synesthesia & types of synesthesia

Mirror-Pain Synesthesia

Mirror-Touch and Mirror-Pain Synesthesia: It Hurts Just Looking at It! 

 

Mirror-Touch and Mirror pain synesthesia are newly described types of synesthesia. Seeing somebody being touched, feels as if you were touched yourself.

Or if seeing somebody in pain, it feels like having the pain oneself.

 

Do You Have a Hard Time Watching Horror Movies?

 

This type of synesthesia may explain why some people do not like to watch horror movies.

Mirror Pain synesthesia is when somebody feels somebody else in pain and feels it
Mirror-Pain Synesthesia: seeing somebody in pain, produces the real perception of pain.

 

Mirror neurons fire just by watching somebody executing an action.

 

Mirror neurons are neurons that fire when you watch someone acting. If you see somebody grabbing an app, your “neurons for grabbing,” trigger even though you do not grab the water yourself. 

 

 

Mirror neurons are essential for learning processes.

 

Just by seeing the action, the mirror neurons activate. Mirror neurons are essential for learning, especially for newborns. They imitate the behavior of others in their environment.

 

Mirror-Touch Do you feel what you see?

 

Mirror-Touch Synesthesia is a type of synesthesia. Seeing somebody being touched you may have the experience of being touched yourself.

 

mirror touch synesthesia

From the book “The Frog Who Croaked Blue” by Jamie Ward. When you look at the video do you automatically feel some kind of touch sensation on your own body.

One study claims that 2.5% of people may have a form of mirror-touch synesthesia. The intensity of such experiences may vary from synesthete to synesthete.

 

Are Mirror-Touch synesthetes more empathic?

 

Since the mirror-system of such synesthetes show a higher activity, researchers found a higher level of empathy. Mirror-touch synesthetes experience more empathy than non-synesthetes.

 

With an empathy quotient, researchers measure empathy. This empathy quotient uses 3 scales: cognitive empathy, emotional reactivity, and social skills.

 

Mirror-Touch synesthetes showed a higher score for emotional reactivity, but not for the other two.

 

Empathy seems to be multifaceted and cannot be explained merely by this type of synesthesia. Interesting is, that also meditation appears to increase compassion and empathy.

 

Mirror-Pain activity: Only For the Daredevils.

 

Mirror-Pain Synesthesia is when you feel somebody being in pain. There are reports of doctors that feel the pain or their patients.

 

Try it out with our short exercise about Mirror Pain Synesthesia. Attention, this may hurt a little bit.

 

You will see a movie, observe curiously how you feel.

 

Mirror-Pain Activity

 

if you want to learn more about other types of synesthesia, read our article.

Uncategorized

Synesthesia Meditation App

Download the Synesthesia Meditation App from Play Store.

 

Over 150 exercises of Synesthesia Meditation App are available in the Sensorium. With the new App, you can access your daily sensory activities even faster.

 

The Sensorium is now just one click away. You do not need to open it in your browser anymore.

Having Synesthesia Meditation supports you in establishing your mindfulness routine. Don’t forget, do it 10 minutes per day and you will feel the benefits within a week.
Over 150 exercises on your SmartPhone.

All the functionality of synesthesia.com as a downloadable app.

You can still use your user account and retain all of your stats.
Download the App now for free in the Play store!

Over 3 hours of content for free. Continue your synesthetic mindfulness journey today with the new app.

Get the Synesthesia Meditation App on Google Play

Get the Synesthesia Meditation App on Google Play

 

We hope to see you in the Play Store!
Marc-Jacques, fellow synesthete, biologist, co-founder of synesthesia.com

synesthesia & Videos

4 Videos that do a good job in attempting to explain synesthesia. Number 4 is my favorite.

Explaining and understanding synesthesia is not so easy.

On the one hand do we not yet fully understand the neurological bases of this phenomenon.  On the other hand, it is tricky to put synesthetic perceptions into words.

Here a selection of videos that do a good job in explaining synesthesia.

 

1. The pioneer

The synesthesia pioneer and his beautiful teachings about synesthesia. Find more information about his work here.

Read more

New releases & synesthesia

Book Tip: Oxford Handbook of Synesthesia

This oxford handbook was edited by Julia Simner and Edward J. Hubbard, with the contribution of many leading scientists in the field of synesthesia. It is a compelling overview of what we know about synesthesia so far and in which directions and branches the research is evolving. This book is recommended to people that want to go deeper in their understanding and can handle the dense information found in this book.

Oxford Handbook of Synesthesia (Oxford Library of Psychology)

synesthesia

Known synesthetes – Collin Pharel

To determine if somebody has been a “genuine” synesthete post mortum is very difficult if not possible. Synesthetic expression through art or lyrics give insight about the multisensory perception of somebody, but may not scientifically be accurate. Therefore it makes more sense to ask those who are alive. For example Collin Pharell, musician and outspoken synesthete. Here a few insights in his synesthetic everyday life.

Meet The Famous Musicians With Synaesthesia, A Condition That Means You Hear Colours | NME.COM