How migraine
feels like?
Medium:
Generative AI
‘How Migraine Feels Like?’ is an evocative and immersive video that takes audiences on a visual journey through the surreal and often debilitating experience of living with migraines. By leveraging the combined power of human creativity and artificial intelligence (AI), this video transcends traditional storytelling to simulate the intense pain and sensory overload that migraine sufferers endure.
The video opens with an intense scene, simulating sharp migraine pain through abstract visuals. This scene is abruptly disrupted by a sudden shift in the atmosphere, as the screen fills with pulsating, distorted visuals and disorienting sounds. This transition mirrors the onset of a migraine attack, transporting the viewer into a world of chaos and discomfort.
Medium:
VISUAL & AUDITORY ELEMENTS:
The visual journey is marked by abstract and surreal imagery designed to represent the various symptoms of migraines. AI-generated graphics depict throbbing headaches through pulsating, contorted shapes that seem to constrict and expand, evoking a sense of pressure and pain. The screen flashes with bright, jagged lines and shimmering spots, simulating the visual disturbances known as auras that often precede or accompany migraines.
Sound plays a crucial role in this simulation. The video incorporates a cacophony of jarring noises, such as the sound of wind cycles amplified to resemble small hurricanes and the relentless pounding of a drum, echoing the sensation of a brain being used as a drum. These auditory elements mimic the heightened sensitivity to sound, known as phonophobia, which many migraine patients experience.
PATIENT QUOTES:
Interspersed throughout the video are real-life testimonials from migraine patients, adding a deeply personal and authentic dimension to the experience. These quotes provide a narrative backbone, guiding the viewer through the various stages and symptoms of a migraine attack: “My migraines feel like someone is using my brain as a drum. They happen on one side of my head, as migraines do, making it hard to see, concentrate, and sometimes even speak.” “Air conditioning cycles sound like small hurricanes.” “It feels like built-up pressure and pain.” “It feels like an ice pick is stabbing my brain.” “I can’t think, focus or concentrate.” “There’s so much pressure in my head that it seems like my brain is trapped in a tiny closet.” These patient quotes are brought to life through AI-enhanced visuals and sound effects, creating a multi-sensory experience that is both disorienting and enlightening.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
By combining human creativity with the computational power of AI, ‘How a Migraine Feels Like’? Offers a visceral and immersive experience that bridges the gap between migraine sufferers and those who have never experienced this condition. It serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact migraines have on individuals’ lives and the importance of empathy and support for those who endure this invisible illness.
“I feel extremely sensitive to sounds”
“Air conditioning cycles
sound like small hurricanes”
“I can’t think, focus or concentrate”
“It feels like built-up pressure and pain”
"For a chronic migraine, there are no
triggers, life is my trigger”
"It feels like an ice pick
is stabbing my brain"
"My migraine happens on one side of my head &
it makes it hard to see”
