I have a question. Why can’t I see my eyes moving when I look in to a mirror? Because everybody around me tells me my eyes are moving, if I make a video of my eyes I can see that they are moving but when I look in to a mirror I can’t see them moving. Why is that? Does anyone have an explanation for this?
The involuntary eye movements associated with nystagmus can be difficult to perceive visually, even for the person experiencing them. There are a few key reasons for this:
Sensory adaptation: Our brain is remarkably good at adapting to small, repetitive eye movements. Over time, it essentially “filters out” the nystagmus, making it less noticeable to the individual.
Lack of visual feedback: When looking in a mirror, you’re not getting the same visual feedback as when someone else observes your eyes. The mirror image doesn’t provide the same depth perception and external reference points.
Self-observation challenges: It’s simply harder for us to observe our own eye movements compared to someone else observing them. Our brain is constantly working to stabilize our visual field, making it more difficult to detect the nystagmus.