‘‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.’’
-Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
Most people have a well-established boundary between their own body and that of another. In fact, humans develop the ability to distinguish themselves as separate from others within the first five or six years of life. Physical sensations, one may assume, result from stimuli that come in contact with only one’s own body. Why, then, have there been extensive reports of individuals allegedly feeling physical touch and pain when they see others experiencing it? Contrary to our earlier assumptions, are sensations contagious?
Our first encounter with the idea of mirrored touch took place in 2005 when, in a study conducted on neurocognition, a woman reported experiencing tactile stimulations when observing other people’s faces and necks being touched. Ever since FMRI reports from this study explained the curious phenomenon of ‘Mirror Touch Synesthesia’, the concept has taken the world of neuroscience and psychology by storm. Occurring in approximately 2 in 100 people, Mirror Touch Synesthesia (MTS) has been described as a somatosensory condition which involves the conscious perception of tactile sensations on observing others being physically touched. Though it is a developmental condition, there have been cases of individuals acquiring it after the amputation of one or more limbs. Although the pain and tactile sensations associated with phantom limbs do not determine whether an amputee will develop MTS, those who do experience phantom limb pain display higher levels of emotional empathy. Sometimes, affected individuals experience such tactile sensations on the opposite part of their body; for example, while watching someone’s left hand being squeezed, they may feel this sensation in their right hand—much like a mirror image, hence the name!
Although scientists and psychologists have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of this condition, several studies have established a significant relationship between increased levels of empathy and the occurrence of MTS. Empathy—described as the ability to be aware of and understand others’ feelings, emotions and attitudes—has been linked to emotional mirroring in the past. Those with MTS, apart from experiencing higher levels of empathy, are also shown to be more receptive towards facial expressions and body language than non-synesthetes. While such evidence successfully links the two concepts, it is imperative to ask: What wires humans, irrespective of gender, age, and race, to feel empathetic towards each other?
An answer to this can be found in The Simulation Theory, which explains how humans empathise with others’ experiences. Through a humanistic as well as neurobiological basis, the theory states that to better understand each other, humans try to replicate thoughts and attitudes that are likely to elicit similar behaviours as the target individual; thus, attempting to imitate them. The ability to feel observed touch, therefore, may just be an exaggeration of empathy; nothing but the amplification of the human instinct to connect with others.
In the 1990s, research, for the first time, provided an explanation for empathy. While studying the electric activity in the rostral part of the inferior cortex in macaque monkeys, an interesting discovery was made: Mirror neurons. Described as the link between sensory stimuli and the motor system in our bodies, mirror neurons behave uniquely; they show excitation not only when a motor movement is performed but also when similar motor movements are observed in others. This concept additionally explains the reduced ability to recognise social cues as well as low cognitive empathy and imitation in those with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and other similar conditions; the Mirror Neuron system is hypothesized to be dysfunctional in such cases.
Research shows that approximately 30% of participants with MTS report having a co-morbid diagnosis of ASC. This finding highlights the role that hyper connectivities in the neural pathways of the brain play in causing both Autism and Mirror-Touch Synesthesia. Thus, it is interesting to note that although Autism and MTS may seem vastly different at first thought, they often go hand-in-hand.
While somatosensory and cognitive processing in MTS has been extensively studied, the effects of neural hyperconnectivity on an affected individual’s sense of self remain shrouded in doubt. In an attempt to bridge this gap, an experiment was conducted to understand how people with MTS perceive themselves after observing others being touched. Participants were shown touch being administered to ‘morphed’ images of faces, containing varying proportions of the participant’s own and an unknown face. On comparing the self-identification of participants before and after the touch was administered, it was found that most participants felt a greater sense of resemblance to the image after the touch than before. Therefore, observed touch caused the participants to incorporate a stranger’s features into their self-representation. This finding beautifully depicts the essence of Mirror Touch Synesthesia: the blurring of boundaries between the self, and others.
The phenomenon of Mirror Touch Synesthesia is multifaceted and extensive, to say the least. Despite the multitude of studies around it today, many questions are yet to be answered, and many gaps are yet to be filled. It is only through further research that a deeper, and more intricate understanding of the concept can be gained. Meanwhile, it is for us to contemplate: what does it mean to really, truly, ‘feel’ for someone?
Masumi Pradhan
