphasia

O. Reading disturbances

P. Writing disturbances

Q. Paramnesias [such as Déjà vu and Jamais vu]

R. Forced Reminiscence -- dream-like states

S. Synesthesia involving senses of vision, balance, time, space, and
movement

T. Recurring dreams as migraine aura experiences

U. Migraine aura symptoms experienced whilst dreaming

V. Alteration of dreams as a direct result from cerebral vasoconstriction

W. Alterations in level of consciousness

X. Decrease in -- or loss of -- awareness [resembling absence or partial
seizure in which consciousness is retained but awareness is impaired]

Y. False memories; distortion of real memories; impaired short-term
memory; increased focus on long-term memories.

Z. Near-death experiences due to severe and prolonged cerebral vasospasm

Regards,

Radium

P.S. the symptoms described above are definitely terrifying but at the
same time, they can be SO enjoyable!