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This winding road is rather illusive

Must I say it's been rather conducive

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

No-one understands, I try to explain

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

Hint 1:

This can be induced by almost anyone, at any given time. It can also be a consequence of something.

Update 1:

A user named 'Tatoes' has given the best answer so far. Think along the lines of that answer, you may find yourself at the solution.

Hint 2:

Hallucinations are a side effect of the answer. Can be described as 'Dissociation'.

Hint 3:

Children are often the ones who often find themselves inducing this. Sometimes on purpose.

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    $\begingroup$ Briefly: some of the answers seems to mix 'illusive' with 'elusive'. Illusive would imply an illusion/imagination, while elusive would indicate a very real thing that is simply difficult to find/catch. For clarification: which was meant? $\endgroup$
    – Pyrotrain
    Aug 8, 2017 at 14:32
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    $\begingroup$ @Pyrotrain Thanks for bringing this up.It is illusive. The answer itself isn't something that is illusive, but its consequences may be. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 8, 2017 at 14:34
  • $\begingroup$ Hope that clears up anyone's doubts. And just so you know, that's another hint $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 8, 2017 at 14:35
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    $\begingroup$ I believe this was put on hold because of the exact opposite problem of "too broad". Instead, it is too narrow. You've had several answers that are incredibly similar that I feel we as a whole have come excruciatingly close to the answer but haven't pinpointed the exact word you are looking for. I would recommend clarifying some points and/or adding a hint as to the nature of the word itself, or else accept the closest one and reveal your intent. $\endgroup$
    – feelinferrety
    Aug 16, 2017 at 18:42

14 Answers 14

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Although I'm not fully satisfied that it matches the riddle, I believe the answer is

Depression

An Unorthodox Memory

The person's behaviour is unusual of them when they're depressed and not what others remember.

This winding road is rather illusive

The person's mood can shift between extremes.

Must I say it's been rather conducive

Depression can cause more depressing events.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

It can be hard to tell what's causing the depression, if anything.

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

The person can't stop being depressed through effort alone.

No-one understands, I try to explain

Being depressed when there's nothing to be depressed about.

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Negative thoughts and feelings caused not necessarily with a trigger.

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

Without there being a cause for depression, it can't be fixed by solving a problem.

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

Depression can come and go without warning, and without memory/understanding of how the person felt while depressed.

Previous guesses:

The Mandela Effect (or False Memory)
Déjà vu

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  • $\begingroup$ This is a good answer. Maybe the feeling of struggle and "no one understands" would allude to a PTSD-induced flashback or "deja vu." $\endgroup$
    – Pyrotrain
    Aug 7, 2017 at 16:47
  • $\begingroup$ @Alpha You're thinking along the correct lines. Not quite there, but you're right in saying your mind is playing tricks on you. That would be the right route to go down. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 7, 2017 at 19:34
  • $\begingroup$ @RiddleMeThis, updated the guess. Warmer or colder? $\endgroup$
    – Alpha
    Aug 8, 2017 at 3:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Alpha Would say it is slightly warmer. A user below gave the best answer so far, his name is 'tatoes'. This was the closest to the real answer. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 8, 2017 at 4:53
  • $\begingroup$ @RiddleMeThis, idk if I've got any guesses after this one lol $\endgroup$
    – Alpha
    Aug 9, 2017 at 5:57
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Explicit-but drawn from personal witness

The unorthodox memory is

The moment a needle touches the vein; Heroin

This winding road is rather illusive

Heroin provides a high like no other- has been described as the only thing that matters. An undecided life altering event in which you can not possibly be ready for the result.

Must I say it's been rather conducive

The outcome is fairly straightforward. Many addicts have responded 'I know...' when they are told they are probably going to overdose and die.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

The only memory after regaining consciousness is beginning. Has this all been a dream or am i really waking up in the hospital?

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

"death is almost certain, but i don't really care... it draws me..."

No-one understands, I try to explain

there is no understanding to be had- reason is out of the question

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

suicide, theft, inhibition... all things previously unimaginable are now firmly within the realm of responsibility

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

Of course they are, reason is gone... "even i don't understand why i am doing this.. but i can't stop..."

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

this seems so fast.. the blackest of memories having taken up the better part of the last few years....

*Anything in quotes has been said directly to me.

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  • $\begingroup$ Very creative answer! But will have to say it isn't the answer I'm looking for. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 3, 2017 at 13:09
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I think I got it now...

derealization, dissociation, or simply mental illness to be vague

This winding road is rather illusive

mental illness is a very windy road and often very difficult to pinpoint

Must I say it's been rather conducive

some of the most intelligent minds and best decision-makers have had mental illness

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

it's hard to tell what is real and what is not to those who suffer from mental illness

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

it is a huge struggle to live with mental illness

No-one understands, I try to explain

to those who suffer from mental illness, it is impossible to fully explain what is different about you

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

pretty self explanatory

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

mental illness is not always a constant thing, they often come in fits

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

memory loss is often involved with these fits

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  • $\begingroup$ You're so very close!!!!!, just be more specific. Some of your explanations for the sentences are wrong, but keep at it. This is the best answer so far. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 7, 2017 at 20:25
  • $\begingroup$ Is it a specific mental illness that I didnt mention or not a mental illness? because I was considering naming schizophrenia but obviously did not $\endgroup$
    – tatoes
    Aug 7, 2017 at 20:53
  • $\begingroup$ Schizophrenia is a bit too severe. This isn't exactly a mental illness as such either, since mental illnesses are usually chronic. Like I said, this can be induced, but can be a consequence of something as well. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 7, 2017 at 21:14
  • $\begingroup$ hmm.. I'll have to think on it $\endgroup$
    – tatoes
    Aug 8, 2017 at 12:11
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Could it be...

Electricity?

This winding road is rather illusive

Travels through wires, not sure 'illusive'

Must I say it's been rather conducive

Close to conductive, allows electricity to flow. Also, would be moved by a "conducive" voltage.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

Unsure -- perhaps a reference to the use of imaginary numbers needed for calculation?

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

Resistance?

No-one understands, I try to explain

If you've taken electrical engineering, you understand this phrase...

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Brain's thoughts are driven by electrical signals

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

Again, electricity is a complicated phenomenon

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

And it moves close to light speed through wires...

A few pieces aren't quite right yet, but perhaps someone wiser than me can shed some light on the situation.

HINT: This can be induced by almost anyone, at any given time.

Perhaps an electric shock? Maybe just the fact synapses are constantly firing?

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  • $\begingroup$ @Pryotrain Was nice to see go down the Science route! :) This is however not the correct answer. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 3, 2017 at 13:49
  • $\begingroup$ This is exactly what I thought too, because of conducive and resistance $\endgroup$
    – MMAdams
    Aug 4, 2017 at 14:38
  • $\begingroup$ This is close to what I was thinking. However, I will point out that the speed of current in, e.g. a copper wire, is close to 0.1c, not to the speed of light. $\endgroup$
    – Jesse
    Aug 5, 2017 at 19:13
  • $\begingroup$ @Jesse: Can you provide a reference for that? Wikipedia seems to say that the speed of electric current is much higher than $0.1c,$ whereas the speed of the electrons is much less. $\endgroup$
    – Peregrine Rook
    Aug 14, 2017 at 17:26
  • $\begingroup$ @PeregrineRook It looks like I was wrong; I don't know where I recalled it from. It may be that the signal propgated at 0.1c in a microprocessor, or a specific circuit I was looking at, due to some other slower process conflated with just signal through copper. $\endgroup$
    – Jesse
    Aug 15, 2017 at 18:14
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This appears to be talking about

the song The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles.

This winding road is rather illusive

"The long and winding road" is a continued metaphor in the song.

Must I say it's been rather conducive

"That leads to your door" is the end of the first line. Conducive would be in the sense of leading here.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

These two lines, I think, refer to "The wild and windy night that the rain washed away"

No-one understands, I try to explain

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

This looks like a summary of the second part of the song that talks about "Many times I've been alone and many times I've cried/Anyway, you'll never know the many ways I've tried"

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

I think this talks about the dreamlike, unreal quality of the lyrics. I can't see any direct reference to happening quickly. Perhaps "Don't keep me waiting"?

I may well be wrong about this. Usually the "restated recognizable quote" type of puzzles are closer to the original. Also, I don't see any obvious wordplay. Nevertheless, I think that the similarities are close enough that it's worth presenting this answer as a curiosity if nothing else.

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  • $\begingroup$ Sorry. This is well structured and presented, but isn't quite the correct answer :( $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 3, 2017 at 13:08
  • $\begingroup$ You are however right about the wordplay, I accidentally added that tag. Will remove it straight away. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 3, 2017 at 13:14
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Could the answer be..

The poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

This winding road is rather illusive

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood." One must have been more illusive than the next for his struggle to occur. He also took "the one less traveled by" which by some may be considered illusive.

Must I say it's been rather conducive

His decision in choosing a path changed his life as it had "made all the difference" thus making this outcome possible.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

The decision was such a blur he can't remember weather it was real or not. (Still not sure about this one)

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

It is clear that the person had a deep inner struggle when deciding between these two paths in his life, so it's natural to be questioning about it.

No-one understands, I try to explain

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

No one quite understands his hesitation and struggle of that choice as it was solely personal to him.

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

One, especially himself, can consider the moment of choice going by so fast as it was such a small moment in the scheme of what seems to be a longer fulfilled life.

Hint 1: This can be induced by almost anyone, at any given time.

Anyone can experience a struggle like this throughout their whole lives when it comes to making a decision.

Title: An unorthodox memory

This memory of his sticks out far more than all the rest.

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Well, my guess is

HALLUCINATIONS

Here go the explanations:

This winding road is rather illusive

It is the brain with its muscles wound is unexplainable, when it comes to thoughts arising out of it !

Must I say it's been rather conducive

Thoughts flow in certain times like an unstoppable force

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

A hallucination or ('one's own manifestation of things internally !) a such a similar case such as 'hysteria' - both are unexplainable to others

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

Usually hallucinations result in tragic scenes

No-one understands, I try to explain

A hallucinated person tries to explain in his/her own words - which are very clear to the person - who is explaining - but alas - not to the others surrounding him/her.

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

when these thoughts and feelings get intense beyond a certain limit result in expressing openly through incohesive audio visuals !!

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

Usually hallucinations are time-bound and for a fixed duration (like a 'TRANS') and other humans - cannot get it

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

Also these may be remembered by a person - who experiences it.. (similar to a dream) but only for a short while !

Well, here is my final answer (Courtesy: Google)

schizophrenia and/or its associate: Paraphrenia

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  • $\begingroup$ This answer is extremely close!! Keep at it! Hallucinations may be a side effect of the answer at hand. You almost have it :) $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 8, 2017 at 15:06
  • $\begingroup$ No sorry. A previous answer mentioned Scizophrenia. The answer to the question isn't exactly a chronic medical illness. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 8, 2017 at 15:24
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Is this sleep paralysis? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

This winding road is rather illusive

This relates to the convoluted nature of dreams

Must I say it's been rather conducive

But dreams can also be pleasurable

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

This rings true because you cant be entirely sure of what you are experiencing

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

You want to wake up but can't. You want to interact but can't

No-one understands, I try to explain

Kinda hard to grasp unless you have experienced it yourself

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Since this isn't 'real' it's a product of your brain

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

It feels more supernatural than a vanilla dream

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

Once you wake up and reality sets in, it quickly fades away

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  • $\begingroup$ This seems super likely! However, I don't really agree with "No-one understands, I try to explain". I think everyone I've talked to about it knows what sleep paralysis is, and it doesn't seem that hard to explain it. Also, "it all happened so fast" - it doesn't feel fast >:| $\endgroup$
    – David Foong
    Aug 10, 2017 at 19:25
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    $\begingroup$ I had considered this too, but this can't really be induced by anyone at any time, unless everyone in the world is unknowingly narcoleptic. $\endgroup$
    – Alpha
    Aug 10, 2017 at 23:11
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Reading the other answers, something occurs to me. It may still not be correct, but it fits too well not to mention.

Is it...?

Pain

This winding road is rather illusive

Says the poster, "The answer itself isn't something that is illusive, but its consequences may be." And, according to other answerers, this may relate to the hallucinatory properties of the answer. Pain can change and depending on the intensity, can even trigger hallucinations. Some illnesses are singled out as possible causes. Although, some pain itself may also be illusive, such as drug-induced tactile hallucinations (e.g. the feeling of insects crawling on the skin during a "bad trip")

Must I say it's been rather conducive

Pain can be an incredibly convincing "tool" should one wish to use it as a threat, and one who lives with pain would go to great lengths to see it reduced or removed.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

Because most instances of everyday pain are rather fleeting, and unobservable by others except from one's own reaction to it, it can seem like a very personal secret, possibly even nonexistent. We are also programmed to forget pain. Usually, we can remember that we did feel it, but the actual physical state of being in pain is not easily recalled.

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

Pain = struggle

No-one understands, I try to explain

As mentioned above, it is not easily observed by others. It is also very difficult to describe a specific kind of pain, period -- let alone to someone who has never experienced anything like it.

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Beyond the initial physical trigger, any subsequent pain is the result of nerves continuing to fire in your brain.

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

Thankfully, pain is a temporary condition more often than not. Scientists do not fully understand why or how we experience pain, especially chronic pain.

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

A minor hurt can go as quickly as it came.

Hints:

This can be induced by almost anyone, at any given time. It can also be a consequence of something.
It's easy to injure yourself, either on purpose or by accident. It may also be a side effect of other diseases or conditions.

Hallucinations are a side effect of the answer. Can be described as 'Dissociation'.
Briefly covered above. Extreme pain may take over or mask other functions in the brain. If you hurt enough, you will not be able to think straight, or sometimes even control your bodily functions. Mental pain can also cause a fracturing of the personality or negative thoughts and perceptions which are partially or wholly imagined.

Children are often the ones who often find themselves inducing this. Sometimes on purpose.
Kids are most likely to hurt themselves because they play recklessly and don't know how to protect themselves yet. Sometimes they may even experiment with painful stimuli to see what that particular sensation feels like. They also tend to hurt themselves intentionally for viral "challenge" videos. :)

Title

May be a reference to:

"Unorthodox" by Citizen Pain

or

This Patheos podcast

or

The fact that people who live with pain may resort to "unorthodox" means to eliminate their pain.

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  • $\begingroup$ this is an excellent answer. However is not what I am looking for :( $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 16, 2017 at 4:45
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If two answers are needed (for two paragraphs, one for each), then

1. Life and 2. Person with amnesia

As it goes like this:

This winding road is rather illusive

One's trail of life seems to be not real at least one time of their life

Must I say it's been rather conducive

With all its possibilities and happenings ..life has to 'flow' on

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

Each one can interprest their own life in their own imagination (which need not be matching with other's interpretation of the same life !!) The zig-zag events can cause one to think that it is a meaningless/undecodable story !!

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

Everyone might have felt at one point of their life that 'life is kind of a struggle'

For the 2nd portion of the riddle / wordplay, I think it is

a person who has a transient memory / suffers from amnesia (loss of memory) - which can be matching all the descriptions (in one way !)

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  • $\begingroup$ You've taken an unique approach to it which works in some ways, Unfortunately this isn't the answer. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 3, 2017 at 9:02
  • $\begingroup$ I also wouldn't describe life as 'a memory'. life is rather a collection of your memories $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 3, 2017 at 9:54
  • $\begingroup$ Nice thinking though :) $\endgroup$
    – ABcDexter
    Aug 3, 2017 at 9:58
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the answer is

being hypnotized

to sum up the line by line explanation:

its a dreamlike state where thoughts manifest into your brain and you cant really explain it

and also the hint

it can happen to anyone pretty much whenever as long as the hypnotizer knows what they are doing

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  • $\begingroup$ this isn't the answer. But you're close. Also, please refrain from answering using a summary on Puzzling, to be voted the 'best answer' you have to explain each line of the riddle.:) You're close though. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 7, 2017 at 19:55
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Revised answer based on your feedback to other posts. Perhaps the "unorthodox memory" is

The tip of the tongue phenomenon.

This winding road is rather illusive

When suffering from TOT, each guess at the "elusive" word makes us feel like we are getting closer, but we are not - the word remains blocked from our mind.

Must I say it's been rather conducive

Trying to access the target word during TOT leads us down many mental paths via association - we think of many other words and ideas.

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

Is there actually a word for this? Or am I struggling for no reason?

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

Trying to access a word during TOT is certainly a struggle - you know there is a perfect word, but you cannot access it for some reason.

No-one understands, I try to explain
The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

Without the target word and associations that might lead you to it, it is difficult to explain to another the word you seek.

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

To my knowledge, we do not know exactly what causes the TOT phenomenon.

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

Usually, if we stop thinking about trying to access the word or idea, it will come naturally and we think well why was that so hard to remember?

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  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, not quite :( $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 7, 2017 at 19:56
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Alright third time's a charm.. Going less extreme this time..

daydreaming

This winding road is rather illusive

daydreams just kind of happen, they come out of nowhere and are not real

Must I say it's been rather conducive

that being said, you can often come to conclusions (what you want in life, where to go next in a situation, what to pursue) during a daydream

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

a daydream is both of these

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

back in the day 90% of my daydreams involved a huge tragedy then myself saving the day, also most daydreams occur when you're struggling with something (boring class, difficult project, etc)

No-one understands, I try to explain

honestly, have you ever tried to explain a daydream to someone? its weird.

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

continuation from last line, this is what a daydream is

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

nobody daydreams about normal stuff, it is an escape from reality

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast

get lost in a daydream, then pulled back to reality. You probably already forgot a lot of the dream

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  • $\begingroup$ Good try, but your second guess was closer than this one(Which I presume is your third?). Also, if you want to change your submission, please edit your first answer instead of posting a new one as this will make the answer section muh neater :). $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 8, 2017 at 14:24
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I have several answers I've considered, but the one I'm going with is:

Psychosis

This winding road is rather illusive

Hallucinations can come from psychosis. They cause the world to be false

Must I say it's been rather conducive

No idea

A product of my imagination? Or an incomprehensible dream?

Is it a hallucination, or is it part of catatonia/stupor? What's really going on?

A feeling of struggle, what could it mean?

A person is trying to fight it?

No-one understands, I try to explain

It's hard to describe the effects of psychosis.

The thoughts and feelings that begin to manifest in my brain

suicide, disconnect, delusions

Perhaps these temporary manifestations are beyond human grasp

Another comment about hallucinations or how it's hard to understand psychosis?

This he vaguely remembers, it all happened so fast.

Psychosis can be temporary.

Hint 1: This can be induced by almost anyone, at any given time. It can also be a consequence of something.

Almost anyone can face enough stress to induce psychosis at any time. You could lose everything very quickly.

I didn't feel super strong about that one. There were several questions that seemed VERY similar, so I was just rewording my lines over and over. One good thing is that my answer kinda fits the comments OP has been posting. Specifically the one: "This isn't exactly a mental illness as such either, since mental illnesses are usually chronic. Like I said, this can be induced, but can be a consequence of something as well."

Some other answers I thought of:

A coma. There's some humor in "This can be induced by almost anyone, at any given time."

Or:

Panic attacks. This seems to fit the general theme, but it's hard to come up with answers for every line.

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  • $\begingroup$ Very well thought of answer. You're almost there, I'll tell you this much. Hallucinations are definitely a side effect of the answer. $\endgroup$
    – Riddle Me This
    Aug 11, 2017 at 19:05
  • $\begingroup$ @RiddleMeThis Thanks! Unfortunately, that's it for me guessing. Good luck all! $\endgroup$
    – David Foong
    Aug 12, 2017 at 14:25

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