A Strange ability. Need help i.i

[jedahh]

First off, sorry if this is the wrong forum to post this, general is the only thing I think can fit here.

Hello all, This is my first post. From this you should get an idea of what I am like.

This is not an attention whoring post but a legitimate question that's been bugging me for quite some time, I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could answer ! Try to read it a bit thoroughly since this is very hard to explain.

It started way back before I could talk, as long as I can remember I've had an odd ability dealing with sticks. Whenever I grab 2 sticks of length between 6~ 15 inches and "drum with them" ( it doesn't have to be drumsticks. I often use tree branches )or tap them on a surface I am able to visualize any kind of reality I can think of in my right eye. Think of it as a tv placed in front of your eye and your left eye still in the real world. When doing this I can also hear any sound I can think of. I like to spend an hour or so a day doing this.

Also, this is not just basic imagination. When not tapping sticks together I am still able to visualize things and still able to remember music in my head just like everyone else. Its more like an insane boost to my imagination. The picture I get in my right eye is indistinguishable from reality. The only difference is that I know it isn't really real. ( thank god otherwise Id probably be locked up in a padded room somewhere ) Think of it as if you could go on an acid trip at any time but be in full control of your trip and remember mostly everything you did.

To get a better idea of what the hell this is, here are a few things I like to do:

1. Remix Music in my head. This is fun because I can see the sound waves in my eye. I can make remix any songs together in my head then listen to what they sound like. Its sometimes fun to just freestyle and come up with random tunes.

2. Create/replay any video game I've played. I can replicate the AI, The levels, pretty much everything. This is fun because I can also come up with my own levels for the game I played. I like playing video games and a lot of times I think "hey it would be cool if they had a level like ..." and so I grab sticks, make the level, and play it. I've been doing this a lot with Valves "portal" game lately.

3. Photographic memory. I can recall almost anything I've seen in my life. Never gotten lower then an A on tests back in high school when I remembered to bring 2 pencils. Too bad I was a total slacker when it came to homework... :(

4. Watch a movie I've seen before, but change the camera angle. Of course I have to make up what I see since different angles see different things, but when I do this "stick thing" I think quck enough to do this in realtime anyway.

5. Solve puzzles through trial and error by visualizing possible outcomes. I can do this with math/algebra too.






So my question is this: Have you ever met ( or you yourself ) someone else who can do something similar ? It doesn't have to be sticks, just any kind of odd habitual action that "buffs" their mental / creative abilities by a significant amount. Also, is this a mental disease ? Am I someone who should be in a padded cell with a happy jacket on ? I do look pretty insane when tapping these sticks since I laugh and smile at the things I see when drumming...my sister has been afraid of me ever since she spied on me doing this for an hour.

Is their some kind of name for this ? The oddest thing is that I've been able to do this for as long as I can remember. I have no idea why it has to be sticks and why its my right eye.

 

[Kurdt]

Welcome to PF!

What you've described sounds a bit like synesthesia, but I wouldn't like to make a diagnosis. If you really need to know, try going to your doctor who may have to refer you to someone else.

 

[Valayar]

I don't think that's an illness. As long as you know what's real and what is not, and that you do behave like any other person when you don't drum, then there is probably nothing to worry about...

However, seeing a doctor (a specialist) might be a good idea. He'll give you a professional opinion.

This ability is great and frightening at the same time. I hope you can come back to reality often enough. Living in your own free world as often as possible must be delicious... I've often wondered what an acid trip would be, but it is too harmful for health.

 

[DaveC426913]

You should seek out a man called Oliver Sacks. He studies people with fascinating neurological conditions. He's written many fascinating books about his patients that might fascinate you. He writes about artists who, through accidents are totally colour-blind, people who mistkaes their spouse for hat racks - all sorts of things.

Just Google his name or look him up on Amazon.com.

 

[Danger]

The first thing that popped into my mind while reading your post was synesthesia, as Kurdt mentioned. That's a rare but well-documented condition wherein people taste sounds, smell colours, etc..
There was recently a show on... (Discovery Channel?) called 'Real Life Super Heroes' (or something like that), one of the segments of which dealt with someone with much the same ability as you.

 

[jedahh]

Well, its not synesthesia. The thing is, I am not associating colors to different numbers or something like that. its more like an action that for some odd reason I've always known to do that let's me visualize any picture or hear any sound. I think that's what I am really looking for by searching online for an answer to this: Is their someone else out their who can significantly enhance their cognitive abilities by performing a seemingly unrelated action ?

Another thing I can do when doing this is AI. I can create a replica of someones personality and talk to them. Of course I am not actually saying anything in real life and I know its just in my head, but its a fun thing to do. Thats also why I can play video games in my head - I create false AI for enemies based on how they act in game.

 

[Danger]

Well, the way that you just described it probably applies to everyone, if I interpreted it properly. When I read a book, I see the story as if it were on a movie screen. When I write a movie, I see all of it through the (imagined) camera. Even when writing a book or short story, I see it as if I were an audience watching from the sidelines.
Your ability being music-based throws me off a bit, because I have no talent whatsoever in that area, but I seriously think that your 'condition' is fairly normal.

 

[jedahh]

Well, the way that you just described it probably applies to everyone, if I interpreted it properly. When I read a book, I see the story as if it were on a movie screen. When I write a movie, I see all of it through the (imagined) camera. Even when writing a book or short story, I see it as if I were an audience watching from the sidelines.

I can do basic stuff like that without sticks as well, its just with "drumming" that it becomes crystal clear. In general its just something that let's me do more.

Thats really what I am getting at: If their is some know condition where performing a repetitive and seemingly unrelated action allows the individual to perform complex calculation of sound, vision, and math that most people normally can't do.

 

[Mk]

Superman is all powerful when kryptonite is not near—
Stickman is all powerful when sticks are near!

 

[dst]

Are you basically lucid dreaming in one eye while awake? Sounds like good stuff.