About Us
The Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) Society was founded by Bernadette Glass in 2021 with the intention of providing resources, education, information and support for anyone living with or affected by CBS.
Meet Bernadette Glass
I am a registered nurse/midwife and hold a Diploma in Community Health Nursing.
I was the faceless and nameless one who experienced silent visual hallucinations for two years, January 11th 2019 until 31st December 2020.
I intuitively knew that whatever I was experiencing was not a mental disease.
First there were the little green images and then there were the faces everywhere I looked. Only faces – no body, Caucasians, in their forties, more male than female.
I observed these faces everywhere I looked, in the frangipani tree, on buildings/roofs and even on the washing line.
I saw them inside my home, I saw them at night too. Eyes open or closed did not seem to matter.
I experienced many different types of hallucinations. I would observe an old man and a much younger woman so happy to see each other and would kiss cheek to cheek. Then the old man would turn into the younger woman and vice versa. Different faces, an older woman cheek to cheek with a much younger man.
I saw cartoon figures moving along my bedroom wall.
One night I awoke in the middle of the night to an old peasant man with a basin of water washing my feet. Then I saw a super 8 movie machine facing my bedroom wall showing me clips pertaining to the second world war and in particular saw two men in a trench, wearing circular metal hats.
I saw two old peasant men sleeping on the right side of my bedroom floor on an old mattress. Next, large as life, I saw a brown horse sleeping on its side shortly replaced by two fawn coloured labrador dogs lying on their sides also sleeping.
My redemption happened on the 31st December 2020 whilst googling rare eye conditions, CBS (Charles Bonnet Syndrome) was number five. My awakening was making contact with Charles Bonnet Syndrome support groups and talking to like-minded people.
Now I run a support group called Charles Bonnet Syndrome Society (CBS Society). Giving back some reassurance like when I so badly needed it myself.
Painting of Bernadette Glass by Nung Duc from Art Gallery Hanoi VietnamOur logo
A society is defined as a community of people organised for a common purpose (providing resources, education, information and support for anyone living with or affected by Charles Bonnet Syndrome). CBS Society has been set up for just that.
Red flag: to identify or draw attention to (a problem or issue to be dealt with).
As a society we aim to raise the awareness of CBS and how prevalent it in fact is, within the medical and optical professions as well as out there in the world. We will do this by providing resources, education, information and support.
If you see this as something you would like to be involved in please contact us, we welcome input from whereever willingness brings it.
You're not alone
Talk to someone today!
It is widely acknowledged that talking about your CBS experiences (or to your family member with CBS) is the best way forward. We have set up a Facebook group, perhaps you could join?