Inborn Empathy - In Other's Shoes Completely
Scientists study a rare condition called mirror synesthesia in people who can feel the touch just by looking at other person being touched.
The recent research conducted by the University College London reported about people who had the extremely rare ability to have exactly the same sensations as the other person has when watching him or her. This condition was earlier found only in one person and now researchers found as much as 10 people with mirror synesthesia. When those people watch the other person being touched, the neural response in their body is a tactile feeling.
Scientists are familiar with the condition called synesthesia when a person has a mix of sensations at a time, like seeing sounds or hearing colors. Such condition is found in one out of 23 people.
The recently studied mirror synesthesia was examined with the help of brain scans, registering an activation in certain areas of the brain and tactile response when participants saw the other person being touched.
Experts also performed a test, when the person with mirror synesthesia was touched at the right cheek while watching the other participant being touched at the left cheek. As a result so called synesthetes had a sensation of both touches.
Those endowed with the rare ability were also found to be highly empathetic. According to the psychological tests they show higher scores on emotional reactivity scale in comparison with people who do not have this ability.
Usually, people learn empathy by doing the same actions, at least mentally. Studying people with mirror synesthesia emphasizes that empathy is a result of being able to put oneself in other people's shoes.
The new findings can be helpful for understanding and better treatment of other conditions such as autism, when a person has a difficulty relating to others.
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//5 Nov 12, 2009 12:12 PM | posted by:
rayn - I woke up tasting a sickening hangover of the stubborn man across the street that won't quit the other day. It used to be roses and lilacs. Other people's feelings and thoughts and answers to their questions come out of my mouth without my having any distance on this apparent blending as it is happening. Sometimes with really angry people there is a 5 minute lag time. If they are unpredictable and I can't scream it out it takes longer to pass through. I did not know the next door neighbor had a kidney transplant for a long time--they are jealous even about their race. I was in pain for weeks before that. I had to stop caretaking the elderly as I was having all the symptoms of their stuff. I finally tested this over and over for a decade. As a youth I was told I was easily influenced. No wonder. I was encouraged to look at personal flaws and let them go for 30 years. I know what is mine and who I am. I was a good kid, not all that brilliant, but very kind and softhearted, sharing whatever I had. Its like being a sewage treatment plant. Accepting it now as a secret service does not make it any less uncomfortable but it passes through faster rather than putting me to bed. My concern about such claims is fraud or wannabe healers, so I am silent, and watch and listen.
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//4 Sep 04, 2009 10:12 AM | posted by: PORNO KING - I think I have this in my penis.
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//3 Feb 23, 2009 02:22 AM | posted by: Wilhelmina - Hi everyone. Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
I am from Tunisia and too bad know English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Augoriginallfeatured in this video, the urinator is the sure fire way to pass a drug test."
:D Thanks in advance. Wilhelmina. - 0 votes
//2 Jul 04, 2007 12:00 AM | posted by:
Pork [InfoTOT]
- Who's doing research on this? Are there surveys or physical tests to determine if you have it? Is it linked to other things like HSP (highly sensitive persons)?
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//1 Jun 20, 2007 01:16 AM | posted by: jason - interesting!
