Most useless ability ever

So here is a thing I've never told anyone. But the internet is somewhat anonymous and maybe there are others with the same affliction.

Occasionally certain things get stuck in my mind. It can be anything, an object, a person or even a phrase. It is typically something that feels unusual/uncommon/new to me.

Here comes the weird part. Within a day or so, I run into/notice this exact thing, seemingly by chance. And being something unusual to me, it kind of creeps me out.

The rational explanation would be just my brain being focused on it and simply cherry picking it from the swathes of information it constantly processes and rejects. My problem with this explanation is the probability of running into the same very specific and unusual thing in such a short period of time.

a reply to: moebius

I know exactly what you are talking about. The phenomenon is called something, but I can't remember. Here's the weird part. I had heard the word somewhere, had no idea what it meant. Weeks later, I had the word of it stuck in my head. Couldn't figure out why. Then later that day I was watching a video or a show that just so happened to use that word. I looked it up and it described exactly what I experienced.

a reply to: moebius

It is called the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

Your awareness increases, so it seems that your contact with the new idea or thing seems more frequent.

Thank you. That is the phenomenon. The brain is so interesting. Some quick googling also taught me that a similar effect is the observer-expectancy effect. Someone basically tells you, "there will be a lot of red cars on the road today." Then you notice that there are. You wouldn't have observed that before being told.

I don't think there is any real way to determine the statistical "weight" of any particular random thought you might have which would in turn increase the likelihood that you would recognize it if the content of that thought popped up again. What are the odds that I'll think of any specific thing? Rubber bands. Chocolate cake. Imhotep. Uruguay. Dan Blocker.

A couple of years ago - for no reason I could determine - I thought of the old-time jazz singer Al Jolson. Seemingly completely out of any context. It's not like there was a huge Al Jolson revival going on. Then over the next few days "Al Jolson" popped up in two other completely unrelated instances, including when I saw an old cartoon for the 30s I hadn't seen in decades that had a character named "Owl Jolson."

Yes, my awareness probably became heightened after the first repetition event, but having the concept "Al Jolson" pop up more than once in my experience in such a short time - particularly when the first thought was apparently random - becomes significant to ME, which is what is ultimately more important than the statistical probability of it happening. That is even if you could justify those statistics, which I don't think is even possible.

That kind of concept synchronicity still happens to me occasionally, usually in waves. I try to shut it down these days because like the OP said, it's pretty useless. It's very distracting to the point of annoyance. And it's not something you could use for any practical purpose like winning the lottery.

These days I just laugh and chalk it up to lazy programming in the reality simulation. Concepts repeated in short periods of time because the programmer didn't want to bother with coming up with something original, or the equivalent of "code bleed" where a bit of code ends up linked to other parts of the program by mistake.

originally posted by: that1lurker
Thank you. That is the phenomenon. The brain is so interesting. Some quick googling also taught me that a similar effect is the observer-expectancy effect. Someone basically tells you, "there will be a lot of red cars on the road today." Then you notice that there are. You wouldn't have observed that before being told.

But what about something less common than red cars? What if you thought of something "unusual," like a blue dog, and the next day you were driving through a town you never visited and saw a Blue Dog Cafe? Or you got an ad in the mail that showed a dog dyed blue to illustrate them being unhappy with fleas? Your expectations might have been heightened, but the blue dogs actually appeared for you to spot them. Were blue dogs common in your life before you started noticing them? I can't see how that could be implied or proven.

I think there is a point at which the chance of all those things happening -- from the origination of the first thought/concept to the actual subsequent appearance and perception of the concept in a different context - is so low that it has to be considered an outlier.

Although this kind of thing is not so rare, which would suggest that the whole notion deserves additional study rather than a quick dismissal because, "You thought of a donut, and you saw a donut because you were psychologically predisposed to see it."

a reply to: moebius

Just idk,
First a weird ability then an affliction?

Universe speaks to us like a falling tree in the forest.

If we hear a sound, we turn to look.
👍

a reply to: Blue Shift

These days I just laugh and chalk it up to lazy programming in the reality simulation. Concepts repeated in short periods of time because the programmer didn't want to bother with coming up with something original, or the equivalent of "code bleed" where a bit of code ends up linked to other parts of the program by mistake.

My useless super power is that I will wake up with a song stuck in my head and when I get in the car to go somewhere that is the song that is playing.

My wife and I have made a game about it...

I'm over 50% and no, it doesn't matter how long we wait or what time of day we start the car.

It drives her nuts because she likes explanations for everything.

I just think its funny.

Just to follow up a little. Most of the thoughts I have that lead to a synchronicity are fleeting. They come out of nowhere and drift away until the synchronistic event happens and you remember having that stray thought. If you concentrate too hard or purposely try to guess, it doesn't happen.

It's curious then that the recognized protocols for remote viewing have a lot to do with catching these fleeting thoughts and steering the remote viewer away from trying to purposely imagine the target and solidify it in their minds. Like there is a surface consciousness that we define and interact with, but also a kind of "back channel" where seemingly random thoughts are tied together in some unfathomable pattern that we only occasionally get a glimpse of.

a reply to: Blue Shift

You make a good point. Lazy programming sounds about right, though. Maybe we are aware that whatever it is we thought of is going to occur in the near future. We just know it. I've had very intense moments of deja vu and synchronicity. It always leaves me feeling like there is much more going on behind the curtains than we can tap into.

Partially synchronicity partially the law of attraction I think. With me it seems that I have many more `chance` meetings with rock stars whose music I really like. Way above any law of averages.

originally posted by: bluemooone2
Partially synchronicity partially the law of attraction I think. With me it seems that I have many more `chance` meetings with rock stars whose music I really like. Way above any law of averages.

Hard to say. If you like rock a lot, and you tend to go to concerts or guitar stores where those kinds of folks are more likely to hang out, then your odds of seeing them will go up. I see more celebrities because I live in the Los Angeles area. I saw Patrick Stewart one day driving his Jaguar convertible on Silver Lake Boulevard in Los Angeles. And then two weeks later I went on a rare birthday vacation to Hawaii, and he was there in the Maui Airport. That's kind of a synch, but it sure would have been stronger if I had seen him in Omaha, Nebraska or someplace like that.

Nope hehe mostly just party stores and even a Arby's once. Lets see..... David Bowie (holiday inn) Slash (Circle K) Guitarist from LA Guns (Shell gas station) Christie Hyde (Arbys) Yoko Ono (cherry fest) (90% on that one) a reply to: Blue Shift