Meters freezing

While driving I notice all my meters stick to one value even if it's not true, IE it says I'm doing 70 mph with a full tank of gas at X rpm. My mileage light disappears entirely, eventually the meters start to "tick" like a clock about a half inch while every light flashes at the same time. No problems during start up and if I turn the car off for a moment and turn it back on everything goes back to normal. I am a complete novice when it comes to diagnosing car problems and haven't been able to find a thread with a similar issue. Any help or advice is well appreciated.