Have you ever felt as if someone was in the room with you when you were alone? It’s a spooky feeling that not everyone is keen to admit. There’s research to help us understand this mysterious sensation. In fact, way back in 1894, the Society for Psychical Research conducted one of the largest studies on this topic.
The Society for Psychical Research Findings
They found that one in every 43 people surveyed experienced visitations that seemed impossible. And they couldn’t just be down to chance. The study included cases of telepathy, premonitions, and other unusual phenomena, like a nighttime presence warning a reverend away from a boat trip that later led to drowning.
Understanding These Experiences with Modern Science
Nowadays, these experiences can be understood with the help of scientific models of the mind and body. For instance, sleep paralysis experienced by about 7 percent of adults has been linked to presences. Our muscles remain frozen. But our mind is active and awake, and more than 50 percent of people with sleep paralysis report encountering a presence.
Victorian vs Modern Sleep Paralysis Presences
Although, Victorian presences were usually comforting. Modern examples triggered by sleep paralysis tend to be malevolent. But why would sleep paralysis create a feeling of presence? Researchers suggest that waking up in such unusual situations makes people feel threatened, and their mind fills the gap.
Comparing Sleep Paralysis with Other Experiences
Another approach to studying spooky experiences is to compare the things people feel during sleep paralysis to other experiences, like the feeling people with Parkinson‘s or psychosis might have. A study suggests that it’s unlikely to be a sleep-specific phenomenon. Other cultures have their own spooky stories about nighttime presences, such as the Portuguese Little Friar with the Pierced Hand, or the Ogun Oru of the Yoruba people in Nigeria.
Neurological Explanations for Presences
Interestingly, we know from neurological case studies and brain stimulation experiments that bodily cues can provoke presences. For instance, a neurologist created a shadow figure in a woman’s mind by electrically stimulating a part of her brain located on the left side towards the top and back.
Additionally, when people’s expectations about their senses are changed, it can make some healthy people feel like something or someone is there with them. So, while we might feel like we’re not alone, it could just be our brain playing tricks on us.
Emotions That We Can’t Easily Name
Ellipsism: Missing Out on the Future
The first one is ellipsism. It refers to the melancholy of missing out on the future. There are two definitions for this term. The first definition is a personal sense of sadness that arises when one thinks of the immediate future they’ll miss out on. Such as, not seeing their grandkids grow old, or not seeing their community or country emerge out of times of trouble.
The Cosmic Definition of Ellipsism
The second definition is linked to something of much more cosmic importance. It’s a united cry out among the people of the present to get a glimpse into the future. From this point of view, ellipsism is philosophizing on the end of history itself. The past we idolize exists only in memory, and the future we ponder upon is a figment of our imagination.
Living in the Now
All that happens, all that actually happens, happens now. Our fixations on the past and future are precisely what robs us of the experience of the present. Therefore, we should switch our perception of time around and live in the present.
Liberosis: The Desire to Care Less
The next one is Liberosis. Growing up life is hard. We have bills to pay, chores to do, and responsibilities to follow. Sometimes, you just want to throw your hands up and say, I quit. That’s Liberosis. The desire to care less about everything.
Annouement: The Bittersweet Feeling of Seeing the Outcome
Have you ever looked back on a past experience and wished you could tell your younger self that everything would be okay? That’s annouement, a fancy word for feeling happy and relieved about how things turned out.
Common Feelings We All Have
Exolensis: The Frustration of Not Being Understood
Sometimes we have experiences that are very personal and meaningful to us, but when we try to share them with others, they just don’t get it. That’s exolensis, the feeling of frustration when people can’t relate to our experiences.
The Call of the Void: The Urge to Jump
Have you ever stood somewhere high up and suddenly felt the urge to jump? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This feeling is named the Call of the Void. Despite its ominous sounding name, the Call of the Void is actually pretty common and has nothing to do with bad thoughts.
Rewatching Movies and Its Psychological Benefits
The Comfort of Familiar Shows
What about the urge to rewatch your favorite movies or listen to songs over and over again? Good news! It can boost our well-being. There are so many reasons why repeated viewings can be fulfilling and comforting. They connect us with our past.
The Conjuring Effect
Lastly, there’s the conjuring effect. When we watch the same movie or show repeatedly, we experience a sense of personal control over the outcome. It can make us feel like we’re directing the people and their actions, which can be very satisfying.
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