Apparently I am not the only one who experiences his eyes and hair changing colour with mood. For me, the overall mood that drives colour change lasts a long time, but the eyes can change on a momentary basis, too, right in front of someone. The changes are generally subtle (in hair: dark brown to black, or simply the grey disappearing to black and then back again, and then gone again; in eyes: from brown to hazel to silver-green). They are, however, sometimes pronounced enough that some people ask if I’ve dyed my hair, or think that I’m wearing coloured contact lenses. I don’t put chemicals in my hair, and I only wear glasses and only for reading.
The eye thing is straightforward, according to the standard theory: What actually happens is not direct changes in pigmentation of the iris, but that mood affects retinal contraction, which causes eyes to reflect light differently, changing their apparent colour. Hazel eyes are particularly known for this, sometimes appearing to shift in colour from a light brown to a medium golden-dark green. However, even the pigment of the iris isn’t one uniform colour – it’s a range, which can then change appearance when eyes are dilated or iris size changes (e.g. during sexual arousal – i.e. mood). So, for example, some eyes have more of one colour near the center than at the edges, so as the pupil changes size the ratio of colors exposed changes. The distinction between changing colour and seeming to change colour is then effectively lost, since all colour is viewer perception based on light reflection. The iris is actually a muscle, and certain emotions can change both the pupil size and the reflection of the iris color. That’s why some people say their eyes change colors when they’re angry or loving.
Personally, mine just last an apparently long time. The hair thing I still don’t know about. But years ago, I was told there was no such thing as what we now know as chemoreception (one of the senses, of which there are far more than five), and that males can’t have multiple orgasms (which are actually normal for me). While I do not experience complete metachrosis (a visual chameleon effect), per se, I like that word as a general descriptor, until I get more of a bead on what it is.
It’s a little vulnerable talking about this stuff but, from what I read, not much weirder than what a lot of my Facebook contacts are talking about. 🙂 It’s not that I’m striving to be different or something; I’m striving to understand the ways I am different. This is a relatively minor thing in the list of unusual features in the Book of Asher. PS. Yes, the eye photos are each me. It’s not background lighting. I’ve faded lighting in and out to detect if that was a factor, but I do notice pupil size variation along with colour. In the mirror, it’s more pronounced, or when it surprises someone.