ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Charles Bonnet

Okay, so imagine you have a camera in your eyes that takes pictures of everything you see. But sometimes, the camera gets a little confused and takes pictures of things that aren't really there. This is kind of like what happens with Charles Bonnet syndrome.

Charles Bonnet syndrome happens when somebody's brain starts to make up images that aren't really there. These images can range from things like tiny dots or patterns to full-blown people, animals, or places. But even though they seem real, they're actually just bits of imagination from the brain.

This usually happens in people who have trouble with their eyesight. When your eyes don't work as well as they should, your brain sometimes has to fill in the gaps with pretend images. So even though the person seeing these images knows they aren't real, it can still be a little bit scary or confusing.

But the good news is that Charles Bonnet syndrome isn't a serious condition, and it usually goes away on its own over time. And even though the pretend images might be a little strange or spooky, they can also be kind of fun to look at sometimes!