Who Am I

Originally posted by Buck Division
It is one of those feelings like "Deja Vu", but lasts just a very brief moment, at least for me.

Reading the link I added above, I think the technical term would be "Depersonalization", which is classified as a type of "Dissociation".

en.wikipedia.org...

Depersonalization is also right there with jamais vu
I'm with Buck Division, I have had moments similar, when you can't recall what your looking at to be familiar anymore, - I also think it is the same with linguistics:

when a word is repeated over and over again, it is in fact only the form which is repeated. There is no sentence, so the function of the word is eliminated. Its meaning, too, is effectively eliminated, because there is no context

Who do I want to be? would seem to be a more fruitful question than Who am I?

Quite simply.

Who do you want to be?

reply to post by juveous



You might be interested in my thread, it touches on a very similar subject.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by rikk7111
No doubt this has happened to all who have observed, It seems we in our finite state, at a moment realizes our infinite domain.

I like that description.
I'm not sure I buy into the 'all' and the idea of us being part of the 'all', but in that split second, that's exactly what it feels like.
From the perspective of a finite human to the perspective of infinity, and then you look at yourself and ask "who the hell am I?".
Not in a humanistic sense, such as giving human traits, because that's what we always think of from a human perspective.
My name is Joe and I work at starbucks.
But that's not who a person is.
And the feeling I'm talking about sees past ALL of that, and you realize that none of that matters.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
Who do I want to be? would seem to be a more fruitful question than Who am I?

Indeed, but the more we know about our true selves, the more we can be what we are meant to be and not what society wants us to be.

Know thyself.

But concerning the thread, the question is more of a "who are we", as we can see ourselves as something our entire life and then in an instant, see everything from a completely foreign perspective.

Perspective changes everything.

Happens to me on occasion - but - It happens when I look at my hands, not into the mirror.
Dunno if that makes any huge difference or not - I doubt it.
I'm blabbing now, sorry, lol!

One time I looked in a mirror whilst shadow-boxing on the attic.
For a split-second my ''Dreamland'' alter-ego appeared in the mirror.
It was like an instant change back and forth.

I still don't know what or why or how, but it's one of the unusual things I've experienced.

It's not gonna get any closer than that to see ''something else'' in the mirror.

Originally posted by TruthParadox
Have you ever had a moment where you look in the mirror and staring back at you is someone completely unfamiliar?

I have had this experience before… I won’t pretend to know the answer, but just like many here, I do have a thought; could it be a brief separation of the soul and spirit, leaving the ego with a strange, foggy, surreal feeling? It could also be the soul trying to give the ego a wake-up call, that leaves the ego with this question, "Who am I?", goes right along with a recent post made, Turning On The Magic. You might want to check it out...

Originally posted by Skyfloating
Who do I want to be? would seem to be a more fruitful question than Who am I?

Good point there Skyfloating. When you ask yourself the question, “Who am I?” it’s the same as asking, “Where am I?” Sounds like something you’d ask yourself if you were lost… it may be time to kill the pride, (ego) and ask for directions.

reply to post by TruthParadox


I'm going to admit something I've never really talked about before

it's not a big deal - so, also not all that interesting

I just always thought it was weird - in a weird but also lame kinda way

one of those embarrassing kid things

when I was a kid - I hated looking in the mirror - because the person I was seeing was never who I thought I should look like

not what I should look like - but who

HATED having my picture taken for the same reason

it was as if someone took a picture of someone else - and then tried to convince you it was really you - just that weird

by the time I was 8 or 9 I got over it

it drove my mom crazy

it's just one of those memories now - I remember going through that - but not so much the actual feeling

but, I do believe I know what you're saying - I get that feeling again for a fraction of a second from time to time



[edit on 11/19/2008 by Spiramirabilis]

reply to post by TruthParadox

Once when I was young (kindergarten to early elementary school), I looked in the mirror, and thought "that doesn't look like me". I can't explain it, and I still sometimes do it.

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


You're not alone with that. While not an unpleasant sight, I avoid mirrors and cameras - and also people who try to define me over my job or my nationality or race or gender or anything else for that matter.

"Whats your name? Whats your profession? Where do you live?"

...questions asked on a daily basis, as if that could give a clue to the infinity that one is.

reply to post by Skyfloating


I understand what you're saying - and I agree with your philosophy

I have an avoidance issue myself whenever I try to pin my own self down :-)

it's limiting

but, when I was too young to really give it that much thought - it was an almost physical response to not recognizing the person in the mirror - or photo

in a way - photos were much worse

it had nothing to do with not liking what I saw (although - I'm sure we all have our issues...)

it was just wrong - what I saw was all wrong

many a tanny-tantrum was thrown because of this little bit of identity weirdness

as I mentioned - it eventually became a non-issue

I don't particularly like having my photo taken - but, I recognize myself now at least :-)

I'd really be interested to know if there's some kind of psychology behind that episode in my life - if it happens to other kids

edit to add - and wonder:

maybe there's some wiring - some specific little chunk of the brain - that isn't connected the way it should be

try not to take that and run with it





[edit on 11/19/2008 by Spiramirabilis]

Originally posted by Spiramirabilis


I'd really be interested to know if there's some kind of psychology behind that episode in my life - if it happens to other kids

I dont know about the psychology behind it, but the spirituality behind it would be "you are not your body" and therefore rightly dont want to be identified with it.

I'll let others chime in on the psychology of it though

reply to post by Skyfloating


you know - that's as close as anything else I can come up with

I've never felt very attached to this body

I have a bizarre relationship with it

not bad - just - well, we have our ups and downs :-)

but, we muddle through together somehow

The ontological evidence of us not being the body is not too difficult to figure out either:

I can observe that cup over there. That means I am separate from it. I cant at the same time BE and OBSERVE something.

I can observe/perceive my body. That means I am not the body.

I can observe/perceive the mind. That means I am not the mind.

Humorously, we cannot perceive who we really are because we are that. Just like an eye cant see itself.

[edit on 19-11-2008 by Skyfloating]

reply to post by Skyfloating


:-)

that's good

I've been accused of being too analytical

as if such a thing is even possible

but, seriously - maybe there is a real disconnect between observing and just being

I was just over thinking the whole thing when I was a kid

I've experienced this effect several times myself. It's such a fleeting moment that 2 minutes later you forget all about it.

You are whoever you want to be. You can shift your mind and much of your appearance if you wish. If you can’t do so in one world there are other realms to do so in, fantasist or not they can be to you whatever you wish them to be. We exist in that kind of reality now, beautiful thing isn’t it? Or not.

reply to post by rapinbatsisaltherage


depends what kid of day I'm having

:-)

I agree

I wish there was way to teach that to all kids - everywhere

so they can just start out thinking this way -