The Visual Snow Initiative (VSI)

Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) works to increase public and medical community awareness about Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS). They strive to educate people about the condition, its symptoms, and its impact on the lives of those affected. The organisation supports and funds research aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms of Visual Snow Syndrome, developing effective treatments, and finding a potential cure.

VSS is a neurological condition that affects 2-3% of the world’s population. The hallmark symptom of VSS is characterised by a continuous visual disturbance that resembles static or snow, flickering dots in one’s field of vision 24/7 with their eyes opened or closed. VSS also entails a constellation of other potentially debilitating visual and nonvisual symptoms including but not limited to seeing after images, flashes of light, starbursts and or halos around brightly lit objects. Nonvisual symptoms include tinnitus, depersonalisation, anxiety, depression and brain fog just to name a few.

Visual Snow and Mindfulness

A recent study showed MBCT adapted for VSS resulted in changes to the visual and its associated default mode networks, resulting in improved symptoms of Visual Snow.

App

The creation of the Oxford Mindfulness App has been made possible through sponsorship from the Visual Snow Initiative (VSI), a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness, fostering research, and providing support for individuals affected by Visual Snow Syndrome or VSS.

Courses

Oxford Mindfulness is working with the VSI and their research team to deliver mindfulness courses which help people find ways to live with the condition and manage their symptoms. If you would like to join a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Course which is tailored for the Visual Snow community, please register your interest.

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