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How do we experience the pain of other people?

neurosciencenews.com

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Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#21

Post by tastysandwich »

I never experienced anything like this until my wife had a baby.

NOBODY prepares women for this, but the cervical examinations can be extremely painful. She has an exceptionally high pain tolerance. But the excruciating pain she was in as she squeezed my hand - I felt every bit of it except the actual physical sensation. It was a flood of panic and adrenaline as I desperately wished it to be over for her sake. It was like all the reactions were there, just not the physical sensation.

(she had a c-section, hence I didn't mention the pain of delivery)

I think it's also a lesson in love. This study uses strangers but I don't think I'd react as strongly with a stranger. When my wife has required surgery in the past I'd give anything to trade places. But trade places with a stranger? Nah, I'm OK.

Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#22

Post by [deleted] »

thinkingkong wrote: post #13

To me the most interesting part of this thread is the comment about someone explaining their own experience of being empathic. They describe their approach for handing it and that comment has been bouncing around karma wise for the last two hours. My interpretation of what they saying is maybe different. There are people who are naturally more prone to mirroring the feelings they perceive through words, actions, face…

[deleted]

Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#23

Post by gcr »

56friends wrote: post #19
ghoogl wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i feel what beats a assisted therapy 10/10 is in the wilderness completely alone. i would never trip with anyone who had the goal of helping me because this is very dangerous

Did you forget to add /s? A person with severe PTSD would greatly benefit from being left alone in the wilderness. How come therapists didn’t think of that? Probably another Big Pharma conspiracy. /s

the point of the above comment is that it's often beneficial to take a solo trip, rather than to take the trip with someone who wants to "guide" or "control" the subject through a certain kind of crafted experience

you're focusing on the particular means of the solo experience, which misses the point

Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#24

Post by kypro »

I'd be interested in knowing if there's a link between how emotional an individual is and how much empathy they feel.

I wouldn't want to extrapolate too much from this, but I think this could explain why kids who are beaten or were sexual abused are more likely to go on and do it themselves? My understanding is that to cope with extreme emotional stress people often learn to blunt their emotions, so if these findings are correct, then perhaps this results in a lack of empathy for their actions later in life.

And perhaps same could be true in reverse too. I think most people who know me would say I'm an overly an emotional person and I often struggle with overwhelming empathy to the point I think you could argue my sense of empathy is misaligned.

Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#26

Post by mansoon »

isthisthingon99 wrote: post #15
ghoogl wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this dangerous line of reasoning we can to a large degree control our actions however this idea of control in the first place is in the wrong frame ihmho

Explain why? Most misery comes from expectations.

And also most joy.

Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#28

Post by theelous3 »

DerekBickerton wrote: post #2

As an empath, I have learned to observe, not absorb . Everyday life is filled with people in various states of pain, and it doesn't always have to be some obvious physical pain, they can show it just the way they speak and interact with the world, and through subtle body language. Not that I avoid those types of people like the plague, only a select few I try to listen to and try to make their journey as painless as…

I'm curious on what basis are you calling yourself an empath. I've never heard someone say this seriously and I'm trying not to be too judgemental.

Re: How do we experience the pain of other people?

#30

Post by [deleted] »

56friends wrote: post #19
ghoogl wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i feel what beats a assisted therapy 10/10 is in the wilderness completely alone. i would never trip with anyone who had the goal of helping me because this is very dangerous

Did you forget to add /s? A person with severe PTSD would greatly benefit from being left alone in the wilderness. How come therapists didn’t think of that? Probably another Big Pharma conspiracy. /s

[deleted]
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