A Sudden Sense Of Unreality

[Zeke Newbold]

This one isn't in any way paranormal. It is more a question of altered perceptions but is `Fortean ` enough, I think, to belong here.

It occured about two weeks ago. I was taking the underground Metro to a class, alone, in the late morning. I was in an introspective mood and was musing - in a slightly self-pitying way - over what a lot of bullshit the past year had subjected me to. I don't just mean the whole pandemic malarkey, but also developments in my personal life. `It's almost as if I'm in a simulation and I'm being played`, I thought to myself.

Just at that moment I was plunged into a sudden feeling that the world was indeed illusory and that, yes, I was in fact in some sort of simulation - like a computer game, maybe.

This sensation/realisation must have lasted maybe half a second or less - and then I was back in the known, comfortable everyday reality. I was as though my mind just couldn't cope with the knowledge and recoiled from it.

The best analogy I can come up with is that of vertigo. Imagine you are standing at a cliff edge and looking down. You get that dizzying, scary but exhilarating feeling and then you take a step back so that there is more comforting terra firma beneath you.

Since that event I have tried to consciously bring the feeling back on by following the same train of thoughts that seem to lead me there in the first place - all to no avail.

Before anyone asks.I was not taking anything or under any medication. I was maybe a bit `under the weather` and had had a few beers the night before - all of which is routine for me.

I should point out that something akin to this has happened to me once before. This time it was about thirty odd years ago when I was a student. I was lying in bed playing a thought experiment about the finite nature of life - trying to acknowledge the fact that I would die (I'm a barrel of laughs me!) when again I was briefly plunged into a sense of the illusoriness of existence - a perception that I was sanwhiched between two nothingnesses of pre-birth and after death. As in the later experience I was not taking any stimulants and as later I would try to bring the feeling back on without any success. (It seems to be something one has no conscious control over).

I am familiar with the ideas of various `existentialist` philosophers who seem to have talked about this sort of thing, maybe. Kierkergaard, I think, talked about `dread` in this context and Heidegger mentioned the experience of something he called `apprehension` (but in his beloved German tongue). Then, of course Jean Paul Sartre termed the same sort of epiphany `nausea` - which gave the title to his best known novel.

I am also familiar with cosmological debates about wherther or not the universe could be a `simulation`. To be frank, such debates have always left me unmoved, even a bit bored. I always thought, I suppose,that even if life were a simulation it wouldn't make one iota of difference to things, because- as Morrisey put it - `everybody's got to live their lives`. However, it's one thing to idly speculate about such ideas - quite another to feel, however fleetingly - that it's true!

I am also dimly aware that there is a psychiatric symptom termed `derealisation` in which people feel as though their lives are fictional shows of some kind.

Am I merely describing a mental health issue?

 

[catseye]

I think, to some extent, it is internally generated, yes. I wouldn't say it was a mental health 'issue' if it only happens once every thirty years, but, as it seems to follow your train of rational thought, it does appear that you bring it on yourself. I can bring on a similar state of almost existential angst by thinking about the size of the universe and the theories of many co-existing universes and just the 'Bigness' of everything.

But then I stop and go and have a cup of tea or something, and it goes away. I'd only worry about it if it caused intrusive thoughts.

 

[Victory]

I am not a doctor, by my guess is this is not a mental health issue.

It is a stark realistaion of the effect of other people's attempts and actual instanes of controlling your actions by means of persuasion and maniulation.

Basically you are straightforard for the most part, like most of us, but others, especially workpace bosses, will attempt to use your life to further their aims.

Often ee brush it off and get on with life, but sometimes we can look back and see how someone else has adversely affected our life, and how with hindsight we would have responded differently to something which happened to us...if only we could have removed emotion from our reposne and responded 100% logically at the time.

But then we are human and are affecte dby emotion, and do nto have the benefit of hindsight.

For some people this looking back at the past takes the form of a daily review, for others it can be a midlife crisis, for yourself it has taken place as an intense by quick insight.

 

[Raven]

This one isn't in any way paranormal. It is more a question of altered perceptions but is `Fortean ` enough, I think, to belong here.

It occured about two weeks ago. I was taking the underground Metro to a class, alone, in the late morning. I was in an introspective mood and was musing - in a slightly self-pitying way - over what a lot of bullshit the past year had subjected me to. I don't just mean the whole pandemic malarkey, but also developments in my personal life. `It's almost as if I'm in a simulation and I'm being played`, I thought to myself.

Just at that moment I was plunged into a sudden feeling that the world was indeed illusory and that, yes, I was in fact in some sort of simulation - like a computer game, maybe.

This sensation/realisation must have lasted maybe half a second or less - and then I was back in the known, comfortable everyday reality. I was as though my mind just couldn't cope with the knowledge and recoiled from it.

The best analogy I can come up with is that of vertigo. Imagine you are standing at a cliff edge and looking down. You get that dizzying, scary but exhilarating feeling and then you take a step back so that there is more comforting terra firma beneath you.

Since that event I have tried to consciously bring the feeling back on by following the same train of thoughts that seem to lead me there in the first place - all to no avail.

Before anyone asks.I was not taking anything or under any medication. I was maybe a bit `under the weather` and had had a few beers the night before - all of which is routine for me.

I should point out that something akin to this has happened to me once before. This time it was about thirty odd years ago when I was a student. I was lying in bed playing a thought experiment about the finite nature of life - trying to acknowledge the fact that I would die (I'm a barrel of laughs me!) when again I was briefly plunged into a sense of the illusoriness of existence - a perception that I was sanwhiched between two nothingnesses of pre-birth and after death. As in the later experience I was not taking any stimulants and as later I would try to bring the feeling back on without any success. (It seems to be something one has no conscious control over).

I am familiar with the ideas of various `existentialist` philosophers who seem to have talked about this sort of thing, maybe. Kierkergaard, I think, talked about `dread` in this context and Heidegger mentioned the experience of something he called `apprehension` (but in his beloved German tongue). Then, of course Jean Paul Sartre termed the same sort of epiphany `nausea` - which gave the title to his best known novel.

I am also familiar with cosmological debates about wherther or not the universe could be a `simulation`. To be frank, such debates have always left me unmoved, even a bit bored. I always thought, I suppose,that even if life were a simulation it wouldn't make one iota of difference to things, because- as Morrisey put it - `everybody's got to live their lives`. However, it's one thing to idly speculate about such ideas - quite another to feel, however fleetingly - that it's true!

I am also dimly aware that there is a psychiatric symptom termed `derealisation` in which people feel as though their lives are fictional shows of some kind.

Am I merely describing a mental health issue?

I've always felt like a distant observer of my life rather than an active participant in it. I often make decisions based on what I think an actual person would do and feel like I'm living some kind of performance . My earliest memory is of running around in a park with a lot of other children and thinking I wonder if they all feel like I do, like an alien in the wrong world or a robot .

 

[Raven]

This one isn't in any way paranormal. It is more a question of altered perceptions but is `Fortean ` enough, I think, to belong here.

It occured about two weeks ago. I was taking the underground Metro to a class, alone, in the late morning. I was in an introspective mood and was musing - in a slightly self-pitying way - over what a lot of bullshit the past year had subjected me to. I don't just mean the whole pandemic malarkey, but also developments in my personal life. `It's almost as if I'm in a simulation and I'm being played`, I thought to myself.

Just at that moment I was plunged into a sudden feeling that the world was indeed illusory and that, yes, I was in fact in some sort of simulation - like a computer game, maybe.

This sensation/realisation must have lasted maybe half a second or less - and then I was back in the known, comfortable everyday reality. I was as though my mind just couldn't cope with the knowledge and recoiled from it.

The best analogy I can come up with is that of vertigo. Imagine you are standing at a cliff edge and looking down. You get that dizzying, scary but exhilarating feeling and then you take a step back so that there is more comforting terra firma beneath you.

Since that event I have tried to consciously bring the feeling back on by following the same train of thoughts that seem to lead me there in the first place - all to no avail.

Before anyone asks.I was not taking anything or under any medication. I was maybe a bit `under the weather` and had had a few beers the night before - all of which is routine for me.

I should point out that something akin to this has happened to me once before. This time it was about thirty odd years ago when I was a student. I was lying in bed playing a thought experiment about the finite nature of life - trying to acknowledge the fact that I would die (I'm a barrel of laughs me!) when again I was briefly plunged into a sense of the illusoriness of existence - a perception that I was sanwhiched between two nothingnesses of pre-birth and after death. As in the later experience I was not taking any stimulants and as later I would try to bring the feeling back on without any success. (It seems to be something one has no conscious control over).

I am familiar with the ideas of various `existentialist` philosophers who seem to have talked about this sort of thing, maybe. Kierkergaard, I think, talked about `dread` in this context and Heidegger mentioned the experience of something he called `apprehension` (but in his beloved German tongue). Then, of course Jean Paul Sartre termed the same sort of epiphany `nausea` - which gave the title to his best known novel.

I am also familiar with cosmological debates about wherther or not the universe could be a `simulation`. To be frank, such debates have always left me unmoved, even a bit bored. I always thought, I suppose,that even if life were a simulation it wouldn't make one iota of difference to things, because- as Morrisey put it - `everybody's got to live their lives`. However, it's one thing to idly speculate about such ideas - quite another to feel, however fleetingly - that it's true!

I am also dimly aware that there is a psychiatric symptom termed `derealisation` in which people feel as though their lives are fictional shows of some kind.

Am I merely describing a mental health issue?

I can get myself into a similar state by thinking about the concept of eternal life too deeply. Why anyone would see living forever as anything other than terrifying is beyond me!

 

[bugmum]

I can get myself into a similar state by thinking about the concept of eternal life too deeply. Why anyone would see living forever as anything other than terrifying is beyond me!

I used to scare myself silly as a teenage, lying in bed at night considering a disembodied eternity!

 

[Endlessly Amazed]

I am not a doctor or psychologist, and I have had a few similar experiences, including the vertigo. I do not think it is a mental health issue. I think it is a different (and startling and disquieting) focus of attention to unusual aspects of one’s life or place in the universe. When I have had these episodes, I was under a lot of of stress.

I suspect many people have these, but since they are few and far between, they are easily forgotten. Also, I suspect that most people would not be willing to talk about them because of social embarrassment. (We Forteans are different!) Now, if they increase in number or intensity, and interfere with your day-to-day life, then I think its time to get professional help.

If these episodes have resulted in your coming to any conclusions about the state of reality, I would be very interested in reading those. My experiences have left me conclusionless.

 

[EnolaGaia]

We are habituated into treating the world as we casually perceive it as the baseline / really 'real' context within which we are merely another component. So long as the perceived world doesn't radically diverge from the comfortable norm it lulls us into taking it as the bedrock of existence - including our own conscious existence. We are so attuned to, and experientially immersed within, this perceived world that we lose touch with the inescapable fact that it is an artifact of our living experience rather than an objectively extant stage upon which we play out our role.

The continuous collating / compiling of all one's sensations into a coherent whole (sensorium) is something of a juggling act that most of us learn in early childhood so as to operate smoothly. The juggling that sustains the sensorium becomes so transparent an experiential flow that we forget or lose touch with the fact we're always juggling. We slip into believing "that's the way it is out there" as a convenient reinterpretation of "that's the way it seems in here."

Every once in a while we slip up in our eternal juggling act. We let slip our hold on the juggled sensorium (i.e., lose attentional focus) and slide sideways just enough to perceive we're skidding. This skid might be for a brief instant, or it can cascade into a longer sense of lost control and hence confusion. The perceived effect is typically something along the lines of the normal sensorium receding from immediacy and one's grasp in whole or in part. This is the same as the background for the oft-reported effect labeled 'uncanny valley' or 'Oz factor'.

As the world-as-normally-perceived recedes (however briefly) there's a flash of disorientation - or even panic - that feels like falling. It's similar to the pit-of-the-stomach flash one perceives when instantaneously realizing you're slipping on an icy sidewalk.

In such instances one's grasp on the receding / receded world-as-normally-perceived diminishes, and it becomes something 'out there at arm's length' rather than something 'surrounding me and into which I'm integrated'. This is the basis for sensing a character of artificiality in one's surroundings.

Slight digression ... I'm quite familiar with these effects from personal experience, and from childhood onward I've occasionally fostered my ability to induce these effects as a sort of perverse exercise in existentiality. [1] I've even developed and used a mild form of deliberately taking a step away from engagement with the world-as-perceived as a tactic in professionally observing people and situations (e.g., group meeting research; interviews). I mention this to illustrate I have a basis for stating the following ...

The transient falling-through-the-trapdoor-of-normal-reality you (Zeke) describe is very familiar to me. I can assure you it's a normal form of abnormality (or abnormally normal, if you prefer ...). However, I must point out that jumping to the conclusion the anomalous state of affairs is the result of external agency (e.g., someone else's simulation) represents an additional step of ascribing an explanation to the raw phenomenon, and I strongly claim that this extra gloss on the experience is not a justifiable, much less necessary, aspect of the experience itself.

In other words ... I'm saying you didn't temporarily drop out of an external simulation in progress, but rather lost your grip on your own internal simulation of the world-out-there (i.e., the juggling act generating the world-as-you-perceive-it).

[1] E.g.: https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/nightmare-of-eternal-descent.48433/post-1209421

 

[catseye]

I've always felt like a distant observer of my life rather than an active participant in it. I often make decisions based on what I think an actual person would do and feel like I'm living some kind of performance . My earliest memory is of running around in a park with a lot of other children and thinking I wonder if they all feel like I do, like an alien in the wrong world or a robot .

I think most people feel like this, especially when young.

Unless it's just me and you...

 

[Carl Grove]

I think you should prize these moments of insight because they are telling you something, but if they occur and you find them disturbing, best to avoid contemplating the possibilities too much. I think that our lives are pretty well planned out in advance as a personal interactive learning experience, which obviously implies that we are in some kind of simulation. The idea has been around for thousands of years, so it is nothing new, but living as we do in a secular culture a lot of us really don't want to confront the implications. Others, and I'm afraid I'm one of them, seem to have had the idea at the back of our minds from our early days.

 

[AnonyJ]

This one isn't in any way paranormal. It is more a question of altered perceptions but is `Fortean ` enough, I think, to belong here.

It occured about two weeks ago. I was taking the underground Metro to a class, alone, in the late morning. I was in an introspective mood and was musing - in a slightly self-pitying way - over what a lot of bullshit the past year had subjected me to. I don't just mean the whole pandemic malarkey, but also developments in my personal life. `It's almost as if I'm in a simulation and I'm being played`, I thought to myself.

Just at that moment I was plunged into a sudden feeling that the world was indeed illusory and that, yes, I was in fact in some sort of simulation - like a computer game, maybe.

This sensation/realisation must have lasted maybe half a second or less - and then I was back in the known, comfortable everyday reality. I was as though my mind just couldn't cope with the knowledge and recoiled from it.

The best analogy I can come up with is that of vertigo. Imagine you are standing at a cliff edge and looking down. You get that dizzying, scary but exhilarating feeling and then you take a step back so that there is more comforting terra firma beneath you.

Since that event I have tried to consciously bring the feeling back on by following the same train of thoughts that seem to lead me there in the first place - all to no avail.

Before anyone asks.I was not taking anything or under any medication. I was maybe a bit `under the weather` and had had a few beers the night before - all of which is routine for me.

I should point out that something akin to this has happened to me once before. This time it was about thirty odd years ago when I was a student. I was lying in bed playing a thought experiment about the finite nature of life - trying to acknowledge the fact that I would die (I'm a barrel of laughs me!) when again I was briefly plunged into a sense of the illusoriness of existence - a perception that I was sanwhiched between two nothingnesses of pre-birth and after death. As in the later experience I was not taking any stimulants and as later I would try to bring the feeling back on without any success. (It seems to be something one has no conscious control over).

I am familiar with the ideas of various `existentialist` philosophers who seem to have talked about this sort of thing, maybe. Kierkergaard, I think, talked about `dread` in this context and Heidegger mentioned the experience of something he called `apprehension` (but in his beloved German tongue). Then, of course Jean Paul Sartre termed the same sort of epiphany `nausea` - which gave the title to his best known novel.

I am also familiar with cosmological debates about wherther or not the universe could be a `simulation`. To be frank, such debates have always left me unmoved, even a bit bored. I always thought, I suppose,that even if life were a simulation it wouldn't make one iota of difference to things, because- as Morrisey put it - `everybody's got to live their lives`. However, it's one thing to idly speculate about such ideas - quite another to feel, however fleetingly - that it's true!

I am also dimly aware that there is a psychiatric symptom termed `derealisation` in which people feel as though their lives are fictional shows of some kind.

Am I merely describing a mental health issue?

It could be! What you are describing could be a very brief moment of derealisation which, when experienced by someone for a longer time and in more frequent episodes can be categorised as a dissociative disorder.

As you were describing it IIUYC, an introspective mood, some anxieties in your life and other 'things on your mind' could indeed bring on a very brief fleeting experience of derealisation. I think we've all been there!

If they became frequent or prolonged, then that's the time to seek medical help. It's a common reaction to extreme stress, trauma and dramatic life events. From https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dissociative-disorders/

"...Depersonalisation-derealisation disorder

Depersonalisation is where you have the feeling of being outside yourself and observing your actions, feelings or thoughts from a distance.

Derealisation is where you feel the world around is unreal. People and things around you may seem "lifeless" or "foggy".

You can have depersonalisation or derealisation, or both together. It may last only a few moments or come and go over many years..."

 

[Impybat]

I had a similar experience as I was walking to a friend's house one day. Out of nowhere, I had this bizarre “headrush” feeling. I became acutely aware of my sense in space, a vulnerability, and the feeling of being out in the open. My surroundings seemed fake, almost like a movie set or backdrop.

I remember thinking “Am I really here?” As I walked along, I wondered if I looked as panicked as I felt. But momentarily, it passed and everything was back to normal.

 

[Cloudbusting]

Reading your account I thought about many things that others have brought up, particularly depersonalisation. But I agree that what you experienced was pretty normal and nothing to worry about mental health wise.

It's funny because I'd been thinking about posting something similar which I experienced a number of years ago, but I'd been struggling with a) is it even fortean? And b) how on earth do I explain this? Anyway here goes...

5-10 years ago I was thinking a bit about deja vu. I'd always found it a strange and interesting phenomena that I experienced from time to time, although not very often. Having a think about it, I suddenly came to quite a startling realisation, as if I suddenly understood what it was, what purpose it had etc. Almost as soon as my mind acknowledged and took in this information, the thought literally drifted away from me, as if I couldn't keep hold of it. 'Weird, but ok' you may say. What is odd though, is that this experience seems to have irrevocably changed the way I experience deja vu. Before that incident happened it felt like a very strong, specific feeling to me, however now I don't get that feeling at all. Now the best way I can describe my personal experience of deja vu is like a 'knowing', almost a sudden pang like 'ah, yes there's deja vu'. I NEVER get the same feeling I used to. I also sometimes get deja vu about deja vu... like some sort of cascade effect. It's like my thought, wherever it was, changed my nuerological response. I'd say I probably experience deja vu less than I did before, although I didn't get it that often to begin with.

I know it sounds absolutely bananas. It's probably not fortean in the slightest and more of a brain fart, (although no signs of epilepsy if you're wondering) but it was/is a very perplexing experience.

 

[Carl Grove]

Reading your account I thought about many things that others have brought up, particularly depersonalisation. But I agree that what you experienced was pretty normal and nothing to worry about mental health wise.

It's funny because I'd been thinking about posting something similar which I experienced a number of years ago, but I'd been struggling with a) is it even fortean? And b) how on earth do I explain this? Anyway here goes...

5-10 years ago I was thinking a bit about deja vu. I'd always found it a strange and interesting phenomena that I experienced from time to time, although not very often. Having a think about it, I suddenly came to quite a startling realisation, as if I suddenly understood what it was, what purpose it had etc. Almost as soon as my mind acknowledged and took in this information, the thought literally drifted away from me, as if I couldn't keep hold of it. 'Weird, but ok' you may say. What is odd though, is that this experience seems to have irrevocably changed the way I experience deja vu. Before that incident happened it felt like a very strong, specific feeling to me, however now I don't get that feeling at all. Now the best way I can describe my personal experience of deja vu is like a 'knowing', almost a sudden pang like 'ah, yes there's deja vu'. I NEVER get the same feeling I used to. I also sometimes get deja vu about deja vu... like some sort of cascade effect. It's like my thought, wherever it was, changed my nuerological response. I'd say I probably experience deja vu less than I did before, although I didn't get it that often to begin with.

I know it sounds absolutely bananas. It's probably not fortean in the slightest and more of a brain fart, (although no signs of epilepsy if you're wondering) but it was/is a very perplexing experience.

I think you had a genuine experience, not a brain malfunction. My view has long been that the odd feelings of deja vu are basically the recognition of events that you have experienced through long forgotten precognitive dreams. The feelings are basically a subjective reaction. But your sudden understanding suggests something more profound and maybe you were accessing some higher form of knowledge, but without preparation you couldn't hold onto it?

 

[Cloudbusting]

I think you had a genuine experience, not a brain malfunction. My view has long been that the odd feelings of deja vu are basically the recognition of events that you have experienced through long forgotten precognitive dreams. The feelings are basically a subjective reaction. But your sudden understanding suggests something more profound and maybe you were accessing some higher form of knowledge, but without preparation you couldn't hold onto it?

Interesting that you say that, I'm glad to hear I don't sound completely loopy. To be honest I've never shared that experience with anyone IRL because it sounds so odd and made up... whereas I've happily told people about my UAP experience (which I still need to post here!)

I've read a lot of theories about deja vu and I believe scientists don't completely agree what it is and/or what causes it, so I'm quite open minded. I have occasionally had the odd experience that could be seen as precognition, but nothing significant or sustained if that makes sense (i.e. it's probably nothing). The really weird aspect for me is that it's completely changed my perception/experience of what deja vu is, and I have no idea why having that 'thought', whatever it even was, would have that effect. Bloody typical if I've actually had a profound thought and not even been able to keep hold of it for more than 5 seconds.

 

[SimonBurchell]

I had a similar experience as I was walking to a friend's house one day. Out of nowhere, I had this bizarre “headrush” feeling. I became acutely aware of my sense in space, a vulnerability, and the feeling of being out in the open. My surroundings seemed fake, almost like a movie set or backdrop.

I remember thinking “Am I really here?” As I walked along, I wondered if I looked as panicked as I felt. But momentarily, it passed and everything was back to normal.

I had a very similar experience many years ago, a strong sense of unreality, so unusual that is has stuck with me even after 36ish years. I was walking through the playground at secondary school and suddenly had an overwhelming feeling that I was looking almost through a remote set of eyes, that everything was unreal, and my body just a vehicle. It lasted about a minute or two and has never repeated. The world seemed almost two-dimensional.

 

[Carl Grove]

Interesting that you say that, I'm glad to hear I don't sound completely loopy. To be honest I've never shared that experience with anyone IRL because it sounds so odd and made up... whereas I've happily told people about my UAP experience (which I still need to post here!)

I've read a lot of theories about deja vu and I believe scientists don't completely agree what it is and/or what causes it, so I'm quite open minded. I have occasionally had the odd experience that could be seen as precognition, but nothing significant or sustained if that makes sense (i.e. it's probably nothing). The really weird aspect for me is that it's completely changed my perception/experience of what deja vu is, and I have no idea why having that 'thought', whatever it even was, would have that effect. Bloody typical if I've actually had a profound thought and not even been able to keep hold of it for more than 5 seconds.

I see what you mean, but I think what you describe is not so much a "thought" as a kind of perception, intuition if you prefer, and would be impossible to put into words anyway!

 

[Zeke Newbold]

I am not a doctor, by my guess is this is not a mental health issue.

It is a stark realistaion of the effect of other people's attempts and actual instanes of controlling your actions by means of persuasion and maniulation.

Basically you are straightforard for the most part, like most of us, but others, especially workpace bosses, will attempt to use your life to further their aims.

Often ee brush it off and get on with life, but sometimes we can look back and see how someone else has adversely affected our life, and how with hindsight we would have responded differently to something which happened to us...if only we could have removed emotion from our reposne and responded 100% logically at the time.

But then we are human and are affecte dby emotion, and do nto have the benefit of hindsight.

For some people this looking back at the past takes the form of a daily review, for others it can be a midlife crisis, for yourself it has taken place as an intense by quick insight.

An interesting psychoanalytic take on it which is well worth pondering over. The problem with this, however, is that, whilst I was being dicked about with last year (and was chewing this over), one of the the other main things that I was pondering before the episode came on was the pandemic and its consequences. Now, unless you take the conspiratoriial line that the virus outbreak is one huge global fraud - then this doesn't really blend in with the `other people's instances of controlling my actions` line of enquiry.

Slight digression ... I'm quite familiar with these effects from personal experience, and from childhood onward I've occasionally fostered my ability to induce these effects as a sort of perverse exercise in existentiality. [1] I've even developed and used a mild form of deliberately taking a step away from engagement with the world-as-perceived as a tactic in professionally observing people and situations (e.g., group meeting research; interviews). I mention this to illustrate I have a basis for stating the following ...

You are very fortunate, Enola to be able to unduce this experience at will. I simply cannot. As I am somewhat given to over-worry it would be great if I could - as this experience (whilst scary in its own right) would act as a counterbalance to my ever present everyday anxieites.

It could be! What you are describing could be a very brief moment of derealisation which, when experienced by someone for a longer time and in more frequent episodes can be categorised as a dissociative disorder.

As you were describing it IIUYC, an introspective mood, some anxieties in your life and other 'things on your mind' could indeed bring on a very brief fleeting experience of derealisation. I think we've all been there!

If they became frequent or prolonged, then that's the time to seek medical help. It's a common reaction to extreme stress, trauma and dramatic life events. From https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dissociative-disorders/

"...Depersonalisation-derealisation disorder

Depersonalisation is where you have the feeling of being outside yourself and observing your actions, feelings or thoughts from a distance.

Derealisation is where you feel the world around is unreal. People and things around you may seem "lifeless" or "foggy".

You can have depersonalisation or derealisation, or both together. It may last only a few moments or come and go over many years..."

Indeed. But the fact that this experience has been pinned down and circumscribed within medical diagnostic journals does not mean that the experience in itself should be seen as just an undesirable sickness. It could still be an insight. After all, if you travelled back in time a couple of centuries and went around telling everybody that the Earth revolves around the Sun you would be assumed to be a lunatic, harmless or otherwise. (Slightly clumsy analogy... but maybe you know what I mean).

I see what you mean, but I think what you describe is not so much a "thought" as a kind of perception, intuition if you prefer, and would be impossible to put into words anyway!

Yes! This is the nub of it all. I (we) have been trying to explain something which, when it happens, is just a feeling, an apprehension and which is either beyond words altogether or exttremely difficult to convey in language.

 

[EnolaGaia]

... I suddenly came to quite a startling realisation, as if I suddenly understood what it was, what purpose it had etc. Almost as soon as my mind acknowledged and took in this information, the thought literally drifted away from me, as if I couldn't keep hold of it. 'Weird, but ok' you may say. ...

If you found that experience of sudden transition between revelation's receipt and its slipping away out of reach interesting or enervating - you're gonna love old age!

 

[Rushfan62]

Damn right. And stop listening to Morissey

 

[Naughty_Felid]

Just a few thoughts Zeke nobody here can give a diagnosis nor should they.

The body, not just the brain is very complex, and sometimes things just get a bit different. It's amazing how simple it is to throw everything out of wack temporarily.

It's all about context.

Any unusual experiences, (I'm not just talking Fortean), can be looked at through these steps:

a) Is it persistent or not?
b) Is it affecting my life or not?
c) Am I experiencing, low/high moods, thoughts of harm to self or others, voices, intrusive thoughts, just stuff that I've not experienced before that is disturbing?
d) Are friends, family, colleagues noticing I'm acting differently?
e) Am I getting through my day as usual?
f) Sleep? Diet? Exercise?
g) Physical stuff? Is something different?

We all need our supports, family, friends to keep an eye on us and we in turn keep an eye on them. That's the way of things.

If you think you are going through something that's troubling you then go and talk/see someone. These are very worrying times and we need to look after ourselves and each other.

 

[Victory]

I also sometimes get deja vu about deja vu...

I have this too.
Deja vues which repeat.

They somehow link to memories of sleeptime dreams from many years ago.

 

[IbisNibs]

The really weird aspect for me is that it's completely changed my perception/experience of what deja vu is, and I have no idea why having that 'thought', whatever it even was, would have that effect.

Has anyone ever figured out what "thought" is anyway? We have this physical object in our skull that's called a brain. It generates "thought" with a bunch of specialized nerve cells, electrons and metallic ions. How does it do that, and what is "thought" anyway?
It's even weirder that we can communicate our "thoughts" through sounds (words) that symbolize what we're thinking about, and that we've invented a set of visual signs to symbolize those sounds.

 

[Carl Grove]

I spent 25 years in Psychology, and I can say with certainty that -- nobody really knows.

 

[gordonrutter]

Has anyone ever figured out what "thought" is anyway? We have this physical object in our skull that's called a brain. It generates "thought" with a bunch of specialized nerve cells, electrons and metallic ions. How does it do that, and what is "thought" anyway?
It's even weirder that we can communicate our "thoughts" through sounds (words) that symbolize what we're thinking about, and that we've invented a set of visual signs to symbolize those sounds.

Probably a Nobel prize for you if you can manage it!