Migraine

I found "Migraine Auras: When the Visual World Fails", by Richard Grossinger (co-authored by some doctors too) at my local Border's today. I'm on page 61.

The book is written by an aura sufferer, and so far in the book he's related other aura sufferers' recounts of their experiences, discusses Alica in Wonderland Syndrome, and also talks about some famous migraine sufferers and their artistic output as a result of aura attacks.

He kind of takes the notion that we should learn from and embrace auras as an almost transcendental experience, which is not something I totally agree with, since the majority of my auras are followed by head pain. If I had the aura without the pain, I might feel a little differently.

He has, so far, challenged the way I think about my auras, even if I am scientifically stubborn.

Later on in the book there's a section on telepathy. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but we'll see what he says when I get there. I kind of snorted when I saw it. So far there is little material that I oppose (with what I have read and learned here, from my doctor, and from Teri's articles and her book) though I wish his text were a little less wordy and more to the point, but there seems to be so few tomes written on the aura experience that I thought I might pick it up and see what it had to say. I have approached the book with a lot of skepticism...he seems to take a more homeopathic approach to treating migraine.

Anyone else read this book and have comments on it?

Sounds interesting. Thinking of aura as transcendental is fine I suppose as long as thinking of it that way doesn't mean not treating Migraines.

Let us know more when you finish?

I've tried. I couldn't finish it. There was just something about it that was bothering me (and boring me) enough that I just gave up, and I usually finish every book I start, because I want to give it the chance. I guess I was expecting something else.

quote:

Originally posted by Leeloo:
...He kind of takes the notion that we should learn from and embrace auras as an almost transcendental experience, which is not something I totally agree with, since the majority of my auras are followed by head pain. If I had the aura without the pain, I might feel a little differently...

Later on in the book there's a section on telepathy. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but we'll see what he says when I get there. I kind of snorted when I saw it....

I think I should check this book out.

My mother is CONVINCED that I'm psychic because I have these weird migraines. My kids are CONVINCED that God is trying communicate with me through these weird migraines. I am not making any of this up. The things people will believe about migraineurs...

How far along are you now? Anything really good?

Hi Med..writer,

You may very well be. I have lots of premonitions when my migs are bad and daily. Mostly trivial things, but 3 times I got stock market bottoms within 100 points. Within 2 points after 9-11. Too bad I wouldn't bet real money on them:-(( I've never been able to control it, but I've never studied the subject either. It is real enough I don't have any trouble believing the people who help cops solve crimes.

Take care, Bob

Hi guys,

I'm about 2/3s of the way through the book. I have very few good things to say about it, which is disappointing, but I will finish it because there IS some good to it, and once I am past this second part it might get better again.

The good:

-Reading accounts of other people's auras, including famous people
-The list of various theories on the nature and way migraine functions (with a large chunk on the cortical depression explanation)
-Describing the link between motion sickness and those who developed migraine later
-Inclusion of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome description

The bad:

-Sometimes you need a dictionary, because he launches into medical phenomena without telling you what many of the terms are
-Author is not a doctor
-Author does not believe that preventatives or abortives is a way to go (this is the HUGE stepping stone for a lot of us--he's skeptical of the medical advances they've made but says a lot of these meds don't work like they are touted to work). Seems to prefer things like acupuncture. But he dances around the issue when he does address it...But he admits to not experiencing pain with the vast majority of his aura.
-He's wordy and repetitive, with sentences that are sometimes too elaborate, and when he moves on to the next paragraph to break down what he just said a little further he ends up saying the same thing over, just in a different way, yet still making it complicated.

I consider myself an intelligent person but there are times when the book confuses me.

When I'm through I'll post an entire review.

Splendid review so far!

I mean, you did a splendid job.

You probably should have written his book!

quote:

Originally posted by Chronic HA:
Hi Med..writer,

You may very well be...
Take care, Bob

There are family legends that second sight runs on both sides of my family. But so does diabetes and stroke and tendency to accumulate andipose tissue!

When I get a premonition that really serves me, I'll be inclined to take it more seriously. The most exciting thing I can do is tell who is on the phone.

I have a secret for performing that feat, though. There's this little screen where the phone number of the caller pops up...

Do they know Migraine is a genetic neurologic disease??


"My mother is CONVINCED that I'm psychic because I have these weird migraines. My kids are CONVINCED that God is trying communicate with me through these weird migraines. I am not making any of this up. The things people will believe about migraineurs...

How far along are you now? Anything really good?" :ThumbsUp

You'll know it when it happens. Kind of spooky at first. almost like traveling ahead in time to take a quick peek. Wonder what Einstien would have to say about it? My mother has a few premonitions, but nothing like I do. She doesn't have Migs, thank God for that!

I hope your dreams get better or go away. Bob

I find this aspect of aura so fascinating. I wrote an article on it a few years ago and as I was doing the research I realized I had it as a child. So did my daughter. When the article came out in a headache newsletter, she read it and said, "MOM! That's me!"

Unless you've experienced it, it's almost undescribable. It's really other-worldly. It was hard to find enough research material on the topic, I think more people need to know what it is.

I think I'll have to check this book out.

quote:

Inclusion of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome description

quote:

Originally posted by Nancy Bonk:
Do they know Migraine is a genetic neurologic disease??

Of course they do, silly! They still think I have secret powers that they (from whom I inherited this genetic disease and to whom I've passed on this genetic disease) do NOT have!




They think that the aura portion is the weird part. I'm the only one of our whole migraine bunch that has aura phenomena.

how strange about psychic phenomena related to migs. I am extremely psychic on more than 1 level. Always have been,always will be. I can feel and see things before they happen. I do it almost constantly. I am greatly connected to "spirit guides"... they tell me what I need to know and I trust them alot. My intuition in general is bang on nearly 100% of the time... I can "see" evil and good by way of colours around people, *also called aura* I can also see, as though i were watching a frame by frame movie, something happening that i need to know about right as it is happening in real time. I also seem to be able to pick up other peoples feelings and truly feel them, knowing however they are not mine. I have also at times displayed telepathy but its not an everyday occurance. My abilities are stronger when I have a mig. So when I'm in pain and I am in a panic about not going in the car, hubby listens to me. then on the news we hear of a crash that took place at the same shortcut my hubby takes, at the same time that we woulda been at that place. Stuff like this happen just about daily, so hubby and i are both used to these oddities and see them as just something helpful to live with! Wonder if there is indeed some connection....
without exception, the psychic folks that I know have either migraines, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. many have all 3. we are now entering the twilight zone.. doo dooo dooo doo
:-)
bim

Hi Bim, I don't know any others, but I ask a mig dr once about it. She said it was common in migraineurs, but I wasn't really sure if she was pulling my leg or what ???

Take care, Bob

I believe you sent me your article. I know things hit home for me, too, when I read it. It's nice to have since there is so little out there on it. It's like I have this secret paper on AWS!

After suffering AWS (I think) and a lot of motion sickness as a child, it just seems almost "natural" to have migraines now.

In regards to the paranormal-type suggestions the author puts out, he really seems to be talking about embracing the aura as part of something that happens in the human collective and as nothing to be alarmed about nor dangerous to the human condition, which we know isn't true since it preceeds pain for many of us that can threaten stroke. For some reason he tends to repeat that migraines aren't harmful, and that aura is part of a cycle that initiates a sensor overload that eventually returns us to "normal."

He also talks about how other cultures/religions may deal with aura--Buddists and Taoists who think that certain aura is indicative of where you're at on the mental maturity level, and that meditation will eventually eradicate aura completely and will mean that you've achieved some mastery over the phenomena.

He also lost me somewhat when he called asthma partially "psychosomatic". Okay, what...? I get that you can mentally exacerbate an attack already in progress by panicking, but the disease itself is not psychosomatic. As an asthma sufferer lifelong as well, I take that in offense.

In any case, I will have a more thorough review up when I finish the book.

quote:

Originally posted by DebHOST:
I find this aspect of aura so fascinating. I wrote an article on it a few years ago and as I was doing the research I realized I had it as a child. So did my daughter. When the article came out in a headache newsletter, she read it and said, "MOM! That's me!"

Unless you've experienced it, it's almost undescribable. It's really other-worldly. It was hard to find enough research material on the topic, I think more people need to know what it is.

I think I'll have to check this book out.

quote:

Inclusion of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome description