Hightened Senses / predatory instincts

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Darksideblues42
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08 Mar 2010, 6:26 pm

map505 wrote:

I am always watching and observing people.If I ever feel attracted to a woman or if it seems like a woman is attracted to me I always watch them to see what they are like with other people before deciding if they really seem interesting to me or not and usually I lose interest because they seem just like everyone else and I am looking for someone different as far as mates go.

Oh yes! People watching.

I actually have quite a bit of fun at that. Sometimes it backfires horribly. But I love being able to learn how people behave and act in their interactions, and although I will not be able to actually put that to use when I am face to face with someone, it helps me feel almost human to see it from the outside.

Brennan
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08 Mar 2010, 10:28 pm

Count me in too. Love people watching. One of the best things about having to catch the bus to work is just watching people interact with each other.

chaotik_lord
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09 Mar 2010, 6:29 pm

Unless like earlier this week, despite my headphones in and obvious disinterest, the group of people repeatedly attempts xonverstion. Yes I know the bus is late; that's why I checked my iPhone. Certainly, I agree that the day is lovely; I'm not wearing a coat. Why are you speaking to me? I'm clearly busy listening to something. They do it when I'm reading books as well.

KalisAvos
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09 Mar 2010, 9:28 pm

My senses can go from one extreme to the other, and I usually have no control over that. Go figure.

Sometimes, my senses will be overly tuned, to where I notice everything under the sun and remember it in detail, as well as smell and hear everything. Sometimes, I'll be over-sinsetive to things, and my eyes will get sore looking at detailed patterns, or the most minute sound will hurt my ears, while I hear my pulse.

For instinct, I have no idea what you're really talking about. I am an overly observant person some of the time, and I have a tendency to feel the presence of others in an eerie way.

I can also go to the other extreme: If I'm doing a certain task, I'll focus 100% on that task, and still be dwelling on said task after I'm done or my time is up. While I do that, it seems that all my senses just shut down, except for the ones required for the task. When I'm daydreaming, someone could set a skunk right in front of my eyes and I wouldn't notice right away. My cousins even get away with hugging me (I hate hugs) when I get into my super-focused trance-like state. Safe to say, Instinct doesn't seem to exist in that state.

Just wondering, am I the only person who acts like this?

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anbuend
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09 Mar 2010, 10:01 pm

Heightened senses and looking around all the time can also be prey instincts. Like "better stay alert or something might eat me". Of course many animals like housecats are both predator and prey.

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KJC
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10 Mar 2010, 3:42 am

I'm an aspie with heightened senses. I see it more like a radio or a camera. My reception can pick up alot (this happens with many senses), but unless I know which frequency or signature to focus on or tune into I'm just sensing it all. Its why I see a big diff between hearing and listening. Listening to me is hearing focused to allow for comprehension.

Darksideblues42
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12 Mar 2010, 5:47 pm

KalisAvos wrote:

My senses can go from one extreme to the other, and I usually have no control over that. Go figure.

Sometimes, my senses will be overly tuned, to where I notice everything under the sun and remember it in detail, as well as smell and hear everything. Sometimes, I'll be over-sinsetive to things, and my eyes will get sore looking at detailed patterns, or the most minute sound will hurt my ears, while I hear my pulse.

For instinct, I have no idea what you're really talking about. I am an overly observant person some of the time, and I have a tendency to feel the presence of others in an eerie way.

I can also go to the other extreme: If I'm doing a certain task, I'll focus 100% on that task, and still be dwelling on said task after I'm done or my time is up. While I do that, it seems that all my senses just shut down, except for the ones required for the task. When I'm daydreaming, someone could set a skunk right in front of my eyes and I wouldn't notice right away. My cousins even get away with hugging me (I hate hugs) when I get into my super-focused trance-like state. Safe to say, Instinct doesn't seem to exist in that state.

Just wondering, am I the only person who acts like this?

No, you are not alone in this. I often get so focused on a task, I don't notice other things. Once WAYYYYY back in my youth, I was getting very very close to beating the high score on the Star Trek, The Next Generation Pinball machine that I did not notice that someone had dropped a beer bottle right next to me and the flying glass cut my left a little.

I can focus on a bunch of conversations at once, but sometimes, my own pulse drives me batty.

I can visually scan a busy area, and tell you details about the people I saw there, but you add in a little direct sunlight, and I nearly vomit. It feels like I can feel my pupils contracting painfully.

However, once something captures my interest on an instinctual level, there is no "turning down" the detail, it is as though everything is sharper, more in focus, slower and just that much more intense.

Shebakoby
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12 Mar 2010, 7:07 pm

chaotik_lord wrote:

Yes, I feel its the reason I think of myself as a cat. I'm not only too alert, I'm also too analytical about it all. And sometimes (though rarely!) I do "pounce," but typically only when threatened. I'm inclined to be highly territorial, and those who note a relatively phlegmatic base state are shocked by my speed and ferocity at those moments, but in my mind, I'm a big cat taking a stand.

I have that too. Right into mrowring at people instead of regular verbal greetings. And I'll yowl when startled.

Janissy
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12 Mar 2010, 8:04 pm

Darksideblues42 wrote:

Part of my issue is that I am too alert, I can almost tell when someone is not acting in a wholesome manner, especially when my daughter is near.

There was a guy at the park who was walking around with his puppy, talking to all the little girls there. I was watching my daughter from the car (it has highly tinted windows and I despise the sun) yet something about the way he carried himself just put me on edge, he the fact that he took off when I walked over and checked in on my kiddo just made me even more suspicious about his intentions. (although I am not exactly a subtle individual, I am somewhere around 5' 10" and 285, built like a Rugby Prop, so I am a little physically imposing...

But there was just something that made me react and I can't point the finger anywhere other than instincts.

That sounds more like a watchful guardian instinct than a predatory one. I'm a parent too so I totally understand this one. Becoming a parent gives you bat ears and X-ray vision. You may have saved a girl that day.

mechanicalgirl39
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12 Mar 2010, 8:07 pm

chaotik_lord wrote:

Interesting that the 'cat' thing seems to come up in discussion a lot. I've heard lots of autism spectrum people say this.

I was obsessed with cats and identify with them a lot. Hyper-vision, hyper-mobile, high strung, tend towards being a loner, high focus for long periods...yup, that's me.

And I have this odd reflex where if I am startled, I'll coil up in a combat-like stance with my fingers curled into talon like shapes as if I had claws. ??

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Moog
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12 Mar 2010, 8:13 pm

Asperger's is obviously a symptom of cat and human interbreeding. :wink:

Seriously though, yes! I love cats and feel I am one, but not literally.

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mechanicalgirl39
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12 Mar 2010, 8:15 pm

Do you also find cats easier to love?

I have one. And I love her a lot more acutely than most humans in my life. As if she were my daemon. (in the sense of the His Dark Materials novels...your soul, your more animal emotions, but it takes the form of an actual animal and lives alongside you...)

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12 Mar 2010, 8:26 pm

I like all animals really. I think I like dogs better but cats are very lovely too.

I've heard of the Daimon/Daemon concept, but I've not read the books yet. It's very interesting. Shaman used to have the 'spirit animal', though I don't think it was a literal flesh and blood thing that went around with you. Witches had familiars of course, mainly cats. Hmmm, I think this thread is now merging with the Autism and Mythology one. :-)

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Michhsta
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12 Mar 2010, 8:32 pm

Yep, my fiance says I am like a shadow sometimes........and just as quiet.

I freak him out sometimes at how I can melt into my environment......and not make a noise.

I can aslo move like lightening when I want to......

I got predatory in the bag :wink:

Mics

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Darksideblues42
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12 Mar 2010, 9:07 pm

Janissy wrote:

Yes, I agree with you, but as I pointed out before, guardian instincts in the animal world are typically adapted predatory instincts. Herding dogs were domesticated and their gathering of animals to make it easier for the pack to kill the weak was altered through human conditioning serve a beneficial function as opposed to the "natural" one.

But yes, something about that man set off all my bells and whistles.

Someday, I hope to be able to better explain exactly how I see things when my more primal nature tries to come out and play.

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