Physical Empathy?
Mirror-touch Synesthesia is a rare condition which causes individuals to experience a similar sensation in the same part of the body (such as a touch) that another person feels. A very small portion of the population has this condition- only about 2%. This disorder is developmental, but it has also been known to affect people who have lost an extremity. For them, Mirror-touch synesthesia happens along with phantom limb, the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached. The somatosensory mirror system in people with this condition is hyperactive, causing them to be able to feel what others feel. In one study, an fMRI was able to show that those with mirror-touch synesthesia have an increase in activity in certain areas of the brain. The brain is extremely powerful and this condition is just one example of many that shows how intricate and complicated it is. I think it's cool how Mirror-touch synesthesia is like the physical version of emotional empathy. h...