Strange Feeling of being someone else

Has anyone else felt this?

For the past 5 or 6 months, i have had this "thing" happen to me almost daily. What happens is, I'll either be watching somebody on TV, or I'll be thinking of someone in a certain situation, and I'll get this overwhelming feeling that I can actually feel what it is like to be that person at that moment.

At first I thought it was pretty cool, but after a short time it became quite disturbing. It realy doesn't feel nice at all.

The worst part of it is, it first happened when I was watching a program about Hitler. I sowear I felt what it was like to be like him, and it shook me up.
What I felt was weird......I felt as though he didn't have much control over what he was doing, and he was overwhelmed by the crowds cheering him........he felt happy but not in control.

Well, there you have it, anyone else felt anything similar?

Nobody?..................................hmmm

I read this.

I refrained from commenting.

I tend to turn off the empathy machine as soon as possible. I don't want to spend more than a few seconds in the psychological shoes of another.

But it can be helpful if you have real skills that way and are so inclined, in professional and other capacities, so long as you are one who knows how to sort out your own situations...

Re: Hitler - control freak extraordinaire. Fully cognizant of the consequences of evry word and act, in my opinion.

Okay, thanks....

but I wouldn't call it a "skill", because I don't see to have any real control over it, so to speak......

Do you stop at "feeling" the other person, or have you experienced "seeing through their eyes".

Please let me know.

It surely sounds like you have empathic abilities.

Recommendations: Unless you are going to write a book about it, DON'T WATCH ANYMORE HITLER DOCUMENTARIES!!!

Originally posted by Valhall
Do you stop at "feeling" the other person, or have you experienced "seeing through their eyes".

Please let me know.

Hmmm, I'm not entirely sure, but I can usually accurately visualize the surroundings........
Also, many of the "people" I feel are in the past, or so it seems, although quite a few have been current day....

And one other thing.........these feelings usually leave a very powerful feeling of sadness behind in me, but I've no idea why....

Oh well, thanks for listening

That interesting I have almost no empathy for others. In fact Im starting to think it�s a problem.

chebob sounds very much like remote viewing, albeit a more elaborate form of the technique but nonetheless from what I understand the same.

Have included a link which presents data with respect to research.

mypeoplepc.com...


This other one offers free instructions on the basic methedology of Remote Vewing.

www.geocities.com...

Just so we are clear I do not recommend actually paying someone to teach you this.

I get the same feelings aswell,
Iv been able to do this for a very long time now.
Some times it sticks with ever after, i can be walking around and i react to situations that character might.
Deep

At first I thought it was pretty cool, but after a short time it became quite disturbing. It realy doesn't feel nice at all.

The worst part of it is, it first happened when I was watching a program about Hitler. I sowear I felt what it was like to be like him, and it shook me up.

Have you ever considered talking to a doc about it, if its bothering you so much? Maybe that might help although you never know.

I haven't read the other replies, and since I'll be posting personally (like I always do) then I doubt I'm making a repeat.

What you feel *is* normal..don't let anyone try to tell you it isn't..it's normal but not all people have this ability, so alot of folks might say you have a problem, because they don't share it and can't grasp it. We aren't empathetic all the time, but seems that there are phases where we just feel empathy for all people, even people on talk shows or wherever. Your grocery clerk, your mechanic, or even a passing stranger on the street.
Something stops us from our daily *routine* and an overwhelming sensation goes right through you, like someones just momentarily walked into your body, or you theirs. It seems like it lasts forever, yet it may only be a split second, but because it's not your own, per say, it feels like an eternity, that you are bombarded with someone elses emotion, thoughts, or feelings.

I don't know why this happens, and really don't care to at this moment. I don't usually tell people, but don't care that I've shared it here, at this moment..Something just tells me to and that's that..Some people have maybe one or two empathetic moments in their entire lifetime, and some continue to have them throughout their lifetime, either in phases or something triggers it?? Don't really know for sure. But there is nothing wrong with those who do, and nothing wrong with those who don't. Just one of those things we might need later on down the line, so we may not fully understand it's capacity yet. However, I have had it for many years and have learned *somewhat* to tune it out so it doesn't over run my own thoughts or life..AND sometimes, I think if you are capable of this, it helps to talk to the one you've felt this from, even if for a brief moment and even if it has nothing to do with what you've picked up from them..I have found this to have some great benefits over the years..not only for you, but for the person involved.

Any more questions or thoughts about this would be fine and you could also send a U2 to me, if you'd rather everyone else not read what you write..
Take Care,
Magestica

I've felt this way from time to time as well but I've never felt it about anyone in power..mostly children whom have been the victim of violence or tragedies of some sort. At times, its almost crippling emotionally. I sometimes can see what I think they must have went through and thats bad enough..but the part that scars me the most is when a parent hurts the child because nothing is worse than a trust a child has in its parent being betrayed and nothing feels worse than the feeling of absolute abandonment of that trust. It hurts me deeply to even discuss it and I have to stop now.

Thank you for telling that to us, I felt your *empathy* for that moment no doubt! And it is quite odd how most empathetic thoughts we pick up are those of trauma or extreme emotion..mostly saddness or anger for me...I've had to leave places before with no explaination due to this..and just sat in my car and had a moment to myself...But like I stated above, I have found that if you somehow reach out to the person, even by small talk or just a glance of knowing, that it feels almost gone for the moment? As though they know sometimes too...that you could feel them. And it's a moment that seems to stop time, hard to explain?

I also forgot to mention that I've been straight up confronted by people/strangers who have sensed my emotion or feeling or things I've dealt with that day or even as long as months prior..that I was unaware I still thought of or carried around with me. It was like "Hey now, I'm the one who feels it, and now the tables are turned?" Even I could sense those who did just as I said to..give some invisible sign almost, that *you can feel it* or some small conversation and then I too could feel that moment or feeling leave me temporarily, like it's a small form of mental healing or something?? OK, I'm rambling, sorry I think you got the just of it..
Magestica

Toltec, thanks for the links. I've been meaning to look up RV for a while....

Astro, although it's never been about being mistreated or beaten as such, or just children, but I have had many of them in people in pain, like suicide victims and other people who die early........strange.
Glad I'm not the only one though.......

Thanks MAg for the detailed reply, I'll u2u you...

I have felt like that the most of my life. Actually, felt like I belonged somewhere else also.

If you believe in reincarnation as I do, you are the sum total of everything you have ever been. This is the reason for being attracted to certain things in your life like people, cities, countries, certain tastes, etc.

Originally posted by spiritexployer

If you believe in reincarnation as I do, you are the sum total of everything you have ever been. This is the reason for being attracted to certain things in your life like people, cities, countries, certain tastes, etc.

Well, I have thought about reincarnation, as it would explain seeing "past" lives.............but I don't think I'm ready to think about that aspect of it yet...........

So MAgestica, sometimes it helps to talk to that person, not even what you can feel from them, just something?

Originally posted by darkhowling
So MAgestica, sometimes it helps to talk to that person, not even what you can feel from them, just something?

That is correct, just a nod will even suffice sometimes..

I believe that what we may see on the outside is a stranger, but we are seeing/feeling on the inside is someone we actually know..and to make the effort to bring it to their attention that we *know* can have great benefits for both parties involved. There's no other way for me to explain this really, as it's still a huge mystery to even me..but I've done this to people and have had some very deep inner feelings afterwards from just speaking to them or making eye contact or whatever..I believe that there is a very different world we are living on a much deeper level, sometimes-then the one we can actually *see*..and it helps to open the door to that world at times. Or atleast to peer in though the window of that world.

Did that make any sense??
Magestica

Mags has definitely got the base covered with these answers...awesome indeed...to add anything else seems almost superfluous...

...I also understand her point about finding a method to 'tune this ability out', to have a little bit of 'downtime' so as not to be overloaded with the emotions of others...for sometimes our own emotions can be burden enough at times.

I seem to have some empathic ability...something I seemed to pick up early on in life. For sometimes it works like a safegaurd, a protection mechanism, an early-warning device...being able to sense someone elses emotional state and so ready yourself (or completely avoid or deflect/de-escalate) the ramifications that may come from that.

The ability to hit the 'Off' switch with it is also important...or at least to be able to turn it down a little. Working for the last 6 years in Mental Health Work has taught me that...the last thing you want to be is a full-on-all-the-time empathic when you are working all day with people who are experiencing Psychiatric Illnesses...or its burnout time REAL soon.

It of course does have positive benefits in the job...the ability to relate, to communicate with someone on a level a whole lot deeper than words...to connect, and through that connection build trust...and through that trust help them along their road to recovery just that much easier.

In a way it can almost be like a little trade-off when you connect on an empathic level with some of the guys I work with...you kinda - for a short while anyway - trade-off a midgen of your own sanity to help them secure a stronger hold on theirs. And when you look at it that way...hey...isn't taking on a bit of pain worth it...if it means that person may spend less time loss in a cloud of confusion.



Peace,
ALIEN

[Edited on 11-7-2003 by alien]

Know what you're talking about, Alien. I'm the person to talk to if you've got problems, everyone around me knows that. But how do I hit that "off switch"? I love helping people, the good feelings they get from a problem solved make me feel great. But we live in a negative society and its a bit overwhelming when you can't shut it out.