The neuroscientist paralysed by love

The neuroscientist paralysed by love

www.telegraph.co.uk

An American neuroscientist has developed a rare condition that leaves him paralysed when he feels the emotion of love.
Matt Frerking, 39, from Portland, Oregon, is left immobile if he even has a romantic thought or sees others showing displays of affection.
The affliction has been diagnosed as a combination of the chronic sleeping disorder narcolepsy with cataplexy, a sudden weakening of the muscles which renders the person temporarily immobile but still aware of their surroundings...

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is an awesome story, so I thought I would share. Rare is putting it lightly, this condition must be literally one in 100 million.

It doesn't even bare thinking about how bittersweet this must be. On the one hand this is obviously a very loving individual, but he is also periodically crippled by paralysis. I struggle to imagine how him and his wife... ahem... you get the idea.

I believe it could be worse though, he could be devoid of the ability to love altogether, now that would be a real tragedy.

www.telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

THat is really some crazy affliction,.
Kinda like what happens to goats when you scare them
sometimes I wish that could happen to my wife, she tends to move allot

Amazing, thanks for posting it.

This must be extrordinarily difficult. The article doesn't say how long he's had it.

Originally posted by Big Raging Loner
I believe it could be worse though, he could be devoid of the ability to love altogether, now that would be a real tragedy.

That absolutely correct. Now, I worry that if this man is taking steps to quell feelings of love that it could damage him psychologically. I would think (hope) there would be a way to deal with this disease without that having to happen, but I imagine it would be very difficult.

Also fascinating: He is a neurologist. So he may be able to gain some deeper insights into what is happeneing. Wouldn't it be incredible if he cured his own disease and plumbed its mysteries? I would like to read a book or article witten by this person about the phenomenon from a first-hand perspective. I wish him and his family the best in dealing with what I imagine is a very challenging and hopefully not too painful condition.

lets hope his companion doesn't decide to get freaky when they are driving
that could be bad

The other thing is, what if he fell in love with somebody who was not his wife for whatever reason? Or even had a "crush" or felt fleeting attraction to another woman -- it says the condition sets in during trailers to romantic films, so I imagine a bit of strong attraction could trigger it. Even if this kind of feeling was only inside his head and he never acted on it or even ever would act on it, it would still instantly become apparent to the entire world and all parties concerned. His innermost privacy is compromised in a very important way!




[edit on 8/19/10 by silent thunder]

Originally posted by Big Raging Loner

The neuroscientist paralysed by love

www.telegraph.co.uk

An American neuroscientist has developed a rare condition that leaves him paralysed when he feels the emotion of love.
Matt Frerking, 39, from Portland, Oregon, is left immobile if he even has a romantic thought or sees others showing displays of affection.
The affliction has been diagnosed as a combination of the chronic sleeping disorder narcolepsy with cataplexy, a sudden weakening of the muscles which renders the person temporarily immobile but still aware of their surroundings...

(visit the link for the full news article)

He should go to a hypnotherapist in his city. There's got to be some kind of emotional trauma behind this. Medical science tries to turn every symptom into a "disease" or a "condition", but many times like these, symptoms like this often lead back to some instance of emotional or physical trauma.

I'm a hypnotherapist myself, and I've seen lots of strange symptoms resolve with regression therapy.

reply to post by nikiano


Narcolepsy and Catalepsy are legitimate "hardware" medical issues. It says this man suffers from these conditions. (Perhaps this is what motivated him to become a neurologist). has hypnotherapy ever had any demonstrated impact on catelysy? I am not trying to challenge you, just curious. I hold out great hope for the brain's neural plasticity and ability to solve many of its own problems without the need for medicine, operations, etc. On the other hand, some conditions are certinly serious enough that no simple therapy of any kind can help them.

First off, thanks OP for sharing this story, it is definitely something I have never heard before. I feel sorry for this man, and I hope someone can cure him. Who would ever want to have such an affliction. Makes me wonder what they put in the WATER up there.