Photic Sneezing

[Islander]

Was wondering if anyone has the photic sneezing reflex.

What starts it? Sudden exposure to bright light? Continuous exposure to bright light?

How long would a fit last, and how many sneezes does one get?

Example, can you go out to the beach and suntan on a hot day?

[VoOs]

I'm photic, but strong light only makes me sneeze if I'm suddenly exposed to it after being in a relatively dark environment for a longer while. Like, the first few seconds when I step outside on a bright morning. As my eyes adjust themselves to the light, the reflex dies down.

My photic reflex usually causes me to sneeze once or twice at a time, but it's fairly easy for me to "control" and play with it. For example, I can prolong my build-up by repeatedly facing the sun and looking away again. While tickles from a cold or other irritants can be pretty annoying, the sensation I get from looking at strong light is just really pleasurable.

[Hankysneeze]

I'm photic, it normally happens if I have been inside for a long period and then go out in to the bright light. I normally get around 2-3 sneezes from a photic episode, but it does vary depending on the brightness and the length of time I have been shaded from it

[Vetinari]

Was wondering if anyone has the photic sneezing reflex.

What starts it? Sudden exposure to bright light? Continuous exposure to bright light?

Sudden exposure to bright light, or deliberately increased exposure, for example on a bright day outside, I may not sneeze immediately, but the reflex can be stimulated by turning towards the sun, or looking at something large and bright (a white painted house or a snow field for example). I have found that focal light sources, however bright don't work nearly as well as something bright that fills the field of view.

How long would a fit last, and how many sneezes does one get?

Between one and three. If I'm trying to induce that way, three would be a fairly normal figure. After that it stops working.

Example, can you go out to the beach and suntan on a hot day?

Well I'd prefer not to, but that is wholly unrelated to the photic reflex!

[atchoum]

Fascinating topic, and not too much to add after Vetinari and VoOs's input.

Perhaps two points :

1. Photic sneezing comes in varying degrees. I have a friend who can have photic sneezes every time we come out into bright sunshine -(typically two or three, sometimes more), several times a day. Others will be limited to once a day, and only after a very specific stimulus. And probably the most common : people who use it to bring out a sneeze that's already there.

2. It can vary with age. Unfortunately it seems to diminish as you get older. I've read that children often grow out of it, and I have discovered - to my cost ! - that adults can too. Not very long ago I would have a photic sneeze most days, typically coming out of the canteen where I had lunch into the sun. Now I'm lucky to have one photic sneeze a month.

and I'm sure other photic sneezers on the forum will have other aspects to add.

[Anonymouse]

*sits back and watches the thread curiously*

[The Dude]

Absolutely, I'm very photic! The Sun is my favorite way to induce.

[count tiszula]

I am not photic, but guess what, I have observed photic people closely over the years. So the answer to the sunbathing question is really that you have to take a sunshade with you or ensure you go on a beach where you can be sure of a place under an existing sunshade, ie before the Germans put a towel on it. If you don't shade your eyes you may not get a single sneeze all the time you are in the sun. But if you ensure that your eyes are shaded, then every time you want to enjoy a wonderful sneeze or two all you have to do is get up and go out into the direct sunlight.

And don't worry, you can still wear sunglasses. Any properly photic person emerging from shade to sunlight will find they have absolutely no sneeze-inhibiting effect.

[Sawdust]

I am photic and it is that sudden exposure that sets me off and depending on the intensity of late or how dark the place I was in changes the number of sneezes. Anywhere from 1-6 can happen. Closer to the lower end of the spectrum though.

It also isn't just the Sun for me, any bright light if I look into it and my eyes are not adjusted will cause a tickle at least.

I once took off my sunglasses during a baseball game and sneezed. Guess I am supersensitive...

[Ouro]

*sits back and watches the thread curiously*

*joins and begins furiously taking notes of potential use in fiction*

[atchoum]

Another test of how sensitive the reflex is : demonstrate it! I have once had someone demonstrate this to me : look out the window up towards the sun, producing one sneeze. I think that's probably somewhere near the outer range of sensitivity.

[Rhomberg Rabbit]

I'm photic but only if I look at the sun and think about sneezing. I'm usually good for 2-4 but this morning Ol' Mr. Sun treated me to seven. One right after another. Does that count as a fit?

Edited July 9, 2012 by Mayor McSneeze

[Copper]

I think most points have been answered in full by now. I am photic too and I function as above; strong sudden light, rapid change in luminosity, once-twice yada yada yada. In fact, I was under the impression that the photic reflex was strong and commonplace in most humans. I hadn't even considered the fact that some might not have it, even less that some might find it exotic.

I also confess I wanted to upend this thread by screaming "I'M PHOTONIC!" and posting a picture of Cyclops going nuts...

But after considering my newbie status I reconsidered. Perhaps some other time.

[Sawdust]

^Would have done it anyways lol

[Islander]

I'm photic but only if I look at the sun and think about sneezing. I'm usually good for 2-4 but this morning Ol' Mr. Sun treated me to seven. One right after another. Does that count as a fit?

Yes, I would say seven is a fit. I was wondering if anyone was so sensitive to light that a fit could be as high as 10-15 or, as long as you're in the sunlight, it would go on until you went inside.

[Photic]

Well I think it should be obvious that I am a photic sneezer. I usually never sneeze more than twice though. Typically it happens when I first start driving and it's really bright out, which can sometimes be an inconvenience as you can imagine.

I am a big fan of air shows and something I find rather humorous is that when people start looking up at the planes you can hear an orchestra of all the photic sneezers going off. I just experienced this recently while attending a local air show as a matter of fact. I happened to be sitting next to a cute girl who was a photic sneezer and she sneezed once or twice every time she looked up toward the sun. It was pretty amazing.

[atchoum]

Well I think it should be obvious that I am a photic sneezer. I usually never sneeze more than twice though.

You are lucky then (and the good Mayor even more so). If I have a photic sneeze (and I have had several since this topic started, so it may just need a bit of prompting!), it's invariably a single. But non photics can be as many as half a dozen at times.

Anyone else have different sneezing patterns with photics and non photics?