Why can you sense when you're being stared at?

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

Anybody have an answer?

[Rayne]

It's a primal instinct...Predator/prey thing...It's a protective mechanism

We are still animals after all :)

[bwind22]

I can't sense it. *shrug*

Then again, I'm always getting stared at due to phenomenal good looks and awesome physique so maybe I'm just used to it.

[Despare]

You could sense that?

[cheebacheeba]

It's a primal instinct...Predator/prey thing...It's a protective mechanism

I'd tend to lean somewhat towards this direction too.
You can "see/observe" things in your peripheral vision that you might not immediately take into account, if you're being stared at/watched you'd more than likely pick not only this up, but the body language behind it, the glances away when you try to confirm whether or not they're doing it.
I wouldn't call it so much sensing it as seeing it - sure, your body is giving you some primal type messages on account of your (in most cases) peripheral input, but it's still just another way to see things that you might not directly notice.

My say.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

I'm talking about how can you sense when you are being stared at when the person(s) is behind you.

[cheebacheeba]

I don't think you can.
If there's something like that going on I'd still say it was either predominately a PV thing, and maybe slight reactions from others around that tell you something/someone is looking at you.
Yknow, you see those documentaries...the deers/gazelles or whatever, all in a group, it starts somewhere, one will look kinda slightly, then a another...etc...people probably do that too, in a way, and some small part of them would consider it "stalking" behaviour, and instinctually "keep an eye" on it, while trying to go about unnoticed as much as possible, so as to not shift the focus of the "predator" upon themselves, and maybe you're like, picking it up from them.
Wow.
Getting deep.
So stoned right now.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

nope, I mean feeling it without any type of visual cue.

[Despare]

nope, I mean feeling it without any type of visual cue.

It's more of an assumption really, haven't you ever gotten that feeling when there's nobody else around? I think a lot of it depends on what you're doing too... really, it's just all in your head. It's an interesting feeling though, I know what you're talking about, I just think it's not quite a developed sense.

[urgeok2]

I'm talking about how can you sense when you are being stared at when the person(s) is behind you.


i've never experienced that sensation in my life.


then again - i'm the one that does all the staring.

[The Flayed One]

The type MD is talking about is almost assuredly psychological coincidence. Kind of like when a song comes on the radio that you were just thinking about. What you don't realize is that thoughts like that are fleeting and you forget about them seconds after you have them. When an outside catalyst validates the thought, it seems eerie or strange, almost like a sixth sense or a psychic power. Ergo, normal people probably have the thought
(possibly stemming from what cheebs said) that someone/thing could possibly be watching them several times a day. The validation is when you turn and actually catch someone who was checking you out. That gives the creepy feeling that you get.

Same thing with the song example. When I'm listening to the radio and a song comes on that I was just thinking about, I get that "Wow, that's crazy!" feeling. The thing is, I have bits of songs going through my head all the time at different times of the day. If you listen to a radio station that plays music that you listen to, chances are it's going to happen fairly infrequently at worst.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

It's more of an assumption really, haven't you ever gotten that feeling when there's nobody else around? I think a lot of it depends on what you're doing too... really, it's just all in your head. It's an interesting feeling though, I know what you're talking about, I just think it's not quite a developed sense.

The type MD is talking about is almost assuredly psychological coincidence. Kind of like when a song comes on the radio that you were just thinking about. What you don't realize is that thoughts like that are fleeting and you forget about them seconds after you have them. When an outside catalyst validates the thought, it seems eerie or strange, almost like a sixth sense or a psychic power. Ergo, normal people probably have the thought
(possibly stemming from what cheebs said) that someone/thing could possibly be watching them several times a day. The validation is when you turn and actually catch someone who was checking you out. That gives the creepy feeling that you get.

I like the answer flayed, not I'm talking about an uneasy feeling of not being alone when you think you are. I'm talking about feeling the focus of someone's attention. It's a unique feeling in my shoulders, neck and head.

it starts in the shoulders, I usually don't notice it or ignore it. then I feel it in my neck which is when I realize I'm being stared at, I don't look behind me hoping the person will stop. When it goes to my head I have to turn around. I've never once felt it and not had someone staring at me.

im not alone, somebody will speak up so I don't look nuts.

[Doc Faustus]

I get that all the time. But, I'm paranoid and very sensitive psychically.

[newb]

It's a primal instinct...Predator/prey thing...It's a protective mechanism

We are still animals after all :)

I'm going with this answer.....sounds logical.

[bwind22]

Does anyone else's spider sense tingle when they are in danger?

[Rayne]

It's a unique feeling in my shoulders, neck and head.

it starts in the shoulders, I usually don't notice it or ignore it. then I feel it in my neck which is when I realize I'm being stared at, I don't look behind me hoping the person will stop. When it goes to my head I have to turn around.


That's the exact description of an animal's 'hackles raising', and that's exactly what I was talking about...When prey is being stalked, this is what happens to them.

Urge kinda proves the point...He's a predator, so he never gets the sensation :p

I know what you're talking about, because I get it, too.

[newb]

Does anyone else's spider sense tingle when they are in danger?

I usually just piss myself

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

OK

SO you are feeling something, because you can not see this threat or here it or smell it. There has to be some sort of stimulus to trigger a response from the body, that is what my question is. an instinctual response needs a trigger, what's the trigger.

[bwind22]

...vanity?

[cheebacheeba]

I'd rather people feared me than were attracted to me.
See, in my current situation, fear, I could do something with.
Yknow somethin'?
This one old crazy bitch on the train yelled at m'self, girl, and friend because we were talking too loud and "stealing her personal peace", after having a go at amost everyone else on the carriage. So I'd heard enough that when it came my way I just said that she should leave 'cos she was making more noise than anyone, she kept at it, I just said "get out then", and laughed.
She got up and said "I hope you die you big brute" on her way out
Seriously, I know it was meant to be an insult, but I was nothing but happy on all that, see, it took a brute, but she left.
The brute, gets things done.

That's also, what she said.

[urgeok2]

Urge kinda proves the point...He's a predator, so he never gets the sensation :p

.


i'm a fairly meek predator.

safe to say - i just dont get stared at.

[milktoaste]

I believe all humans were more in touch with these types of feelings 1000's of years ago. But since we no longer need to know if we're being stalked for prey, gradually we are losing this '6th' sense. The tsunami that recently killed 100,000 people, for example, killed zero wild animals at Yala National Park in Sri Lanka(not counting fish or small animals). Somehow all these animals were able to take cues from nature, and head for higher ground.

I think this sense is not supernatural, instead it's your 5 normal senses picking up cues around you. Your inner ear can pick up on slight pressure changes in a room, wich allows us to tell if someone has entered, or has begun an activity. When someone stops talking behind you, or you hear your name said in conversation, it may be a stretch but I believe even pheromones have something to do with it.

How many times have we tried to get somone to notice us staring at them?

[stenchofdeath]

I think it has to do with how sharp your senses are. Ask yourself, what are we doing when we stare? Is it a case of daydreaming/ zoning out, or is it studying or familiarising ourselves with the other persons mannerisms, so we can size them up to what we believe the type of person they are? I like to watch people and how they behave so i can try and figure out who they are. Call it a little game that i play.

[stenchofdeath]

I think this sense is not supernatural, instead it's your 5 normal senses picking up cues around you. Your inner ear can pick up on slight pressure changes in a room, wich allows us to tell if someone has entered, or has begun an activity. When someone stops talking behind you, or you hear your name said in conversation, it may be a stretch but I believe even pheromones have something to do with it.

How many times have we tried to get somone to notice us staring at them?[/QUOTE]

Really good points, i agree! I guess staring at a person depends on whether you like doing it. I'll admit, i was taught that staring at people is rude. I am quite aware if i happen to do it. For me it is more about studying and sussing people out.