Calling all medical personell

[rancher hicks]

I have a question that I hope someone can answer.

Whenever I'm watching TV or a movie and it shows a person falling down or hitting something, I can feel it. Not the pain but my nerves twinge. It's hard to explain. Right now I am watching X men and when the character Scott gets thrown onto his back in the scene with Jean Grey, my nerves twinged. It happens when i watch a commercial where the guy is bouncing on his stomach on the pavement. What is this and why does it happen?

I'll ask my Doc when I see him but wondered if any of the medical people here have heard of this type of thing?

 

[annaraven]

I'd suggest it's related to the mirror neuron system.

Mirror neurons in your brain react to what someone you're watching is doing by "mimicking" the neural response as if you were the one doing that act. In monkeys, it responds only to biologically meaningful behavior, like, if they see someone reach out a hand in the air for no reason it won't fire but if they see someone reach for a piece of fruit, it does...

Every human has it to some extent - autistics are theorized to have a less active mirror neuron system, while some individuals are highly reactive. In any case, it's often considered the basis of empathy and our ability to cooperate with and learn from each other. So it's not a bad thing.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
WOW! Interesting.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The same thing happens to me when I see my sons' scrapes and bruises they get while growing up- normal stuff. Or when I hear about something gory.

It really physically hurts. Like an overwhelming feeling of pain especially around my heart, arms, and head.

I have never heard anyone talk about it. I thought I might be the only one with this.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

whenever I see someone high up (I'm afraid of heights) or injured, it makes a strange nauseous feeling up the backs of my legs.. like my legs might throw up... if they could. you should probably try to avoid violent movies, it's not good for your brain, especially if you're already 'feeling' along with the characters.

 

[redhen]

Alot of twins do stuff like that too..
Like one will get hurt and the other one will feel it... or know about it before anyone else does.

 

[Cetawin]

redhen it also happens with mothers and their children and spouses. When my husband was shot in the Middle East I awoke from a sound sleep with leg on fire, excruiating pain and I knew immediately what was wrong.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Yeah.. it happend with my mother when my brother flipped his ATV over onto his face ..
She heard the ambulance siren and said she just KNEW that it was for my brother and that he was hurt bad. I told her she was crazy that he was fine..

30 minutes later we get the call..

 

[dawg53]

chickensducks&agoose :

whenever I see someone high up (I'm afraid of heights) or injured, it makes a strange nauseous feeling up the backs of my legs.. like my legs might throw up... if they could. you should probably try to avoid violent movies, it's not good for your brain, especially if you're already 'feeling' along with the characters.

Can you watch this all the way through? My hands and feet were sweating after watching this!!! http://www.liveleak.com/e/f2d_1284588370​

 

[welsummerchicks]

You're almost an empath. It means when someone gets hurt you feel the pain, though you are just feeling a twinge. Empaths have different experiences. I'm told that's why I get the exact same pain in my wrists and arms each time, though I don't usually get it unless it's a child getting hurt. I've had it since I was very young, toddler age, I can't remember ever not having it. The kid doesn't have to fall or be physically hurt - psychological pain of another person will also bring the pain on.

I think a old timer doctor would just say you're nervous and jumpy, a more modern, still traditional medical person would probably relate it to anxiety and a startle response, a spike in norepinephrine, and stuff like that. Or, you can be a mild empath if you prefer.

The technical term is probably 'sympathy pain'. Men can get sympathy pains that are actually like labor pains when their partners go into labor.