The Cromwell Institute

Ok, ladies and gents, this might sound like total bullshit to you, but then it might not. I think I have an ability, and I can't reasonably explain it. This is driving me nuts.

When I am around people, I can tell when someone is looking at me. I don't even think about it - I just suddenly find myself looking up and there is someone looking at me. Ok, maybe not so amazing. But it's always struck me as a little unusual - how the hell is it possible to tell at what angle someone's eyes are facing, without looking at the person in which the eyes reside?

Secondly, when I was in school, on a few occasions I had things thrown at me from behind. I had no visual or audio clues that this had ocurred, but I would instantly duck, look up, and see the projectile sail right over my head. How the hell could I have known those things were coming and dodged in time? I don't know. But I did.

Thirdly, I recently went into a department store with a book I had purchased from somewhere else. I browsed around a bit and left. When I was about 20m out of the store, I felt something coming up behind me at speed [I couldn't hear anything because the crowd in the area was very loud]. I turned around quickly and there was a store security guard, who proceeded to ask me if I had a receipt for the book in my hand.

Does anyone have the ability to sense things like this? Does anyone have a reasonable explanation as to why I can? I sure as hell don't. I mean, the ability seems to be a handy ally... but I don't understand it at all. And that disturbs the hell out of me.

Godless Dave

Acute hearing? Sensitivity to air movement? Our brains take in more sensory info than we can process consciously. I know if someone throws me a baseball the only way I can catch it is if I don't think about it. I think your brain is picking up cues and reacting before your conscious mind notices the input.

Monkeybot

I used to think I could just "sense" when electronic equipment had been left on without looking. Later, though, I realized I was unconsciously picking up on the low buzzing machines make when they're on.

Not that that's helpful, of course

The Cromwell Institute

I don't know about acute hearing, my hearing is generally pretty ordinary [in fact my mother frequently says I'm half deaf ]. Air-movement sensitivity sounds like a partially plausible explanation... but I don't feel like it explains the phenomenon properly. How can I tell if someone is looking at me from 30 metres away? Beats me, but I can do it.

Pierre Bezukhov

Yes, but do you know the number of times that you haven't looked up when someone was looking at you? Do you remember the number of times you've looked up, thinking someone may be looking at you, and no one was looking at you?

I think the air movement thing is a good hypothesis.

The Cromwell Institute

Very solid point, Pierre. I guess there is no way of knowing how many times I haven't looked up, and someone has been staring at me.

So, if I can detect things heading towards me just with my sensitivity to air movement, is that unusual in itself? Or can everybody do it?

Enai

Hi Cromwell Institute,

I used to think that I had the same abilities. Then my curiosity kicked in, and I decided to test it. Let me ask you a few questions:

1. Have you ever been hit by something that was thrown at you from behind? Particularly after you discovered your ability?

2. Can it possibly be that the person(s) who looked at you did start to do so the moment you looked at them?

3. Have you ever been called from behind by someone who tried to get your attention but failed until he reached you (or yelled, or something equal)?

4. Have you ever thought that someone looks at you / follows you / throws something at you, then turned to look, but nothing was there?

I eventually had to answer "yes" to all four questions. This was the telltale sign for me that my "ability" wasn't real. If it's real, like eyesight, it should be reliable. Maybe you count the "hits" but miss the "misses". Try counting the misses! It's interesting.

Enai

Oh, and lest I forget: I read somewhere that it's been proven that people can detect the body warmth of someone else, if said someone isn't farther away than two metres. You could have noticed the approaching (sp?) guard like that.

The Cromwell Institute

Ah, IIDB. Best place on earth to sort reality from bullshit.

Thanks for the questions, Enai. I will think good and hard about the experiences I've had with this "ability" and try to answer the questions you've set out. I will also start counting the misses, like you reccomend.

pounceinternational

although i don't think you are discussing something that is truly paranormal, i do think that sensitivity is related to an evolutionary instinct for survival. ie: making sure predators aren't about to attack. and i also agree that the hit/miss ratio is probably something that would shed a light on it.

my sensitivity is sound. i can tell things like if a tv or computer monitor is on from a decent distance... i am sensitive to those high frequency whines. ain't paranormal. i am intrigued by the people who can tell if i'm looking at them or not. i work in a theatre and out of boredom sometimes look around the audience. most folks take no notice. now and again someone will look right back at me. scary, but not inexplicable.