Connections?

[TheAceTheOne]

Okay, this one has the potential to be deep. If you've ever cared about someone a lot, and they feel the same about you, do you guys and girls here on the Escapist believe that a connection can form? By that, I mean "Can your mood and feelings and thoughts be influenced without actually seeing, touching, or talking to the other person?".

Personally, I kind of like the idea, and while it may sound hopeless and maybe a little childish, me and my girlfriend think we have a connection like that. For instance, she was just getting her eyes dilated at the doc's. Out of nowhere, I was sitting around, jammin' to Slayer, and a tear runs down my cheek. That's unusual for me, especially since I'm in a great mood. Not the best example, to be sure, but there's other instances. I'll call her early in the morning and she'll have her phone on silent in another room and she'll be dead asleep, yet she'll wake up immediately before I call her and go pick up her phone without knowing why. When I ask, she says "I guess I kind of... sensed you'd call."

There's my position.
What's yours?

 

[[.redacted]]

The only potential way this could be true, in a roundabout way, is your subconscious mind thinking on what sed other person is doing/would be feeling at the time - without having any proof of it.

Even without proof, the subconscious image of them will change your emotional state at the time, regardless of whether or not it was right, and there are bound to be at least a few cases where you're correct about how they're feeling at the time.

Other than that, nah.

 

[TheAceTheOne]

The only potential way this could be true, in a roundabout way, is your subconscious mind thinking on what sed other person is doing/would be feeling at the time - without having any proof of it.

Even without proof, the subconscious image of them will change your emotional state at the time, regardless of whether or not it was right, and there are bound to be at least a few cases where you're correct about how they're feeling at the time.

Other than that, nah.

Well, that's the most sciency explanation I've heard. Seems to be correct a lot, though.

 

[[.redacted]]

Well, that's the most sciency explanation I've heard. Seems to be correct a lot, though.

Then you probably know each other very well, and/or your mind is constantly storing messages that you are not aware of regarding their behaviour and mood last time you saw them, and this information is used to assist your subconscious when it comes to forming more realistic scenarios.

For example, your subconscious (I need a synonym T.T) picks up the subtle body language that tells you that the other person is depressed/irritated, and stores it during the morning.
Later in the day, you believe internally that they are feeling angry, and hence you begin to feel more aggravated than normal.

 

[TheAceTheOne]

Well, that's the most sciency explanation I've heard. Seems to be correct a lot, though.

Then you probably know each other very well, and/or your mind is constantly storing messages that you are not aware of regarding their behaviour and mood last time you saw them, and this information is used to assist your subconscious when it comes to forming more realistic scenarios.

You're probably right. Seeing as your explanation is sciency and mine is... well, based more on something you might see in a book somewhere.

 

[[.redacted]]

You're probably right. Seeing as your explanation is sciency and mine is... well, based more on something you might see in a book somewhere.

Neh, this is just my cursory understanding of the human mind, and my resulting conclusions when considering how this could be logically possible, it's just as much guesswork as anything else =)

 

[TheAceTheOne]

You're probably right. Seeing as your explanation is sciency and mine is... well, based more on something you might see in a book somewhere.

Neh, this is just my cursory understanding of the human mind, and my resulting conclusions when considering how this could be logically possible, it's just as much guesswork as anything else =)

Well, it's logical. That's what counts. I'm probably thinking it's something more than subconscious, on account of me being a bit of a fiction writer. XD

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

So we're talking about what I frequently call "telempathy" here?
Yeah, I have a lot of that.

Myself and a very close friend of mine (who is more akin to a cosmic brother than simply a close friend) have a lot of this. There is too big a list of individual... Eh.. "Symptoms" (for lack of a better word, somewhat sleep deprived right now, excuse my stunted vocabulary,) to really go on to list, but we are constantly "sensing" certain things in fundamentally the exact same way as you and your girlfriend.

Yeah, there's that science-y explanation up there ^ but isn't it far more fun to indulge such an irrational idea as extra-sensory perception, telempathy, telepathic links forged in spiritworlds and such?
I always see people on The Escapist explaining human emotion in terms of chemical reactions while my friend and I are sat there talking about spiritworlds and indulging all manner of irrational, absurd and esoteric concepts and ideas. I wouldn't hesitate to say we're the ones that are enjoying ourselves more.

What I am getting at (slowly and steadily, paha,) is if this Telempathy between you and your Girlfriend exists to you, then damnit, it exists, Science be damned. It is the same with believers in God. The militant Atheist brigade will never be able to really make them believe God doesn't exist, because that concept exists TO THEM.
Indulge it, enjoy it. Live, love. <3

 

[[.redacted]]

Well, it's logical. That's what counts. I'm probably thinking it's something more than subconscious, on account of me being a bit of a fiction writer. XD

I'd love to write fiction[footnote]I even have a novel I've planned out, and was on a thread a while ago, but nobody cared =P[/footnote], and I had/have a very hard time coming to terms with the lack of fantasy in my world, past the point of depression on a number of occasions.

Basically, good luck, I hope you're right =)

 

[TheAceTheOne]

Well, it's logical. That's what counts. I'm probably thinking it's something more than subconscious, on account of me being a bit of a fiction writer. XD

I'd love to write fiction[footnote]I even have a novel I've planned out, and was on a thread a while ago, but nobody cared =P[/footnote], and I had/have a very hard time coming to terms with the lack of fantasy in my world, past the point of depression on a number of occasions.

Basically, good luck, I hope you're right =)

Hey, man, hit me up with that idea. I edit some of my friends works in my free time. I write noir, as in Max Payne except with less action and more detecting.

 

[Plurralbles]

I think so. There's absolutely no metaphysical means for this, it is completely physical. Maybe the last time you were together you synced in a way with hormones and stuff and you happen to cycle through a few at the same time months or years beyond the last time you were together. It's certainly possible.

 

[Quaxar]

Aw. First I thought this was about connection speeds, then I read it and my first thought was "KotOR II".

But no, I sincerely doubt that. 5? on selective perception!

No.

There are many instances when things like that happen. Just that no one records when it doesn't. So when it does, no matter how infrequent, people assume it is MAGIC!

Come back to reality already.

Beat me to it.

 

[[.redacted]]

Well, it's logical. That's what counts. I'm probably thinking it's something more than subconscious, on account of me being a bit of a fiction writer. XD

I'd love to write fiction[footnote]I even have a novel I've planned out, and was on a thread a while ago, but nobody cared =P[/footnote], and I had/have a very hard time coming to terms with the lack of fantasy in my world, past the point of depression on a number of occasions.

Basically, good luck, I hope you're right =)

Hey, man, hit me up with that idea. I edit some of my friends works in my free time. I write noir, as in Max Payne except with less action and more detecting.

Well, the majority of it is in my head, after nobody read the monstrous wall of text that just setting up the universe and first two characters resulted in, I saw no reason to post more of it up.

Feel free to read through what there is up here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.249880-Help-Write-a-Book-Anime#9237437], though.

The whole act of posting it up was in order to see what could be done with the collective idea generating powers of the community, but it kinda fell flat. I have the basic story set down there from what I remember posting up, though - and nigh the whole thing in bits and pieces in word documents on my computer/notes on my Ipod e.t.c.

This is very off topic now, though.

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

Come back to reality already.

There is none, get off your high horse.
The concept of reality relies on there being some point of reference that everything and everyone can draw from but every single person's perception is fundamentally different to everyone else's.

SCIENCE, GODDAMNIT, SCIENCE, RATIONALITY OR BUST, RATIONALITY OR BUST!!!!!!

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

Come back to reality already.

There is none, get off your high horse.
The concept of reality relies on there being some point of reference that everything and everyone can draw from but every single person's perception is fundamentally different to everyone else's.

SCIENCE, GODDAMNIT, SCIENCE, RATIONALITY OR BUST, RATIONALITY OR BUST!!!!!!

That is assuming that reality depends on perception.

It doesn't. To think otherwise is narcissistic. There are facts and there are perceptions. The two do not need to be mixed together.

With all due respect, I am going to end this one here. I don't think it's fair we hijack this guy's topic with what will inevitably become a process of both of us beating each other over the head with inflatable opinions. I can see neither of us shall budge.

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

Well whether it's telempathy or otherwise isn't really of much consequence or importance.
What matters is how this effects his bonds with his girlfriend. If this brings them closer together, brings them happiness and fuels his creativity, why is this a "bad" thing?

Anything else is simply an aside (at least in the context of this topic.)

 

[[.redacted]]

Oi, you two, stop it, listen:

One cannot fundamentally prove anything, as what proof is is determined by our conciousness anyway.

The logical thing to do is therefore to take the next step up and assume that our senses are proof.

Occam's Razor dictates that all things being equal, the simplest solution is the correct one, and if you believe that the simplest solution is to take solely the most basic form of proof - physical perception - as evidence from which you construct your understanding and overall concept of reality, then it is irrational to believe in something greater than sed reality should such a thing make the overall situation more complex.

This is, however, all dependant on whether or not you believe Occam's Razor to be a valid tool of logical reasoning. You may feel free to disagree, however if you do, then comes the question of how do you begin the construction of logical reasoning at all?

But I digress...