Ever get that creepy feeling like someone’s staring at you, even when you can’t see them? It turns out, there’s some science behind it! Our brains are really good at picking up tiny clues from our surroundings, like a shift in shadows or small movements, even if we’re not aware of it. This ability comes from our ancestors, who needed to stay alert for predators or other dangers. Our brains also have a special area just for recognizing faces, which might explain why we can sense when eyes are on us. Sometimes, though, it’s just our imagination or a “false alarm” from our brain’s instinct to keep us safe. So, that weird feeling is like a built-in survival tool, even if it doesn’t always mean someone’s actually watching! Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music by Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me
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00:00Have you ever felt as if someone was in the room with you when you were alone?
00:04It's a spooky feeling that not everyone is keen to admit.
00:09There's research to help us understand this mysterious sensation.
00:13In fact, way back in 1894, the Society for Psychical Research conducted one of the largest
00:20studies on this topic.
00:22They found that one in every 43 people surveyed experienced visitations that seemed impossible,
00:29and they couldn't just be down to chance.
00:31The study included cases of telepathy, premonitions, and other unusual phenomena, like a night-time
00:38presence warning a reverend away from a boat trip that later led to drowning.
00:44Nowadays, these experiences can be understood with the help of scientific models of the
00:49mind and body.
00:51For instance, sleep paralysis experienced by about 7% of adults has been linked to presences.
00:57Our muscles remain frozen, but our mind is active and awake.
01:02And more than 50% of people with sleep paralysis report encountering a presence.
01:08Although Victorian presences were usually comforting, modern examples triggered by sleep
01:13paralysis tend to be malevolent.
01:18But why would sleep paralysis create a feeling of presence?
01:22Researchers suggest that waking up in such unusual situations makes people feel threatened
01:27and their mind fills the gap.
01:31Another approach to studying spooky experiences is to compare the things people feel during
01:36sleep paralysis to other experiences, like the feeling people with Parkinson's or psychosis
01:42might have.
01:43A study suggests that it's unlikely to be a sleep-specific phenomenon.
01:48Other cultures have their own spooky stories about night-time presences, such as the Portuguese
01:53Little Friar with the Pierced Hand or the Ogun Oru of the Yoruba people in Nigeria.
01:59Interestingly, we know from neurological case studies and brain stimulation experiments
02:05that bodily cues can provoke presences.
02:08For instance, a neurologist created a shadow figure in a woman's mind by electrically
02:13stimulating a part of her brain located on the left side towards the top and back.
02:19Additionally, when people's expectations about their senses are changed, it can make
02:23some healthy people feel like something or someone is there with them.
02:28So, while we might feel like we're not alone, it could just be our brain playing tricks
02:34on us.
02:36Now let's carry on with emotions that we can't easily name.
02:40The first one is ellipsism.
02:43It refers to the melancholy of missing out on the future.
02:46There are two definitions for this term.
02:49The first definition is a personal sense of sadness that arises when one thinks of the
02:53immediate future they'll miss out on, such as not seeing their grandkids grow old or
02:58not seeing their community or country emerge out of times of trouble.
03:04The second definition is linked to something of much more cosmic importance.
03:08It's a united cry out among the people of the present to get a glimpse into the future.
03:14From this point of view, ellipsism is philosophizing on the end of history itself.
03:20The past we idolize exists only in memory, and the future we ponder upon is a figment
03:26of our imagination.
03:28All that happens, all that actually happens, happens now.
03:32Our fixations on the past and future are precisely what robs us of the experience of the present.
03:37Therefore, we should switch our perception of time around and live in the present.
03:44The next one is liberosis.
03:46Grown-up life is hard.
03:48We have bills to pay, chores to do, and responsibilities to follow.
03:52Sometimes you just want to throw your hands up and say, I quit!
03:57That's liberosis, the desire to care less about everything.
04:01Let's all just be kids again, playing with our toys and not worrying about a thing.
04:06You know, like when you want to let go of your life, stop worrying about every little
04:10thing and start playing volleyball instead.
04:13It's like keeping the ball in the air with the help of your friends and just having a
04:17good time!
04:19Have you ever looked back on a past experience and wished you could tell your younger self
04:24that everything would be okay?
04:26That's annuement, a fancy word for feeling happy and relieved about how things turned
04:31out.
04:32It's kind of similar to denouement, which is a fancy literary term for the end of a
04:36story where everything gets resolved.
04:39Annuement, my friends, is feeling all bittersweet when you finally see the outcome of something
04:44you've been waiting for because you can't go back in time and tell your past self about
04:49it.
04:50It's you finally getting to that place you've always wanted to go, but realizing you left
04:54a part of yourself behind.
04:56It's like finishing a long journey with a friend, but when you look back, they're not
05:00there anymore.
05:01Woohoo!
05:02I made it!
05:04But then feeling a little sad because your friend isn't there to celebrate with you.
05:12Sometimes we have experiences that are very personal and meaningful to us, but when we
05:16try to share them with others, they just don't get it.
05:20Like you show your friend a meme, but they just don't laugh at him.
05:24That's exolensis, the feeling of frustration when people can't relate to our experiences.
05:30Alright, so imagine you're trying to tell your friend about this crazy experience you
05:34had, but they just don't seem to get it.
05:36They're nodding along and saying all the right things, but you can tell they're not really
05:41connecting with what you're saying.
05:43That feeling of frustration and loneliness you get in that moment?
05:47That's exolensis.
05:50It's not your fault.
05:51It takes some serious brainpower to really understand where someone else is coming from.
05:56You've got to be able to imagine what they're feeling and thinking, and that's not always
06:00easy.
06:01Plus, even if two people go through the same thing, they might experience it differently.
06:07So what can you do about exolensis?
06:10First off, remember that you don't always have to be understood.
06:14Sometimes, sharing your story with someone who will listen is enough.
06:19Have you ever stood somewhere high up and suddenly felt the urge to jump?
06:23Don't worry, you're not alone.
06:25This feeling is named the call of the void.
06:28Despite its ominous sounding name, the call of the void is actually pretty common and
06:33has nothing to do with bad thoughts, as a study from 2012 found out.
06:39But why do we feel this way?
06:41Well, it turns out our brains are wired to send warning signals in potentially dangerous
06:46situations like, don't touch that fire, or back away from the edge.
06:51Sometimes, these signals get misinterpreted as an urge to jump or something risky.
06:57So the next time you feel the call of the void, just remember that it's normal and doesn't
07:01necessarily mean anything serious.
07:04Just take a step back, maybe call a friend to distract yourself.
07:10What about the urge to re-watch your favorite movies or listen to songs over and over again?
07:15Good news, it can boost our well-being!
07:18There are so many reasons why repeated viewings can be fulfilling and comforting.
07:23They connect us with our past.
07:25For instance, watching the same familiar show again and again can provide us with an exciting
07:30mix of relaxation and stimulation.
07:34It's like hanging out with an old friend, who can still surprise you with something
07:37new every time.
07:40Another reason why we spend so much time with stories we already know is that repeated viewings
07:45can fulfill our emotional needs.
07:48We get the stories and emotions we expect, and we know exactly how we'll feel at the
07:53end.
07:54That's why comedies are more popular for repeated viewings than dramas or tragedies.
07:59But that's not all.
08:01Re-watching old movies or shows can also be therapeutic.
08:04It allows us to relive a time we remember with fondness and connect with people from
08:09our past.
08:10We can also use it to take a break from the overwhelming array of options that streaming
08:15services offer, which is the paradox of choice.
08:19Lastly, there's the conjuring effect.
08:22When we watch the same movie or show repeatedly, we experience a sense of personal control
08:27over the outcome.
08:28It can make us feel like we're directing the people and their actions, which can be
08:33very satisfying.
08:35And so there you are, enjoying the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the 10th time!
08:39Before you go, I should also mention that some of these scientific terms are made up
08:44Well, kind of.
08:45They were created by the author of the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, so you can't find them
08:50in other dictionaries.
08:52Shakespeare also made up numerous words, and now we use them, so why not give a chance
08:57to others as well?