The Lazer Show

Freaky Stuff in your Bedroom

The Lazer Show

As a child with autism, I was fascinated and frightened of the light and shadow patterns that are projected onto the wall by passing cars.  At night I wanted to sleep with the curtains open to allow the some light from driveway light into the room.  When the curtains were closed, the room will be pitch black and the driveway light will project a small crack of light at the top of the wall.  In 1990, I wanted to sleep with a night light to reduce the fears of the dark.

A small crack of light shines from the driveway light when the bedroom curtains are closed

 

 In 1991, I started calling the shadows that are projected on the walls "Lazers."  In the mid to 90's I transitioned to sleeping in the dark and watched the lazers from passing cars.

What is a Lazer?

A Lazer is created when a car drives by your house at night time.  The high beams from the car will pass through the window and project a shadow pattern on your wall.  As the car passes by the house, the patterns will move in the opposite direction across your walls.  As the lazer reaches the centre of the room, it may grow, or shrink.

How Do I know when a Lazer will appear on my wall?

I would notice the light shining into my bedroom window and hear the car approaching the house.  If I do not want to see a freaky Lazer, I would cover my eye under the bed covers until the car passes. 

Types of Lazers

Big

The Big Lazer is the easiest lazers to project onto your walls.  All you need is an uncovered window.  The bigger the window, the better!

The Big Lazer is simply allowing the car's headlights to shine through an uncovered window.

Bob Bo 

The Bob Bo lazer is created by covering your window, leaving an inch gap on the side of the window to allow the car high beam to pass.

Bob Bo is a simple vertical line lazer.

Joes's

The Joe's Lazer is created by closing the venetian blinds and allowing the light to pass through the slats.

Joe's Lazer is a simple Venetian blind lazer. (Newklages Lighting)  

Gong

The Gong is created by closing your curtains and leaving an inverted triangular gap at the centre of the window.  I had re-occuring nightmares about this lazer after seeing it several times in bed back in the late 80's.  This is why I was scared to sleep with the curtains closed.

The H Light

The H light requires multiple windows to project. This lazer features the scary Gong in the centre and two Bob Bo lasers on either side.  Cover the centre of the window and leave the sides uncovered.  More windows, the better.  Make sure you have curtains on all the windows.

The H Light is a comination of Bob Bo and Gong,  Multiple windows are required.

Other Effects

Mirrors

The reflection of the mirror will bounce the Lazer across the room.   I like to say the lazer is falling apart.  I discovered this Lazer effect in a condo in Orlando Florida  Try it for yourself

A mirror's reflection will bounce light across the room

Lazers in Dreams

The Gong Dream

After seeing the Gong Lazer, I had a dream where I was in my room and I was watching a big lazer move across the wall.  As the lazer is continues along its path, Suddenly the big lazer transforms into a Gong lazer.  I also heard the word GONG in the sound of a car motor and I freaked out.  I jumped out of bed and opened all the curtains as fast as I could!

Dreams of Recent Years

 In the last 10 years, I started to have dreams about the Lazers I saw when I lived on Kennedy Road.  These dreams would be a mixture of seeing the freaky Gong lazer and and the Bob Bo. 

Reference List

Figure (1)- The B Movie, photo from New Klages Lighting, http://newklages.com/NKI_LetSunShineIn.htm

Freaky Stuff in the Car

What is Freaky in the car?

Everywhere you go, there is something out there to scare or freak you out.  The scary stuff you may encounter during a car ride may include tunnels, automatic car washes, or steep hill signs.

The Car Wash

Why is the Car Wash Scary?  If you have been through an automatic car wash, you will know the common scary moments. 

1. The Darkness. 

Some of the older car washes were windowless and you cannot see outside.

2. The Brushes 

The sound of the cloth brushes whipping against the side of the car.

Car Wash Story of 1987

In 1987, I went to the Clean Plus Car Wash, 166 Davis Drive, Newmarket, Ontario for the first time.  The colour of the car wash at the time was a brown coloured brick building.  While approaching the tunnel, I did not know what this place is.  The blue curtain was swaying from side to side and the car slowly crept towards the darkness.  Once I see the light at the end of the tunnel, the car was stuck for a moment in.  Alma said, "The car is having a bath."  I looked out the window, I thought the car was sitting inside a giant bath tub.  A few weeks later, I returned to the same car wash, and the Blue brushes gave a freak out.  Once I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I thought the same thing was going to happen again.  The car just exited the car wash.  Upon exiting the car wash for the second time the freak factor was reduced.

Shell Station , 166 Davis Drive, Newmarket, ON

Tunnels

An overpass tunnel on Michigan Highway 10, Detroit MI

Why are Tunnels Freaky?

Tunnels can be freaky because of the sudden change from light to dark.  You will be glad when you see the light at the end of the tunnel.  There are two freak Factors

Light Patterns and Colours

Many of the newer tunnels on highways feature the freaky Amber light.  Amber light creates a transition between the light outside to tunnel driving.

The entrance of the Liberty Tunnels in Pittsburgh PA features a freaky lighting pattern.  There are six rows of lights of the ceiling of the tube.  This picture belongs to Flickr usere Hemicuda82, Found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hemicuda82/259819894/sizes/o/in/photostream/ on September, 22,2010

Darkness

The darkness is the main freak out factor of tunnels.

Steep Hill Sign

Why is the Steep Hill Sign freaky?

If you are driving around in an unknown area and you come to a Steep Hill sign, your stomach may cringe because there may be a tunnel at the base of the steep hill. 

Locations of Steep Hills

Robert Moses State Parkway (104), Lewston, NY

Interste 77, West Virginia.  There are several steep hills while travelling southbound towards the  Virginia Border.  The East River Tunnel marks the border between West Virgiinia and Virginia.

You will see a steep hill sign in any mountainous regions

 

Freaky Stuff on the Radio

Why is the radio scary?

The Way, DJ Taktix,  The first Jungle Track I heard on the radio

Never thought that you could get away from the freaks and scares?  The radio has a handful of scares on the waves.  War of the Worlds was past my time.  I had my freaks from radio ads to electronic music.

Radio Ads

Lung Association ad 1993 - 1994

In 1994, there was a radio ad on 1050 Chum that gave me a scare.  It was an anti smoking ad posted by the Lung Association.  While I was half asleep and the ad started, my stomach cringed because of the scary sounds and there was a heart monitor beeping in the background and it ends with a flatline.  At the end of the radio ad, they say "Support the Lung Association."

Freaky Music

What was scary about electronic music?  Some electronic music tracks have scary sounds and effects that may warp your mind while half asleep.  The most common one is the Time Stretch.  The Time Stretch, makes the voice or sound effect pretty freaky because of the spaces within the sound.  It sounds like someone talking into a fan.

Here is a list of some tracks with a scary Time Strectch effect.

Surgar is Sweeter, CJ Bolland

Higher State of Consciousnes -- Josh Wink



Spin Spin Sugar -- Sneaker Pimps (1997)



There is a scary Time Stretch in this track.  When I heard this track for the first time, I got freaked out.  The words Spin Spin Sugar is heard in the time stretch.


I Can't Help Myself -- Lucid



You can listen to this freaky time strectch.  The Stretch begins at 5:27.

Insomnia -- Faithless


This track features time stretching through out the entire track.  The words that can be heard in the time stretch is "I cannot get any sleep".  There are some other scary time stretched in the track.

The Way, Shadow VIP Mix -- DJ Taktix Featuring Top Buzz

I heard this track and had my first exposure to the scary vocal time stretch.  While I was laying in bed with the radio on, I feel my stomach turn at the start of the time stretch. 

I will add more freaky Time Streching songs soon as I find them.  Keep your Ears to the Tracks

Freaky Stuff on the TV

Freaky Stuff on TV

 

Hanna Babara Twisting Star.  A child with autism may get startled due to the synthesized sounds and patterns. 

Everybody has a TV in their house.  The TV is home to a lot of scary stuff.  When you watch TV, you get lulled into a trance as the images appear on the screen.  Out of the blue, you could get a jump scare while watching Child's Play or A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Horror movies are intended to scare you.  There can be other freaky stuff on TV including TV Logos, flashing screens, or transitions.  People on the Autism Spectrum may be more affected by these freaks.

Scary Logos

Why are TV Logos Scary?

While watching your favourite cartoons, you may remember those scary logos that appear either at the start or the end of the show.  These logos scare factors may because of the combination of weird synthesized sound and visual effects.  Here is a list of the logos that scared me in my childhood.

Hanna Barbera Twisting Star

The Hanna Barbera Logo is on of the most freaky logos on television.  After watching the Smurfs, Jetsons, Flintstones, and etc, I got freaked out by this logo.  In the early 1990's the USA network had a cartoon block known as the Cartoon Express which featured cartoons like the Smurfs and the Flintstones.  The train got me interested in watching the channel and than I got freaked out by the Twisting Star.

The Universal Pictures Logo

This can freak you out if you are not expecting it.  You will know that this logo appears before the movie ET begins.  If you see the stars and the approach, you will be less scared of it.  If you are watching a TV show and the logo suddenly appears, you may get freaked out by the music and the blue rings that circle the globe.

Other Scary Logos

This Youtube video below features a collection of scary TV logos from Childhood

Post Traumatic Effects of Scary Logos

Logo Nightmares

Having repeated nightmares of the scary TV logos in your dreams.

Not watching your favorite show anymore

You may be afraid to watch the show and seeing the logo following the closing credits or if the logo appears before the show begins. 

Breaking Glass

TV shows that feature breaking glass or mirrors freak me out when I am not expecting it.  When I see a breaking window or mirror on TV, I will yell Hoomp.  Sometimes the screen will shatter or crack during a transition between scenes. 

TV shows or movies with Breaking Glass

Prom Night II, Hello Mary Lou

At the beginning of the movie, the glass in a picture frame cracks.

Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith

During the battle within the first 20 minutes of the movie, a large bay window cracks.

The Amityville Curse

The washroom mirror cracks after a lady wipes the steam away.

Cracking / Breaking glass transitions

Arthur: Episode 54, Let's Talk to some Kids,

Sue-Ellen makes a high kick and the camera cracks.



You can see the transition for yourself by watching the video. The screen cracks at 3:56.  The screen will turn blue and crack.

Arthur: Episode 66, Arthur's Big Hit

After Arthur finds out that DW was playing with his model plane, there screen will crack and smash.



You can see the transition effect for yourself.  Watch the video above.  the screen cracks at 4:12

Inquiring Minds: Superstitions

At the end of the Superstitions segment of this episode, the screen will suddenly crack when the host mentions that it's bad luck to break a mirror.

Video Games Sounds and Visuals

In video games there are scary sound and visual effects that may traumatize you from playing the game anymore.  For example if you play Air Fortress, there is a scary moment when you die inside the Air Fortress, the screen will invert colours and the game ends  I will post this in a new posting, Freaky Stuff in Gaming.

 

 

There are many more breaking / shattering window transition effects out there.  I will add them as I locate them.  Keep your ears to the tracks.

 

Page Index

 

Freaky Stuff, 

 

Freaky Stuff in the Car

 

Freaky Stuff on the Radio

Freaky Stuff in Video Games

Resource

Wikipedia, USA Cartoon Express, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Cartoon_Express

Freaky

What Freaks me out?

Breaking and Cracking Windows

A cracked window, www.ecolinewindows.ca

Why do cracking windows freak me out? 

When a window breaks, I will jump because of the crack appearing along with the loud snapping sound.  It's bad luck if you break a mirror.

Breaking / Cracking ice

Why does Breaking ice freak me out?

When ice breaks beneath your start cracking, I would get freaked out because of the sound of the ice.  I would jump when I hear the sound of ice breaking on small patches of thin ice because the sound catches me off guard and I get frightened when I see the cracks appear in the snow or ice.  People with autism may be sensitive to loud sounds.

Elevators

 

An elevator bank at Pearson Airport

Why do elevators freak me out?

When I was 6 years old, I had a dream that I was in the glass elevator at the Pickering Recreation Complex.  When the elevator was travelling down to the first floor, the base of the elevator shaft broke and the elevator car fell into the abyss.

Later that year, I got stuck in an elevator in a medical building in Scarbourgh Ontario.  After riding that elevator, I wanted to take the stairs down to the main floor when it was time to leave the building.  For a few years following that experience, I did not want to ride in an elevator for.  Today, I am used to riding the elevator when I need to ride one.

Dental Lights

If you are not afraid of the Unknown of visiting a dentist or the sound of the Drills,  There is something to be afraid of.  You are afraid of the Lights.

Why are Dental lights Freaky?

The most freaky dental lights feature a broken effect in the light reflector.  When I saw a Plax Mouthwash commercial on TV in 1995, the opening scene featured a freaky dental light.

A Castle Dental Light, a freakish Dental light

The Dental light in the picture above is freaky because of the broken effect pattern in the light reflector.  If you see this kind of light in your dental office, you may scream and never want to see a dentist again.
Thank goodness for Pelton and Crane's The Helios 3000 Light for not being scary.  The Helios 3000 light has a solid reflector and it has not scary features.  This will make vising your dentist much easier those who are scared of the lights. 

Thank you Dr Max Neiman and Associates for installing Pelton and Crane Lights in their new office.

Operating Room Lights

Some Operating Room lights may be freaky because of the patterns in the reflector.

Why are Surgical lights freaky?

There are some surgical lights that feature the broken pattern effect in the light reflector or outright strange and weird.