By Diana Clark, May 15, 2019 — I was staying with a friend for a few days while her husband was out of town. At the time, they lived in a remote location, and she was uneasy being alone through the nighttime hours. We would enjoy shopping by day, going out to dinner, and watching a movie before retiring each night.
I enjoy a good movie following a warm shower and donning my PJ’s and robe. The problem is, I usually miss the ending because I cannot stay awake! This particular evening was no exception.
From across the room, I faintly heard, “Diana, wake up.” Then a bit louder, “Wake up. It’s time for bed.” This time my friend was near the recliner. My eyes opened—she was green! In fact, everything was green—my friend, the walls, the ceiling, the carpet, the furniture, everything!
“What have you done?” I asked. “Why is everything green?” I couldn’t understand how she turned everything in sight to this bright chartreuse color. I knew exactly where I was and why I was there, but the monochromatic surroundings were very confusing.
“What do you mean? Nothing is green,” she replied.
“Everything is chartreuse. Don’t you see it?” As we debated the issue, normal colors gradually returned. The episode lasted less than a minute, but I was awake; I was not dreaming. Everything in my sight had been chartreuse. What in the world caused that phenomenon?
I had no other symptoms of any kind, so I dismissed any immediate concern and followed up with my ophthalmologist at my next scheduled visit. In the meantime, I googled it. I was not alone; others reported similar occurrences—each person was just waking up and described the color as chartreuse. I have yet to find a physician who can explain what I experienced, including my ophthalmologist.
Several months later, upon waking from a doze, I saw a brief chartreuse shading that faded as quickly as it appeared. It has been years now, and I have not experienced it again.
I may never know.