Thursday, October 04, 2007

Funny how the mind works

I just read this crazy article about a condition that some people have called mirror touch synesthesia. Seems pretty harmless enough by the name. After reading about it, I am not sure if it is or not. Basically, our neurons in our bodes fire so that we can experience the sensations of touch. Someone touches us on the cheek, neurons fire and allow us to feel it. I may be simplifying or bastardizing the whole process, but you get the idea. The people who have this condition, not only feel it when people touch them, but they feel it when they see others get touched. For instance, if they see someone get touched on the left cheek, they will FEEL it themselves on their right cheek(mirror image). They see someone get smacked, they will feel it(not sure to what extent, but pain) on their body. The thing that causes it is that their brain sees the sensation and causes the neurons to fire as if they were the ones bein touched.

This is a fairly new discovery and only was first studies in the year 2005. In fact, it doesn't even have its own wikipedia site yet which is a miracle in itself. Not surprisingly, people who have this condition have been tested and scored much higher on tests that measure empathy for other people. Its not Friday Dilemma, but would you want this?

14 comments:

laura b. said...

I am all for empathy, but I definitely wouldn't want this condition.

dmarks said...

Perhaps somewhere there is a politician who really does "Feel our pain".

thejerkstore said...

i'd have to go no with this. i watch a lot of UFC and i have no desire to feel either kicks or punches to my face, body, legs, etc. watching from my couch is good enough.

Tara said...

I have never heard of that condition! I wouldn't mind it if the condition just gave you the good feelings, but no, I'll pass on the feeling of being kicked or worse.

Anonymous said...

No, I wouldn't want to have this condition. I've witnessed car wrecks and I wouldn't want to feel the broken bones or whiplash.
Hey, my word verification is xrayin. LOL!

Miss Sassy Pants said...

Hell yeah I'd want this condition - I'd watch pornos all day long!
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Mom said...

Oh Jess! Only you could make it dirty! No, definitely don't think I would be a fan of this condition. Poor people.

Miss Sassy Pants said...

You know EVERYONE here thought of it, I am just the only one with enough guts to say it.

Jose said...

I'll be blunt, have you ever seen someone get kicked in the balls weather in real life or a movie and you automatically cover yours and bend your knees while you say "ouch"?

If you say no, they you are unique.

dmarks said...

"kicked in the balls weather"

If I hear the weatherman predict that in the morning, I tell ya, I'm going to hide in the basement all day.

Anonymous said...

Lol with Mrs. Manuel. That thought never occurred to me. But then, I'm as innocent as a little lamb!

The Lady Who Doesn't Lunch: said...

I wouldn't be able to watch TV or movies and that would be sad.

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the guy on the movie "Brainstorm" who watched loops of pornos on that special machine that makes you feel everything.He watched them for hours and died of a heart attack.

Michelle said...

Hahaha...I was going to say what Jess said. This is super weird. I wonder if they bruise when they get "punched"