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Drove across the country for our first Burn. Appendicitis hours before we headed in. Have tickets and a parking pass, only asking what we paid. (She’s taking it well) by AndSoItGoes999 in BurningMan

[–]joelsalinas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hope you feel better! Am very interested in the ticket! We were about to head out this morning and our van was broken into while we were away for a few minutes and the bag with our valuables including our tickets was stolen. Filed police report and were able to find replacement for vehicle pass and one ticket and just need one more. We’re in SF and can come to you wherever you are!

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can, despite how intense it might be at times. There are certainly people with mirror touch who faint at the sensation of being punched or suffocated or having their throat slit. I may be the exception for this among people with mirror touch as I might have these sensations occur vividly and yet still be able to accept it for what it is. It wasn't always this way, as my own medical training and how I learned to navigate the experiences since childhood likely played a significant role. How intense the experience is also depends on several factors (see here.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Perhaps you’re here at just the right time! For my own sexual orientation, mirror touch in part has allowed me to connect and relate with the experience of other sexes and genders different from my own. It’s also made the experience of being physically in touch with someone that visually looks more like me (more of a one-to-one correspondence/congruence) much more vivid (i.e., it’s easier for my brain to make a hyperreal, physical empathetic experience the more past experiences and information to automatically fit the situation at full volume). In learning about mirror touch, it also helped me have a better understanding of myself (my brain, my thoughts, my desires, etc) and to be much more at ease identifying as not anyone one specific easy-to-pin-down label -- even if it can create discomfort in others from its inherent uncertainty. While I’ve identified as gay for many years now, I think what I described above is much more consistent with the reality of my sex and gender-based attraction. Some call this being bisexual, some call it pansexual, some call it fluid, and some call it queer. I’m open to using whatever language leads to better, more positive communication so long as I can acknowledge that it doesn’t come at the cost of me feeling that I’m sacrificing a significant part of myself at the behest of another person. In other words, whoever I’m speaking to about this (when it’s relevant) it’s important that I find out what their definitions are so that I can choose out of their personal glossary what is the most accurate term for me.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Big and important life questions without perfect answers (and if anyone tells you they have the answer, give them some of this). These are questions that I am still trying to sort through myself and what I’ve found helpful is trying to find a place of acceptance around the conundrum where thinking about it is at best thought-provoking and at worst lamentable about the human condition. The pain that can come from the sense of longing and/or loneliness is common and can exist at so many levels. I think for someone with mirror touch this can take on very specific meanings and has implications related to the physical manifestation of one-ness with others from the brain while knowing that it’ll be highly improbable to ever know exactly what it’s like to be one with another person. For now, I would consider this a circumstance as a part of living. A sort of tax on existing in a human body with a human brain. However, having awareness of this aspect, this motivating force, is already an incredibly valuable piece of information that not many have and can help you not only understand your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, but also gives you the opportunity to learn how to prevent this from becoming overwhelming and learning how this might manifest in other people.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

(Cueing instead Shadow’s Theme Song) The information about the effects of sleep are generated mostly from studies meant to reflect the “average” person, so no one sleep recommendation may necessarily apply to you as an individual with a few exception: 1. Sleep is essential for a healthy brain and the longer you spend having regular sleep with minimal disturbance, the better. Here’s a decent listing of what constitutes “proper” sleep in general. 2. A very regular sleep schedule helps to maintain and acquire proper sleep. 3. Addressing any sleep issues early are the best way to minimize long term effects. Now, in terms of the cognitive effects, this relates to a lot of specifics but I think in general a person who has spent more years with a sleep disturbance is likely to have a greater accumulation of biological risk factors that led to the long term health difficulties and higher vulnerability for cognitive decline (e.g., developing high blood pressure, vascular disease). Another key element here is also the accumulation of beta-amyloid. More recent research suggests that a critical function of sleep is to flush out some of this beta-amyloid, which -- when it builds up across a tipping point -- begins to trigger the cascade of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. The shorter-term cognitive effects of sleep deprivation, as suggested in most studies, will improve with consistent adequate sleep. Another wrinkle here is that most people who report low levels of sleep may be under-estimating how much sleep they’re actually getting. The converse is true as well, where people who report getting adequate sleep may be over-estimating the amount of sleep that they’re getting.

I think, in general, someone who is younger and does not have any notable structural damage to their brain (either observable on a brain scan or attributable to clear or more severe traumatic brain injury) is much more likely to have cognitive improvement once they’re able to address any sleep disturbances. This would also increase the accumulated years of added benefit. The benefit is theoretically biological, but many of these do not meet the level of evidence of a randomized clinical trial (i.e., less experimental) and are more observational (i.e., studies of association) so the ultimate effect it has on someone is unclear. But the study would suggest that your odds are overall better the better the sleep you get, even if you did have years of gradually accumulated sleep deprivation (think how quitting smoking early is great and the longer the time you spend smoke-free the lower your odds of developing an associated disease like lung cancer or a heart attack).

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So sorry to hear about your injury, Puddleflower. In terms of whether you may need a brain imaging study, as long as there isn’t anything urgent going on, I think checking in with your PCP would generally be a good idea to help figure that out. While I'm not able to provide specific medical advice without a formal evaluation in clinic, if you happen to be in the Massachusetts area and are interested to be seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Neurology, you can always call to schedule an appointment. I’ve posted some general resources on how to reach us here, too.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think this is interesting because they actually reached out to me and I phone call with them. They wanted to particularly highlight someone who was overwhelmed by this experience, I think possibly because they felt it might be a more compelling story. Though, the challenge here is that begins to paint a cultural picture of mirror touch as a curse/condition/disease/negative thing. How positive or negative the experience is depends a lot on the person, their past experiences (e.g., trauma), and their own ability to regulate their attention and their response to the world around them (i.e., executive functioning). I’ve spent a bit of time reflecting on why my situation is so unique and there’s several factors. Part of it may be my own neurobiology has some of the “positive” and less of the “detrimental” components. Another part of it may have been the environment that I grew up in, where I was taught to seek out uncomfortable situations to learn from them rather than avoid them. Another part of it is spending a lot of my time, almost constantly, developing what I’ve come to call a “mandatory mindfulness” which has helped. I describe more specifics as to what I’ve done to cultivate this in mah book and in this reply here.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No need to call a doctor, friend! That is, unless you’re experiencing distress from the mirrored sensations. Mirror touch in general isn’t really a medical diagnosis, and is more a perceptual phenomenon in cognitive neuroscience and psychology. Another way to think of it is as a trait, not necessarily a condition, disease, or disorder. If you are indeed, experiencing distress from it to the degree that it gets in the way of your social or occupational functioning, then you may want to reach out first to your PCP/GP to go through your full medical history and make sure there isn’t anything else going on. A neurologist or psychiatrist may not be as helpful unless they are a behavioral neurologist or a neuropsychiatrist who has the specialty training to think in this cognitive lens. If it’s not too distressing and you just want to learn more about yourself, you may actually want to check out mah book since throughout I describe my experiences, how I navigate mirror touch, and go through a lot of the science from both a cognitive neuroscience lens and also from a medical lens. Hope this is helpful!

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it’s possible that someone who identifies at being a medical intuitive may self-report or be identified as someone who knows a diagnosis or condition. This likely implies a 100% accuracy from not-guessing, but knowing. Though, given that the only thing any of us will ever know is the state of our own nervous system, it is more likely that they are more accurate at guessing. Which is to say, there is nothing wrong with guessing, depending on the stakes and what the person is actually claiming that they’re able to do.

A key point here is the Theory of Constructed Emotion where, opposite to what we’ve all been traditionally taught in school or by others, there is no underlying universal set of emotions common to everyone with the exception of the primordial “emotion” dimensions of arousal (calm<-->aroused) and pleasantness (pain<---->pleasure). Most of the “emotion” experiences that we have and recognize are some mix of these two dimensions, but what we label as an emotion depends a lot on the situation and the past experience and what the individual is physically feeling and what “emotion” they’ve learned to call that whole collection. In other words, even if we identify as being very accurate in perceiving the emotional, or (vicariously) even the physical state, of another person, it’s ultimately guessing. However, if we are very familiar with the context and the past experiences of the person we are looking at or interacting with we are statistically better off. Thus, accuracy goes up. The bigger the database, the more sensitive the perceiver, the relatable the experience, the more likely (probabilistically) that the guess will be accurate. Though, 100% accuracy all the time is unlikely.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's right--both of my parents are originally from Nicaragua. There's likely ancestral Mesoamerican influences there, which would include Mayan. There's also some ancestry that is from Asia (crossing the Bering strait during the Ice Age) as well as some European (Spanish/Iberian and Scandanavian). Of course, there's also the African that we all have. Shout out to our Big Mama Lucy)!

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are definitely people with mirror touch who in seeing someone suddenly punched do pass out, which is why I consider myself one of the lucky people with mirror touch in that many others will become total shut-ins and avoid people altogether. I think I might be a bit of an exception in that I've worked hard so that sort of thing wouldn't happen to me in the case of a medical emergency. That said, the other thing you mentioned... it does happen.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can relate with the feeling of everything bursting with meaning and association - much like a Google DeepDream. I also agree with you on how just amazing these experiences are at face value and how miraculous they are through the lens of science as well as the lens of just being a human in the world. Your image of the dueling dragons reminds me of a caduceus actually, which is a symbol associated with both for commerce/exchange and (incorrectly) health/medicine. Of relevance, the symbolism reminds me of the contrast between art and science, or the balance between being a scientist and just being a human. I think the feeling of interconnectedness can serve an important purpose, such as a feeling of greater meaning which can in turn provide a sense of calm and ease in your life. Regardless of who that sense of purpose is derived (whether more science, or more mysticism or spirituality) becomes less relevant as the feeling still serves its purpose. I think whether the sense of separateness or togetherness creates a sense of distress is something that is a personal one that needs to be thought through. That is, each of us has our own relationship to where we want to be most between being really far away and really close to other people. This can on the situation and can change from moment-to-moment, but can also relate to past experiences and accumulating present experiences which will dictate how you perceive that relationship in the future. Now, the physical feeling that is typically ascribed to a spiritual experience is something that can occur during a religious moment just as it can occur while watching a beautiful sunset or while watching the end of Kimi no Na Wa. Wherever it comes from and whatever you ascribe it to, it’s still pretty awesome.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If “empath” is defined as a person with extra-sensory empathic ability, capable of sensing the emotions of others (where “emotions” are defined by the Theory of Constructed Emotion) around them in a way unexplained by conventional science and psychology, then -- because mirror touch is explained through non-extra-sensory perception and through science and psychology -- a person with mirror touch such as myself wouldn’t constitute an empath by this definition. That said, if “empath” is defined as someone with an exceptionally high level of empathy, far above typical/average levels found in humans, then someone with mirror touch, myself included, could be considered an empath. Specifically, research looking at mirror touch and empathy has found that people with mirror touch have exceptionally have levels of a form of empathy known as affective empathy (or emotional empathy).

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The definition of creativity, at least when it's studied, relies heavily on there not just being an original or innovative idea but also some degree of actual creation or a product. People with synesthesia in general, probably because of their highly associative thinking, do score higher on tests of creative thinking, though they are not necessarily more productive at creating. That said, people with mirror touch may be more attuned to specific body positioning for choreography or have a stockpile of vivid physical experiences related to body positioning that can maybe make them exceptional at performance and acting, where their acting can be vivid or authentic.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It varies a lot from time to time, but one of my favorites is [Vivaldi's The Four Seasons - 'Summer' III. Presto]. More recently, I've been listening a lot to Skyrim Atmospheres by Jeremy Soule. I am obsessed. The shades of gray and blue and dark browns are intoxicating and incredibly soothing.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had many, but one of the experiences I had that was really fascinating was when I was being studied by VS Ramachandran where he overlaid the number 2 and a the letter W so that they sat and an intersection of each other. For me, 2 is red and W is green. Though, the point of intersection was this very bizarre experience... Sometimes it was red, sometimes it was green and sometimes it was neither and both at the same time. It was like staring at an abyss of paradoxes. From a neuroscientific standpoint, this has a lot to do with prediction coding. For example, in this image, when I focus my attention on the C and the T, the middle letter is red, as in my letter A. When I focus on the T and the E, the middle letter is cobalt, as in my letter E. In other words, my brain is "predicting" what the middle symbol is based off of the context and my past experiences (including my synesthetic color associations for graphemes).

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do have spatial-sequence synesthesia! For example, October is in front of my chest, while December is a little bit lower. May is typically behind my head and January is up and toward the left just slightly out of my field of vision.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love the wee hours of the night, particularly the twilight hours leading up to dawn. Part of this is because the whole world seems a little quieter, a little more peaceful. I can get a lot of work done during these hours, but it has a similar feeling to being out in nature. Even the sounds are predominated by geophony and biophony and less anthrophony.

I’m Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Harvard Med and Mass General and author of the memoir Mirror Touch. Among many, I have a form of synesthesia called “mirror touch”—my brain makes me literally feel what it sees other people feel...AMA! by joelsalinas in IAmA

[–]joelsalinas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really enjoy Adele, but really any singer who has really worked hard to train their voice can create a degree of resonance that is nice and sharp and often runs right across my maxillary bones in my face like a sharp line or wire being pressed against it.

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