Some Think Carroll's Migraines Inspired "Alice"
Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" may have been inspired by migraine hallucinations. In 1999, two doctors published a paper in
The Lancet suggesting that the bizarre characters and settings of the two books may have been been born out of migraine-induced visions. In "Through the Looking Glass," Alice meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee, who agree to battle one another over a damaged rattle. As Alice helps them dress in rags and pots and pans, Tweedledum says: "Do I look very pale?" "Well — yes — a little," Alice replies. "I'm very brave, generally," Tweedledum continues, "Only to-day I happen to have a headache."
Alice meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee in "Through the Looking Glass." The books may have been inspired, in part, by migraine hallucinations suffered by author Lewis Carroll.
