Is it normal to think that pictures can see you?

I just want someone to tell me what it means to think that pictures can see you, and rationally know there’s nothing to make that true, but still I can’t stop thinking it. It’s written permanently on my brain, this is a fact, the pictures can see you. Their eyes can see you and their ears can hear you so even when the lights are off they can still tell what you’re up to. And they remember everything and form opinions of you, of your body and your actions, the way you act and what you say. When you lie and when you boast in front of your friends, they know the truth. So you have to lie to them too, put on an act, so that they don’t know what you’re really like and they can’t pass judgement. You have to cover the eyes. Once the eyes are covered the ears can’t hear and the memory can’t record. And then there’s relief. But soon I get lonely again, sometimes I want the pictures to see, just to impress them, to show them me and what me is. To me they’re just as much as other people, just like other people, sometimes I want them around and sometimes I don’t.
Then I’d want someone to tell me what it means to suddenly be aware of yourself, almost as if you are another person inside yourself. My awareness sinks inside from the shoulders, about 2 and a half centimeteres, and I am suddenly acutely aware of my body and how it looks and how I act, what my voice sounds like and the things I say. And then deeply ashamed of all of that. And I have to run and move, to try and get away from the self my inside self has suddenly seen. To talk to someone, to touch something, to just do something to make my inside me attatch to the outside again and make this horrible feeling go away. Just to be one person again. But it’s sometimes too hard, after all you can’t run away from yourself. It’s not split personality, it’s more like two of me, me seeing me the way me would see me if I wasn’t me. Fuck it’s hateful. My shoulders just there, but they’re not my shoulders but they are.
Or if someone could tell me they’ve had the same horror at imagining a grain of sand as heavy as the world or a ship as light as a feather. If these thoughts, or thoughts like these come to me when my eyes are closed or it’s pitch black I have to leap out of bed and turn on the light, wipe it from my mind. It disgusts me. Such a heavy small thing. Incomprehensible. Such a light, weightless object of mind-blowing dimensions. How? Yet in the pitch black, these things are there in my hands and I want to run from them and scream. And I have no idea why.
And most recently of all and only once, I want to know what a distant screaming in my ears means. Just once. When I sat playing Portal 2, distinct screaming came inside my ears, something I couldn’t control or stop. I’m not sure how long it lasted, could’ve been a minute, and I couldn’t tell if it was one or many voices screaming but what I do know is it brought on the same exact horror and panic as the inner self-awareness, the heavy miniscule thing and the colossal weightless thing. It was disgusting.
Is it normal to think these things?

Voting Results
47% Normal
Based on 83 votes (39 yes)
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Comments ( 31 )
  • shuggy-chan

    what if the pictures im looking at are of boobs? can I feel them

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    • IggiStar

      um...ok. you're allowed.

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      • shuggy-chan

        WTF this shit is flat!!

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        • IggiStar

          The boobs are flat? Sorry.

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          • shuggy-chan

            no, but they feel flat, this is a sham, that is the last time I listen to an OP

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            • IggiStar

              I'm not really a conisour of flat picture boobs, perhaps you should invest in a 3D orographic map and then pretend it's boobs?

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  • Living_Too_Late

    If you think PORTRAIT pictures are looking at you, that's quite common. If you think landscape pictures are looking at you,,, that ain't.

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    • IggiStar

      Well I guess I'm vaguely normal then!

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  • J-hendrix444

    Woah I relate to feeling like pictures can see me and I’ve always thought I was the only one. I have artwork on my bedroom walls and I literally feel like some of it watches me and knows me (cant hear me all the time tho).

    It happens with objects sometimes too. It’s not like I think a literal box is watching me, but almost a presence associated with it (not anything scary). For example, if someone gives me their used dresser, I sometimes feel like THEY or this presence of the dresser can “see” me????
    Anyone else??

    I also 100% want them to see me sometimes.. when I’m dressed up nice or doing something fun. But when I feel ugly or vulnerable, I always think they’re judging me HARD. And that’s when the hyper self-awareness comes in!! I’m aware of every little movement of my face and body. Suddenly all my insecurities are under a harsh spotlight of judgement by these artwork, pictures, and objects. I want to hide myself!!! I avoid changing in my room most days. And typing this out feels so weird. I KNOW it’s not a healthy way to think and live but there’s something deeper happening in our brains that’s causing these thoughts. For example, I think my issue is social anxiety disorder.

    It’s definitely normal because a lot of sane people deal with this, but I’m sure the majority of people on earth don’t think this way.

    Honestly tho it’s very relieving knowing it’s not just me. I feel so weird even admitting it bc of how weird and crazy it sounds.

    But thank you for understanding!!!

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    • sandrawashere22

      What u said is very understandable!!

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  • colourfultriangle

    I know this was years ago and it's incredibly unlikely that this'll get seen, but you've just described me almost exactly - do you have the pictures on your phone? And when you want them to listen you switch the screen on in your pocket, when you don't you switch it off?

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  • GoraIntoDesiGals

    Oh come on don't be silly. If you're on a picture owned by a friend you can't see what your friend does either.

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    • IggiStar

      I'm sorry, but that's the dumbest thing you could have written. Of course I know it's silly! It's totally irrational, but try telling that to my paranoid lizard brain sometime, eh?

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  • FrankyDuctEdAlbie

    I felt almost the same once. It's normal.

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  • _her_

    I am actually going through the same thing! I feel as though the pictures I've hung up on my wall can see and hear me, I sometimes think they can see through walls. It sounds silly I know but I'd really like to know if there's a term for what this is called.

    Sincerest Regards, Her

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  • haleighmariex

    Hi. I just want to say that I just made this account for the sole reason of commenting on this. I was just scrolling through, having just discovered this website. This was the first one I clicked on, for no particular reason at all. As I read my jaw began to drop at the familiarity of what was written. I honestly thought something was really wrong with me, and I discover you, whoever you are, who has gone through almost the same exact thing I've had to deal with for my entire life. I feel very very....odd about this. My heart is racing...I mean I'm stoned as fuck...but this is still just weird. I'd love to talk in private, friend. Get this weird thing we got going on in our heads figured out...let me know if you wanna talk. Sincerely, haleigh

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    • IggiStar

      Really? Just the pictures thing or right down to the whole person within a person thing. Like me wearing me? The same thing with the images inside my head of the grains of sand and gigantic weightless objects? I can't do private chat on here cos I don't have that gold thing, but feel free to comment on here. I'm totally surprised, I really am. I didn't think anyone would get it. Also, I might add, I'm on a ship at the moment, I am an officer, so my internet access is restricted so I can't reply very quickly to things.

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  • RoseIsabella

    Either way, it sounded like a bunch of malarkey. I didn't act kooky for the sake of politeness.

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    • IggiStar

      I'm not sure I understand...you thought the witch was there?

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  • RoseIsabella

    How do you feel about mirrors?

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    • IggiStar

      Uneasy.

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      • RoseIsabella

        I knew a girl who would cover the mirror in her room because she was afraid this psychic witch guy could see her.

        Personally if I felt that way I would feel compelled to make obscene gestures at the mirror.

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        • IggiStar

          Obscene gestures and eye contact is only a short term solution. It gets exhausting very quickly and after a while avoidance is the best solution.

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  • Phishy

    You have problems, mate.

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    • IggiStar

      Honestly? 35% normal this says now

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  • Ilovewinter12

    This is so odd because I sometimes think the same way, although perhaps not to this extent.

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    • IggiStar

      Well at least to some extent, which is kind of soothing I guess... :)

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      • Ilovewinter12

        Yeah. I dunno, I just don't like a photo of someone staring at me, it's just kinda creepy, you know?

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        • IggiStar

          But at the same time do you not kind of want it to see you? Like when you're at your best and that?

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          • Ilovewinter12

            Maybe.

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  • kittycatrelle

    In my peripheral vision i see them blink. Ive learned to ignore it

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