Fata Morgana.. so much water on streets

[Meadow]

Hello,

some time ago when I sat in a car (not driving it myself) it was a really hot day and I saw lots of this imagined water on the surface of the highway, but only on straight sections, when there was a turn in the road there was none. I know it is normal to see that and it is because of the heated air next to the street surface, but I've never seen as much as at that day.

Now the strange thing: a few days later I sat in a car at late evening, it was dark and no way as hot as on this other day. But I still saw some water. It was a complete different way we went and there were lots of turns, but still this water. I asked my boyfriend if he saw that too, he denied. The day before I couldn't ask him in the car, because there were too much other people and they did not talk on their own and I don't want them to know about my symptoms. anyway, he did not pay attention to it.

well, I often have negative afterimages, but this water in the night looked like normal, no negative colours, and it had different shapes...

anyone out there who knows soemthing more about HPPD and this fata morgana stuff?

cheerio

[2muchmandy]

Thats 100% normal for non hppders. It happens when its hot. Its like a heat haze and you see pools...it happens alot in the usa in arizona and stuff....youtube videos or pics of roads in arizona...youl see it

[ferret]

Its not from HPPD. You are describing a mirage which is different from a halucination or an illusion. It is normal and not at all connected to HPPD. Stop worrying.

From Wikipedia: A highway mirage is an inferior mirage which can be seen very commonly on roadways by day or by night. This hot-road mirage is usually most noticeable on hot sunny days. It seems to look like a 'pool', however when you get closer you realise that it actually isn't there. Warm air is less dense than cool air, and the variation between the hot air at the surface of the road and the denser cool air above it creates a gradient in the refractive index of the air. Light from the sky at a shallow angle to the road is refracted by the index gradient, making it appear as if the sky is reflected by the road's surface. The mind interprets this as a pool of water on the road, since water also reflects the sky

[mgrade]

This may sound a little stupid but maybe you need to drink more water. (not kidding....are you staying hydrated?) ....... I mean you do see it all the time in summer if you look down a long stretch of road; it's normal.

[Meadow]

Thanks for your replies. I know that it is a normal phenomen, but this night when I saw it too, was not warm at all. It was maybe about 15° Celsius, but this is only a guess. I slept later in a tent and it was very cold, I could hardly fall asleep because of this freezing. But I have to add: That evening my hppd-symptoms went crazy. Everything was increased to a new maximum. (Haven't seen my boyfriend for a few days and when we phoned we had a spontaneous idea of me catching the next train and go to him (i ahd a bout 20 minutes to inform my mother and pack my stuff))

So, maybe you are right that I worry too much about this mirage, but I really think it is strange to see it when there is no heat...