It’s been a few years since I’ve had an ocular migraine, but the flashing lights and zigzag crenellations paid a visit this past Saturday. I was helping my friend Julia with a gorgeous headband she’s creating based on an ancient Assyrian headdress when the first flickers appeared in the periphery of my left eye. I ignored this visual phenomenon for a while, thinking my eyes were reacting to the sparkling crystals and shiny gold of Julia’s project. But as my vision grew more occluded, I did my migraine litmus test: I tried to read in a slightly dark room. When that failed…there were too many scotoma hovering in my field of view…I knew I needed to get home.
An ocular migraine (also called a retinal migraine) is a type of migraine that involves temporary visual disturbances in one eye, typically described as flashing lights, blind spots, zigzag patterns, or shimmering areas of vision. These episodes are usually short-lived (5 to 60 minutes) and may or may not be followed by a headache. I didn’t get a headache with this ocular migraine, and, as expected, by the time I got home I was halfway better, with a full recovery in less than an hour.
Migraine runs in families: my mother had migraines, as do my sisters and their daughters. I’ve also noticed that migraines are common among my synesthetic family members and other neurodivergent kin. Research has begun to illuminate striking overlaps between migraine and neurodivergent traits such as sensory hypersensitivity, attentional differences, and emotional intensity. Studies suggest that people with autism or ADHD are more likely to experience migraines than the general population, with shared features of sensory overload and atypical sensory integration appearing as possible links (Fasmer et al., 2018; Antonaci et al., 2019).
One large genetic study even found overlapping polygenic markers between migraine and autism, hinting at a common neurobiological substrate (Kawasaki et al., 2024). Beyond genetics, individuals with both migraines and neurodivergent traits often describe a vivid, sometimes overwhelming perceptual world. This “intense world serves as an embodied reminder that heightened sensory processing can be both a burden and a resource for creative endeavors. Understanding migraine through a neurodiversity lens shifts the narrative from pathology to variation, framing these experiences not as malfunctions but as alternate ways of perceiving and responding to a richly textured world.
For centuries, migraines have not only been a source of pain but also a wellspring of creative inspiration. Many migraineurs (people who experience recurrent migraines) report heightened visual imagination, intense sensory awareness, and vivid mental imagery, all of which can feed artistic expression. Historical figures such as Gustave Flaubert, who suffered from migraines, are believed to have drawn on the intense perceptual and emotional experiences of their attacks to enrich their writing. Contemporary research supports this connection: artists with migraine aura often translate the visual phenomena of their attacks into patterns, motifs, or stylistic elements in their work (Schott, 2007; Vigario Gañán et al., 2025). From shimmering light and kaleidoscopic forms to themes of vulnerability, perception, and bodily experience, migraine appears repeatedly as both a literal and symbolic presence in art.
The artwork above illustrating this blog post is a piece I created after experiencing an ocular migraine in London. Cygnus Scotoma is a manipulated digital photograph of me feeding the swans along the Serpentine Trail in Hyde Park while in the midst of intense visual disturbance. The photo below shows Julia’s stunning gold headband for an upcoming gala hosted by the Assyrian Foundation of America. It’s dazzling, exquisite, and fit for a queen. I can’t blame my migraine on its sparkling crystals; while light can be a trigger, so can caffeine, dehydration, or chocolate. Migraines, like art, are unpredictable, intense, and deeply personal, reminding us that both discomfort and beauty can transform the way we see the world.
