Acute senses I wanted to know if it was a family trait or an ADD/ADHD trait. I have very sensitive hearing. My partner acuses me of having "bionic" hearing. He tells others I have radar ears. A lot of sounds irritate me. I can hear this PC humming, the screen has a wine which will cause a head ache if I am on the computer too long. I like it some time but other time it can be down right debiltating. I can't go into a casino, I can't sleep with the TV on in another room, on the other side of the house!!!! When people drive down the road with their bases booming I can hear every window in my home vibrating!!

There are times when "acute hearing" comes in handy. I can HEAR when the truck needs a quart of oil. I can tell partner when he needs to add power sterring fluid, or when we have a nail in a tire. I can tell the direction and distance of sound. I have problems in new climites however because sound waves travel differently in hilly area as compared to flat lands.

I have a daughter who has an acute sense of smell. She can tell you what you ate and drank over an hour ago. She can not only tell you you have had a burger she can tell you weather or not you had maynoase, mustard, ect...

My other daughter can feel a tempture change out side when she in inside. She is very sensitive to fabric textures, humidity, ect

Does any one else have sensitive senses!!!! If so what are they.

My partner who aint got no ADHD can smell flatus a mile off. He won't eat any thing with certain smells. The septic tanks get close to full HE can smell it!!!

I'm not sure if it's an AD/HD trait or not.
But I do have a very strong sense of smell.

Funny you should mention this ... I was talking to my parents about this very subject. I have an acute sense of smell which women are actually knowen to have more often then men. (No jokes about me being a girl, haha) People can't believe the things I can smell ( i.e. what is for lunch in the cafeteria, what is exactly in some sort of food, etc.) nor can I and I was wondering if this could be a ADD thing? Also a big thing for me is that when about once or twice every two weeks I will get some smell and I will feel like I was taken back to when I first smelled that smell, which seems to coinside with some extreamly happy moment and gives me an actual intense rush of euphora. When this happens I have all the same feelings and thoughts which I had at that moment and it is just plain, unreal, words cannot describe it. This might sound strange but I used to think it was normal for this to happen but I have come to find out that it is some sort of strange perk being who I am.

It is likely that I'm twice your age and I still have an acute sense of hearing and smelling. Fortunately I used those abilities to survive as a child. And over the years I've learned to employ them in any taxing situation. Sometime this is good and sometimes not. It makes it difficult to work around people or to just walk by someone and hear them whisper something not meant for my ears. Some times I freak them out by spouting out a one liner and zipping along. Other times I will go off on a mental decathalon. I've come to realize it is often best for me to entertain my hearing and brain with intsrumental music. I like andreas vollenweider and chip davis. It is also good for me to avoid certain smells as they tend to trigger migraines.
Peace

Adhd, here, and every sense I have is overstated. I don't know how to elaborate on that, but I also feel compelled to announce how cold it is or how bad it smells or how good it feels.......sheesh

I think I would be considered a highly sensitive person. Right now my extra sensitive hearing is causing me trouble. I am looking into auditory processing disorders because the loud noises or even more stuble noise is such a distraction. I described the loud noise to be like a direct line to a bare nerve inside me. I get very tense and hyper as the volume increases.

I wanted to add that I have heard from other ADD people that their vision changed after beginning treatment. I know of a friend who had panoramic vison before treatment but not now.


I consider myself to be very visual. I am forever looking at patterns, light, contrasts, colors etc. as I drive around. The visual sensory is not distracting to me but my best strength. It calms me as much as the sounds disrupts me.

This IS ADD... Sense are more sensitive because we need them to build context in our environment. All our memory is stored based on our senses. Most people do not do this as much.

Some ADDers are more sensitive in one area. Most often it is smell and sound. We hear sounds out of the range of normal hearing for most people, not because our ears are better but our mind uses it to understand our surroundings. Smelling is also very sensitive in most ADDers. Do you notice how these things bring back powerful memories? Migraines are probably triggered by smell, because you first had a migraine when you were smelling something.

The lower sounds tend to predominate in ADD... This is probably due to the need to hear large predators approaching. I can stand on a road and feel a car coming.

Anyway, ADD cognition is very similar to animals in the wild...We just have more processing power and language processing. I think it is pretty cool and very functional :)

We also are not able to intuitively work with things that other people take for granted, like culture, measurement, Left and right... all the artificial stuff that animals don't need. We are that way because we are drivers of the culture and we need to not be part of the culture.

One of the reasons your coworkers don't invite you to parties (more than once)... there is simply no purpose in doing the culture stuff with you...AND you complain that the salmon pate smells fouls!

Yep, naked animals we are, us ADDers... but you know... they need tons of processing power to do "the culture thing"... who else gets that and uses it for our own purposes? ADDers...

I am glad to be born this way... And I know when food is rotten before it is... then again, I do forget to clean out the fridge :)

I have the same issues with smell and hearing. I remember being outdoors and someone had a mosquito repellent that emitted ultra sonic sounds and it drove me nuts. Also when my wife uses her sonic care to brush I have to be on the other side of the house. Water flowing also has the same effect...it is as if I can fell the water flowing through my ears, if that makes any sense. The smell is a whole different matter. For me sometimes it is on and sometimes it is off...just depends on the day.



My other senses like touch and taste are very sensitive, but not as much as the hearing.

Chain, I always find your ideas fascinating and thought provoking. I particularly like your concepts on culture, adaptation, and nature, ect.

It seems to me that while many of our senses would have served us in the wild, it just appears, at least to me, that now, as the world moves away from that supportive environment of the nest, we as Adder's are aked to find tune our senses and reactions to this world.

We are the ones that must make accommodations :eek: rather than the other way around. And I know I can, yet this process can feel so very wild and somewhat uncomfortable. I for one am perplexed by it all. And I sometimes struggle, as I attempt to make sense and meaning out of all of this noise, and texture and taste. It can, at times, be most overwhelming.

So I retreat to my wilder side and head for my cave. I need a respite, I need to hibernate and regroup. Once again, I am able to take on the assault of sight and sound and touch and smell and all...

Chain, have you written a book? I so enjoy your insight...(when you keep it brief because I'm having an awful time paying attention.) You remind me how special I am to have ADD, that it can be a gift and not just a series of shortcomings and frustrations.

My hearing is interesting. A highschool english teacher once had me convinced I must be going deaf. She was speaking a bit softly, and I heard a car outside. Well of course my mind focused on the car because that was far more interesting than my english teacher. I asked her to repeat what she said and she was annoyed with me. I was so embarrassed I broke down in tears. And of course the hearing test the school nurse performed was fine, it was a perfectly quiet room and I was focusing on the little beeps. Likewise, I might as well be deaf trying to speak to a person in a busy room. So that's not exactly hearing as much as it is....mental focus. My ears and mind prefer insignificent details.

Smells, I'm overly sensitive. No perfume; laundry detergent, fabric softener, body cleansers, shampoos, facial scrubs must all be as lightly scented or fragrance free as possible. I keep to mild housecleaning products. If I sit near a woman who has sprayed the usual amount of perfume on it may as well have been the whole bottle. And that's where my focus lies. Not on an interesting discussion or beautiful art, but on her Chanel.

wild, it just appears, at least to me, that now, as the world moves away from that supportive environment of the nest, we as Adder's are aked to find tune our senses and reactions to this world.

We are the ones that must make accommodations :eek: rather than the other way around. And I know I can, yet this process can feel so very wild and somewhat uncomfortable
I agree, so I think once the medical community looks at us as a different cognition, instead of a disordered one...the pieces will fall into place about excellent ways to help us adapt and love ourselves. I personally find meditation to be the key. I think lots of our problems can be solved without medication...I am not opposed to it, but we should use medication as a teacher, the way plants were used in the wild :)

In the end it IS about loving ourselves and enjoying these fantastic senses when we can and learning to tune them out when they get in the way.

I have a hard time using my sonic toothbrush too- I didn't associate it with the sound but thats entirely likely. I also don't like the vibrations. Feels like it goes right thru me!


Its easy to see why to other people we might sound like we are making this stuff up.

My husband has a hearing loss and turns up the volume on the tv, radio, phone and it is really, really hard on me. He doesn't understand why. He also refuses to see how not getting his hearing tested makes it hard on others.

OMG I do. I can't pick up dog crap. When I have to, I put a clothespin on my nose lol. I have almost vomited from the smell of dog crap. I can hear what people are saying from across the lake. I don't think people realize how loud they are. Also, when I go to concerts I have to stand in the very back. Everyone is up front, and I wonder how they can stand that blaring in their ears. Once, I had not eaten in two days. I was suffering from anorexia. Anyways, when someone would talk to me, it echoed. And when they called my name, it sounded like they were coming from the opposite direction. It was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced.

Chain, have you written a book? I so enjoy your insight...(when you keep it brief because I'm having an awful time paying attention.) You remind me how special I am to have ADD, that it can be a gift and not just a series of shortcomings and frustrations.
This makes me really happy :) I am writing a book to explain what I have learned about ADD. I have a ways to go, but I work on it every day. The forums and input are vital... It has become really clear that ADD does have a purpose...in fact it is a part of a vital process in the evolution of human society. It is so darned simple, it surprises me that very few people have seen it.

I am working on the brevity :)

My hearing is interesting. A highschool english teacher once had me convinced I must be going deaf. She was speaking a bit softly, and I heard a car outside. Well of course my mind focused on the car because that was far more interesting than my english teacher. I asked her to repeat what she said and she was annoyed with me. I was so embarrassed I broke down in tears. I used to ask people to repeat themselves until they were blue in the face... If they did not think I was deaf... they called me "bubble boy".



And of course the hearing test the school nurse performed was fine, it was a perfectly quiet room and I was focusing on the little beeps. Likewise, I might as well be deaf trying to speak to a person in a busy room. So that's not exactly hearing as much as it is....mental focus. My ears and mind prefer insignificent details.

But very significant if your tribe is being tracked by a predatory animal... You are then the ears of the group...A very important part of the puzzle. The others need the focus to deal with the culture and they need you to keep an eye out for them...when you are not doing that, you are inventing, healing and teaching.


Smells, I'm overly sensitive. No perfume; laundry detergent, fabric softener, body cleansers, shampoos, facial scrubs must all be as lightly scented or fragrance free as possible. I keep to mild housecleaning products. If I sit near a woman who has sprayed the usual amount of perfume on it may as well have been the whole bottle. And that's where my focus lies. Not on an interesting discussion or beautiful art, but on her Chanel.
Yep, those berries do not smell right... that child smells like he has an infection... My grandmother found a cure with the bark of that tree over there. I have cataloged my environment and have the contextual understanding of thousands of plants at my disposal. I am always on the look out for more... All sound familiar?

Now move into modern times... Most of our technology comes from people who are scattered and restless. With each leap in technology comes more brain to deal with the culture... more brain that we do not use for the culture but for our special purposes.

Really simple.

I have a hard time using my sonic toothbrush too- I didn't associate it with the sound but thats entirely likely. I also don't like the vibrations. Feels like it goes right thru me!


Its easy to see why to other people we might sound like we are making this stuff up.

My husband has a hearing loss and turns up the volume on the tv, radio, phone and it is really, really hard on me. He doesn't understand why. He also refuses to see how not getting his hearing tested makes it hard on others.
The high pitch whine of the TV used to drive me nuts... If I walk through the neighborhood, I can hear who has their TV's on. I can feel when people are home through barely audible sounds...certain smells make me almost throw up... If there are a ton of different smells and sounds, I can get sick if I don't find "my happy place". For the most part it is not as bad as it used to be...

When I was a child, I was beaten by my brother's father... I could hear the sound of the car 2 blocks away, I knew the sound of that car, it was different than the others... my heart would start beating. When the garage door started. I would start shaking. To this day, the sound of the garage door makes my heart skip a beat... sometimes, I can hear the sound of that car...

All my memories are attached to my senses. I finally figured it out :)

You know those electronic keys that hotels use? My husband can never unlock the door so he asks me to because I have "the touch." I can "feel" how the key connects to the electricity, or the electricity moving over the key card. Same holds true for my electronic time card at work. Trippy.

We hear sounds out of the range of normal hearing for most people, not because our ears are better but our mind uses it to understand our surroundings.

How would this explain my sensitivity to notes, and keys in music?? If one person in an orchestra doesn’t hit the note exactly right I HEAR it. When my youngest sister was learning to play the violin it “hurt” my ears. I had to leave when ever she practiced. When she played some thing for us in the beginning I had to take a valium to become capable of sitting through it. Even when she got good at playing if her violin wasn’t perfectly tuned I could tell immediately. My mom said I have some thing she calls “perfect pitch” sense I was born.

When my dad was a new minister we would travel to little churches in the country. Mom said if the piano was out of tune I would scream. Even if the piano was tuned if the person playing it hit a key wrong I would make a fuss. She told me I was only a month or two old when she noticed my screaming was connected to things not being in tune or played correctly.

When ever I learn to play some thing I can’t stand to hear my self practice unless I keep the instrument perfectly tune at all times!!! I can also hear the “math” in music. I can switch words in music with little effort because the timing is automatic. Music has to be mathematically “even” or it annoys me.

Second is if this is perception only then why would I be more sensitive to atmosphere pressure. Two weeks ago mom and I were flying back to Texas from Ohio. They began changing the cabin pressure before we even left the ground. I felt the pressure change so acutely that by the time we were in the air I was almost in tears. Looking around no one else seemed to notice. Well no one but a baby in the front of the plane because he was screaming bloody murder. The baby was only ten feet in front of me but sounded a mile off.

I mentioned this pressure problem to the flight attendance. They said every flight is different. I asked them to have the pressure device or the operator of said device checked because I have flown all over the country and have never had the pressure hurt so badly. I know the pressure is changed when the plane get to a certain altitude but this time the cabin pressure was too high or changed too fast. I was on my medication but I am always on my medication when expected to sit on an air plane!!!

Any and all ideas are welcome!!!



Smelling is also very sensitive in most ADDers. Do you notice how these things bring back powerful memories?

I am told all other senses go through our cerabellum (not spelled correctly but higher thinking process goes on there)where they are processed, with the exception of smell. The sense of smell goes directly to our limbric system (often called the animal brain, has to do with our flight or fight response, instinctive reactions ect) That is why we react to smells so strongly. When a specific odor causes us to "sick" we will react with little or no control!!!!

How does that fit into your ADD animal instincts perspective Chin? Would be interested in hearing your point of view!!!

I have sensitive sense aswell although I don't think I have ever told my family, I can just hear things and smell things they or nobody else can.

I may have posted about this subject somewhere else on the board, but I'll go ahead and reply here anyhow. You're not alone on the heightened senses. I've noticed them more in the last 3-4 years, although I'm sure I've always had some sensitivity. Now my vision has actually IMPROVED instead of gotten worse. I do have mild astigmatism, but I no longer wear glasses for it. I used to be pretty much night blind and now I notice a lot of times I don't even turn on a light to walk through the house while it's dark. I'm not quite sure why it's gotten better, but I'm not going to complain, either.

I have extremely sensitive hearing, and also selective as well. I think I'm so used to it that I intentionally don't pay attention to a lot of sounds. I have real problems sleeping at night without some sort of 'white noise' or fan on. It's because I can not only hear the bugs, people talking, my neighbors' televisions or radios playing, airplanes flying, my breathing, my husband's breathing, animals foraging around in the yard, but I hear things most people would say are impossible to hear. The thing is that I can't force myself to hear these things. I have to be totally relaxed and let them come to me. If I'm trying to hear it, it's much harder.

What I can hear that people have a hard time believing are radios that are not turned on and televisions as well. I had a clock radio by my bed and was laying awake one night, bored and unable to sleep. I could barely make out a radio station, so I started trying to figure out which one it was. I thought it was my neighbor's radio at first. Then I heard another radio station. The two stations I heard were very close together on the dial, like right next to each other. One was oldies music and the other was hard rock. I could make out the DJs from both stations, some of what they would say and songs from both stations. But instead of hearing one station partially and the other one partially, I could hear both stations completely at the same time. I could tell you what song was playing. The radio was completely off. I could turn it on and sure enough, the dial was right between those two stations and the song that I thought I'd heard was actually playing at that time on the radio. I remember identifying the song and then turning the radio on to see if I was right. And I was.

This really freaked out my husband. It freaked him out enough that he threw away that clock radio. It doesn't matter, though, because I can hear it through any radio. It is the same with TV as well. I can tell you what show is playing before you turn it on.

Since my hearing is that sensitive I think I tend to not pay it much attention. I hate sudden loud high pitched noises.

My sense of smell is high as well. I can ride by a vehicle in traffic on my motorcycle and sometimes tell you the cologne a woman is wearing as I pass her car. My sense of smell has been handy at times. I tend to smell things before other people do. I can smell when a car has been recently painted in the last month.

I've also noticed i'm very sensitive to being touched. Sometimes I really don't want to be, other times it's not as sensitive. I really wish I wasn't so sensitive to being touched. it causes problems for me a lot.

Anyhow, my theory on being able to hear things like radios and television is that the sound waves still travel through the air and are picked up somehow even though the appliance is not on.

Sometimes it's nice to have heightened senses but other times it can be a real pain in the butt.

I have already posted on this thread before, but forgot to mention and ask others if they also feel the floor move under their feet?

Everyone, of course, can feel the vibrations of the floors in their homes when someone comes down the hallway.........like my kids!!

But I can actually feel a building sway and the floor move where I work, which is completely concrete floors.

The feeling is ever so subtle. I feel this sensation particularly on the second floor and everytime I am up there.......
there are no windows upstairs, so I am sure it is not a visual perspective throwing me off balance.

the others in the buidling looked at me like I was crazy, so I guess none of them
feel it. Anyone else to add this to their extreme sensitivities?

I can't hear radio waves or TV sound waves unless the applience is on, how ever I CAN SMELL food throught a sealed container. I hate old bad food and can tell weather or not food is bad before I even open the container. The smell of old food neaseates me so much I won't even open a container with foul food in it.

If some thing goes bad it goes in the trash container and all. I don't care if it is a 14k gold container in the trash it will go because once some thing goes bad it seems like the container never looses the foul food odor. I bet the person who came up with those desposable storage containers was sensitive to bad food smells like me!!!

Chain, I have the exact same "problems" as you regarding your senses. I can always hear that god awful noise from the TV when absolutly no one can hear it and it drives me bonkers. Also their are so many smells that make me puke or get a headache and I will have to leave if that smell comes to me. I have done this all my life but now I can leave if I smell something that I don't like apposed to when as a kid I had to sit their and puke.

I also ALWAYS know when someone is talking about me, good or bad. I always thought that I had some six sense for this but I have realized that it is me reading peoples body language, eyes, and just plain hearing them talking about me. This sometimes can be someone far accross the room and they don't have to be obvious about it either.

My panio teach told my parents that I had a very great music ear for someone my age and that if I stuck panio out (she knew I had a hard time learning apposed to my sister who DOESN'T have a music ear but is a 4.0 + student) I would be great at it someday. I of course couldn't sit long enough to practice but now that I am going on 20 I have sat down and have been giving it a second try!

I have Acute sence of smell. But I never thought it was because I have ADD. I have allergies and I have always thought that I have just had a sensitive nose.Acute senses I wanted to know if it was a family trait or an ADD/ADHD trait. I have very sensitive hearing. My partner acuses me of having "bionic" hearing. He tells others I have radar ears. A lot of sounds irritate me. I can hear this PC humming, the screen has a wine which will cause a head ache if I am on the computer too long. I like it some time but other time it can be down right debiltating. I can't go into a casino, I can't sleep with the TV on in another room, on the other side of the house!!!! When people drive down the road with their bases booming I can hear every window in my home vibrating!!

There are times when "acute hearing" comes in handy. I can HEAR when the truck needs a quart of oil. I can tell partner when he needs to add power sterring fluid, or when we have a nail in a tire. I can tell the direction and distance of sound. I have problems in new climites however because sound waves travel differently in hilly area as compared to flat lands.

I have a daughter who has an acute sense of smell. She can tell you what you ate and drank over an hour ago. She can not only tell you you have had a burger she can tell you weather or not you had maynoase, mustard, ect...

My other daughter can feel a tempture change out side when she in inside. She is very sensitive to fabric textures, humidity, ect

Does any one else have sensitive senses!!!! If so what are they.

My partner who aint got no ADHD can smell flatus a mile off. He won't eat any thing with certain smells. The septic tanks get close to full HE can smell it!!!

yes, sound really hammers me at times.

I have allergies and I have always thought that I have just had a sensitive nose.

I have allergies also especially in the spring. Allergies decrease my sense of smaeel. When it comes to full septic tanks CAN BE a good thing.

Gary doesn't have an allergies yet he has an excellent scense of smell. Can't hear thunder but can smell the rain!!

I am the opposite the only one in our house hold who's hearing is better with high pitches is our cat!!! I can hear most of the things our dog can. It seems as me and Lady dog hear sounds at about the same time!!!! The only exception is when I am sleeping. Lady dog is a lighter sleeper than I am so sound will wake her up first.

Interesting thread, seems this subject has come out of my mouth quiet reguraly lately..
Everyhearing test I've ever had they would make a point to say how excellent it was, but over the years, of overhearing things people would say out side the house or so far their like no way, but high pitches no one else hears is the worst, people complain because I always asked to have things turned down, and it's not unsual for me to stick piece of toilet tissue in my ears in noisy areas. I can pick out the odd sounds of machines and moters when they weren't running right.
use to run punch press machines with ear plugs in and 12- 15 machines running and I would be jumping over crap to knock one off, before the dye would get tore up. and other operaters be standing right next to them.
The job I run now when up start it up it makes a funky sound, (why the heck you need this when you can see it start going) a dauh.... but it is so annoying I finally got a maintness man to put a piece of cardboard over it last night.
I also have a nose from you know where too.....I can tell right kind of shampoo and cond. and deod. and shaving cream..etc. etc. When someone is burning something I can distinguish different things burning. Someone would say there's a house on fire or something. and I would always tell them what they were smelling.
I use to say I was getting bless in these senses because I had terrable eye sight. Couldn't see your facial features from 6' away.
Modern tech. and lasic surgery. now I can see too.
But one thing thing that happens to me that I didn't realize was something everyone didn't do. If something startalls me, shock comes out of my body. Easpecially my figertips and forhead. Hurt bad out my forhead sometimes. I mentioned it to my doc. several months ago. He said I must be very sensitive to the enviorment.
If thats the case Makes u wonder about magnetic fields and stuff.
sometimes its a good thing, because you are more aware of things then others.
but sometimes you can't hardly stand downwind from someone talking whom has poor hygene. too.... Thrill Thrill.....lol............You are always looking for a balance in this mess ya know......
All this would give us an advatage, in the past, helps you learn to move quickly, smoothly, with out notice, and breath.....LOL
And I am also extremly sensitive to touch, overly, sometimes, I try to block it, you win some you lose some, There isn't a place on my body that isn't ticklish, and it annoys me to be touched by people I don't know, easpecially if I get bad vibes from them, I have ducked away from people saying don't touch me. Have tripped people out doing that, oh well....

There isn't a place on my body that isn't ticklish, and it annoys me to be touched by people I don't know, easpecially if I get bad vibes from them, I have ducked away from people saying don't touch me.


That would be my daughter Michelle. She can be inside in the air conditioning and feel a tempeture change out side. Never even look out the window and "feel" an approaching storm. She also does not like to be touched by people she doesn't know. People she gets "bad vibes" from won't even get within ten feet of her.

By the time she was four years old she had the avoid hug step back offer hand maneuver down to an art form. She said she didn't like being hugged too much because she felt "crowded". Plus being hugged by adults, according to her, "made her head smell like pits"---> that would be arm pits. I got to looking and sure enough at that age her head was about arm pit level. :eyebrow: I did not discourage her behavior as she was polite about it!!!!

Lol on that hug thing. My mom told me several years ago how she had to make me let her hug me. I couldn't stand to be a hold of. I remember this when I think back. And I sure relate to that arm pit thing....slight difference here but I moved to the south when I was 15 and people had a habit of hugging. didn't get it. but I was the same way about people leaving there scents on me... it would bug the crap out of me, because I don't where purfumes, then I would smell different people on me if I would turn say to the right, cuz they walked up and throwed their arm around ya to say hey....near 40 now.... still can't handle people hugging me...couple years ago, after a freind gave me a birthday hug.... I was like ewww.... couldn't stand her purfume.... and ask my boyfreind if I smelled weird now? he laughed and said "not anymore then usual" LOl smartass

well this was an interesting read....i do admit my sense of smell is at times overwhelming......along with the fact that i am a human hygrometer...usually within 3% of actual humidity........but my smell is really weird, i don't the odor causing subject, i'm fascinated by everyday realizing how close smell and memory are......i have a memory that amazes people, i tell my mom things shen did what i was two.......ask me why i'm typing this and i have to think for a few minutes what my point was.....
going to a grocery store is a challenge to me.....if there's a whole in a cereal box i smell it and my mind floods with memories.....i'll be darned if i can remember what it is i came to the store in the first place.
Hearing is usually tuned out......well, i listen to music constantly, that drowns everything out........

I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until about half a year ago (and I'm recently 24 years old!), so for most of my life I couldn't figure out WHY I was so incredibly sensitive to physical stimuli. I can hear the TV downstairs on low volume all the way from my upstairs room with the door closed, or people across the building at work talking to eachother, or the guy down the aisle smacking his lips each time he takes a sip of his drink (and it drives me to the point of actually being angry). People having conversations anywhere near me while I'm trying to work/concentrate make it pretty much impossible for me to function, which is why I've had to resort to near-constant headphone usage.

I'm not all that sensitive to taste, and smell is on and off (I tend to smell the BAD smells too easily). Texture is a huge issue for me though - I can't eat or drink things with the "wrong" texture without actually throwing it back up. I can't stand to touch fabric with my fingers or my feet (ie: no walking barefoot on carpet). Touching textured fabrics is so terrible it's actually made me physically ill, and even THINKING about it, or seeing someone else do it, makes me sick to my stomach. Being touched by others can vary - most of the time it makes me very uncomfortable, but it depends on the person. Sometimes co-workers will come up from behind me and touch me on the shoulder to get my attention, and it usually makes me jump almost out of my seat. It's to the point now where I tense up everytime one of those people comes anywhere near my desk (and yes, I can tell who someone is by the sound of their footsteps). Sex can be a problem, being SO sensitive can make things painful at times, but otherwise it can make things a lot more interesting. =) Temperature - cold makes me miserable as well as hot. I can hardly function when cold - my sense of touch is even MORE sensitive when cold, to the point where touching any surface with even the slightest texture (ie: plain paper, a mouse pad) is painful and sickening. Heat makes me heatstroke even after a short period of time with little activity. Anyway, I've always thought I was just a freak or had some sort of mental disorder, but knowing that others with ADD suffer from these sorts of symptoms is a huge comfort. But I wasn't even sure if anyone else suffered from touch sensitivity this much, could it be that mine is so pronounced because I went so long without knowing why it was happening??

... I have these issues too.

It's a hypersensitivity to stimulation through the:
Ears
Skin
... and a hyposensitivity to stimulation by the senses of
Smell
Taste

kinda' just as in your expression ...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ears QUOTE ... actually being angry /QUOTE
Skin QUOTE ... is so terrible /QUOTE
Smell QUOTE ... on and off /QUOTE
Taste QUOTE ... not all that /QUOTE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think the answer lies within the post below.
[ADDF post (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=349405&postcount=5)] [SolarLife]

The various sensory systems have a very wide bandwidth which they can take in:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eyes: 10,000,000 bits per second
Skin: 1,000,000 bits per second
Ears: 100,000 bits per second

Smell: 100,000 bits per second
Taste: 1,000 bits per second
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

{{{colour changed because a partial side issue::conscious can only process a tiny fraction of all this input::}}}

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eyes: 40 bits per second
Skin: 5 bits per second
... ... ... Ears: 30 bits per second

Smell: 1 bits per second
Taste: 1 bits per second
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pattern which you and many many of us are describing here (of hypersensitivities) - I think - is related to the parts of the brain which handle interpretation of the 'high' bandwidth data streams - these neural colonies themselves becoming larger - the change a consequence of the large amount of information which we are jettisoning - due to our own nervous system limitations (the bit above in grey) - the consequence then of these changes ->- channeling more information into the centre (brain).

This occurs concurrently with the lower bandwidth centres fading into obscurity.
Kinda' think about it as a kinda' invasion.

And so - the expectation would be the expectation of hypersensitivities to touch and sound --- and insensitivity (particularly seen relative to nonADDers) - towards taste and smell.

I should perhaps mention that the higher the bandwidth of the channel - kinda' (with a particular definition) - the better.
If one imagines a stream and a fast flowing river - this particular definition of better correlates with the violence of flow. More violently (more energetically) - the better.
The river is flowing violently (in this metaphor) - whilst the stream ambles lackadaisically.

That's really interesting, SB. I know it's generally accepted that people with one or two really strong senses will usually have one or two much weaker senses to counter them. (ie: the deaf having excellent vision, the blind hearing things very few can hear). But I've never really had it explained, medically.. with the BPS. I didn't mention vision, but it makes sense with that thoery as well, since my vision is quite terrible, even with correction. With my skin and ears being so overactive, it's a wonder I can see at all. :eek:

I can say that I am an adult with "childhood ADHD" symptoms and the sound sensitivity is as inconsistent as the rest of the paradoxes that I have. I am a pretty odd case, i.e. was 'addicted' to everything there is including a ban from obtaining benzodiazepines for "Dr. Shopping" and the medication that has "stabilized" me the best without losing effectiveness is Dexedrine tablets. I tend to have severity levels of symptoms that are impulsive and dangerous (antisocial spectrum) so I guess they are doing society a favor. I was thought to be manic at many times of my life and treated my illness as bipolar (which I believed due to being "a walking brain trust") when I saw it for it's true nature PTSD hyperarousal that would escalate due to the 'phase out' purpose of it's real issue the lack of being taught reasonable limits of behavior. It seems very humiliating. What makes it so addicting to most people must be what makes it the most effective choice for me. I can accept it.

This is my first post but I just had to chime in on this one. :)

What we're experiencing is called Sensory Integration Dysfunction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_integration_disorder) (I have it too). This is pretty common apparently when one has other neurological conditions such as Tourette's and Autism. I don't know if any connection with ADHD has been established yet. ADHD does have some relationship with Asperger's syndrome and Autism (I have ADHD, but I'm mild/borderline Asperger's) and most people with ADHD exhibit some characteristics of autism spectrum disorders as well, so it seems reasonable that this could be one of them.

Part of Sensory Integration Dysfunction is what is called Sensory Defensiveness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_defensiveness). That, in particular is what a lot of us are experiencing (though probably not enough to need a diagnosis of it).

There are times when I love having super sensitive hearing and smell, and times when I hate it (kind of like ADHD in a way). I consider it more of a gift than a problem, but then the only situations where it REALLY bugs me tend to be avoidable. If it was a problem all the time I'd probably like it much less.

Anyway, I've always thought I was just a freak or had some sort of mental disorder, but knowing that others with ADD suffer from these sorts of symptoms is a huge comfort. But I wasn't even sure if anyone else suffered from touch sensitivity this much, could it be that mine is so pronounced because I went so long without knowing why it was happening??ADD rarely travels alone. It may be that you have something else going on in the sensory arena that makes you very sensitive to touch, etc. There is a good bit of overlap between ADD and sensory integration disorder and/or Aspergers disorder (some people feel they're on the same spectrum).

Scattered

Skwurg -


EXACTLY!


I guess I've never been able to find an explination like that - but that is EXACTLY how to explain what I live with. I've never explored it with a professional.. I always tried to picture myself telling my doctor that touching the couch with my fingers made my teeth hurt, and somehow, the hypothetical doctor seemed to think I'd lost my mind all together. Sensitivity to sound didn't seem that abnormal to me, but I definitely didn't know what to think of my touch/skin trouble. I've only explained it to one person in my entire life, and that was my mother, and although she didn't call me crazy, she definitely looked like she might be questioning how little sleep I'm getting. (or maybe what I've been putting in my juice every morning:p ) As to whether or not to have it diagnosed... since there's really no "treatment", and from what I've read there, it's mostly "treated" during childhood.. that feels like a draw to me. It doesn't affect my life in a direct way, although I suppose being uncomfortable with my surroundings a lot of the time is probably hurting me. Hard decision!

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16682 You might want to look at this post on sensory issues.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16682 You might want to look at this post on sensory issues.
Thanks! Having a little more information to bring along with me will be nice when I bring this up to my doctor next refill visit. At least I don't have to feel crazy then, as much.

This is my first post but I just had to chime in on this one. :)

What we're experiencing is called Sensory Integration Dysfunction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_integration_disorder) (I have it too). This is pretty common apparently when one has other neurological conditions such as Tourette's and Autism. I don't know if any connection with ADHD has been established yet. ADHD does have some relationship with Asperger's syndrome and Autism (I have ADHD, but I'm mild/borderline Asperger's) and most people with ADHD exhibit some characteristics of autism spectrum disorders as well, so it seems reasonable that this could be one of them.

Part of Sensory Integration Dysfunction is what is called Sensory Defensiveness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_defensiveness). That, in particular is what a lot of us are experiencing (though probably not enough to need a diagnosis of it).

There are times when I love having super sensitive hearing and smell, and times when I hate it (kind of like ADHD in a way). I consider it more of a gift than a problem, but then the only situations where it REALLY bugs me tend to be avoidable. If it was a problem all the time I'd probably like it much less.
I meant to ask before, but couldn't find it in the post... you say you have this SID as well.. do you know of any place where I could find information on therapy offered to adults affected by SID? I would love to have a little more information to bring to my doctor... being knowledgable about a topic can help me choose a therapist with her.

About the teeth thing-- do you have weak teeth? I sort of chipped a tooth while chewing some time ago and since then, ceramic moved across glass, metal against ceramic etc= nails dragged across chalkboard urrrrrrrr...

I don't think I'm hypersensitive to anything, but I agree on the smells as a memory trigger thing-- it has the unbelievably strong power to transport me back without any conscious effort to remember on my part, and not the 're-created' past as you try to recall, but apparently it taps the part of your brain that actually records events like a video camera.

I meant to ask before, but couldn't find it in the post... you say you have this SID as well.. do you know of any place where I could find information on therapy offered to adults affected by SID? I would love to have a little more information to bring to my doctor... being knowledgable about a topic can help me choose a therapist with her.I don't know anything specifically aimed at adults (although it's probably out there. I've heard The Out Of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz recommended as an excellent book on Sensory Processing Disorder (Sensory Integration Dysfunction). There would probably ideas an adult could apply as well and perhaps references to work specifically for adults.

Scattered

I can HEAR when the truck needs a quart of oil. I can tell partner when he needs to add power sterring fluid, or when we have a nail in a tire. Yes! I've had mechanics scratch their heads and tell me everything sounds, feels, looks o.k. with a car and to come back if it gets worse which it always does. I can feel a slight difference through the steering wheel and a mechanic was impressed that I noticed something that was just starting in the steering. It's not something I like because the slight noise, vibration, etc. is distracting when I am driving. My old car used to make a light ticking sound when it needed an oil change (my mechanic used to roll his eyes and humour me) - often before the sticker on the windshield said it should - and that motor was still in great shape way over 500,000 kilometres and never needed any engine work. It just hated dirty oil.

I meant to ask before, but couldn't find it in the post... you say you have this SID as well.. do you know of any place where I could find information on therapy offered to adults affected by SID? I would love to have a little more information to bring to my doctor... being knowledgable about a topic can help me choose a therapist with her. I'm not sure about this, but I think the people who treat this are Occupational Therapists. I don't know how successful treatment in adults is, but they say they've been pretty successful with children. The treatment they try to work on is by exposing you to very, very mild versions of things that trigger the negative reactions. These would be so mild that they might only give minor discomfort rather than outright pain. This apparently causes your brain to learn how to process that stimulus better and moderate the signal. They have to be very careful not to trigger the "ow stop it" reactions though, because that can make it worse/undo some of their work.

If it's giving you extreme discomfort at school or work and getting in the way of your life, It's definitely worth seeing a doctor about. Even if treatment doesn't work, you may benefit from a diagnosis just so you have something official you can show employers when asking for special accomodations at work.

I couldn't bear the texture of chalk dust on my hands as a kid (it just hurts me) and I'd have probably benefited from a diagnosis to explain why I couldn't write on the chalkboard.

Most of my information on this comes from wikipedia and autism related websites (since almost all autistics have this). I've only talked to my psychiatrist about it a little bit.

Lurker - I do have weak teeth. They've always been a problem for me, since they came in very late and have never really finished developing (the enamel is very thin). I'm pretty certain that's part of why a lot of my senses cause my teeth to be affected, especially any higher pitched or grating type sounds. I mentioned that part of it to my last dentist and he said that was pretty normal of someone with poor dental health (or anyone that has injured their jaw/chin/facial bones). The only time it really gets to me is when touch causes my teeth to hurt.. with fabrics especially. I didn't mention that one to my doctor, but if my senses are confused then I could see how that could get my teeth mixed in again.

Skwurg - Yeah, from what I've been reading, the therapy is basically designed to train or teach your senses to react more normally.. and at this point, I'm not sure how well mine would react to therapy of that kind. As for affecting me at work... the only thing that truely gets to me is the sound factor.. all of the conversations within 20 feet of me being smashed into my brain at the same time with the same "priority" can be maddening. (or the guy across the aisle that drinks his coffee tiny sip by tiny sip, smacking his lips after each sip.. I swear, he's lucky I don't like violence or he'd be bleeding from somewhere by now :( ) I'm hoping that the newest round of pills will do the trick for me, and hopefully help to turn the volume down. The touch thing can get in the way.. I'll avoid certain tasks to avoid touching the icky things, and I think I dress a bit too casual for my office, but anything any less casual and I'd go crazy after 8 hours. No one really ever tries to touch me, except for a couple of people, and they finally seem to be picking up on the fact that I hate it (but it takes time, that's their habit to touch when talking, so they just need to learn not to do it with me). As for having my diagnoses for work.. well, my manager wouldn't even bother finding out what it meant, and would just think I was making excuses, much as she has up until this point. HR is useless as well.. I talked to them about my ADD and all she could say was "But you're so smart! There's really no reason why you can't function in the same area as everyone else, you just have to learn to ignore them." :confused: YAY, the cure for ADD, just ignore everything! :rolleyes:

Warning: :soapbox: rant time

Hah! Yeah I got that too. Basically HR thought I just needed to learn how to cope better and I'd be fine.

If I were a violent person, I'd probably have gotten myself into a good deal of trouble. Of course, I had no idea I had anything like ADHD, Sensory integration dysfunction, or Asperger's Syndrome at the time.

How do you explain to someone that what is easy for them is hard for you? They just think you aren't trying hard enough.

People aren't very accepting of neurological differences. The whole concept is relatively new and just like being left-handed (lefties used to be punished in school), or having a different sexual preference, it may take society a bit to learn to accept that.

When people give me trouble, (If I lose my temper...)I sometimes point at a complex object or device near them and say "Do you see that? In my head I can take it apart, examine and manipulate every piece of it, reassemble it in different configurations, and test to see roughly how it will work. Should I just call you lazy or stupid if you can't do that? Are you not trying hard enough? Are you lacking in willpower or coping mechanisms or do we just have different brains? You tell me." I usually come off as a jerk, but if they actually believe me, it gets the point accross. My brain isn't standard issue and there isn't anything I can do about it. I also don't feel that there is anything wrong with having a different kind of brain.

Warning: :soapbox: rant time

My brain isn't standard issue and there isn't anything I can do about it. I also don't feel that there is anything wrong with having a different kind of brain.Welcome to the forums, Skwurg!:) Rant away as needed! We all need to occasionally -- it's not fun being misunderstood and worse being judged!

You might like Mel Levine's book A Mind at a Time or check out his webwite All Kinds of Minds -- he really believes we need to learn to celebrate our differences -- that it is important to help folks find their nitch, because we all have something valuable to contribute!



I was wondering if anybody else has sensitivity that comes and goes. What I mean is, I'm very sensitive to things -- if I'm worried about the car I feel every tiny little bump and groove in the road like things are about to fall apart, but most of the time I TOTALLY tune things out. A survivial technique I think to keep from being overwhelmed. The two things I can't tune out are smells and unexpected noises -- which will typically cause a severe startle response complete with leaving the ground and yelping on my part.

Scattered

Thanks Scattered. :)


Yes, I can be both hypersensitive and hyposensitive at times. One thing I've noticed about it is I usually become hyposensitive after a huge amount of stimulus.

Example: When I'm slightly hungry I can tell I am affected more by it than others. Once I get REALLY hungry it's like those nerves shut down and I can't reliably tell that I'm hungry anymore (which is bad). It can take up to a day or two for that sense to get reset back to normal for me.

That combined with ADHD hyperfocus and Asperger's obsessiveness makes me sometimes wake up on a saturday morning and start indulging in one of my obsessions (usually reading a book, learning about some topic that interests me, etc) and forgetting to eat. When I finally do snap out of what I'm doing I sometimes realize it is now getting dark and I haven't eaten all day, because I stopped feeling it at some point.
I'm always grateful when my wife reminds me to eat. ;) She has the same problem though, so I get to return the favor.

teeth This also - I don't like the sensation of food against teeth.
It sounds kinda' counterproductive from a 'being alive' perspective - but it isn't.
I believe it's merely the sign of a changing pattern in which things like 'food' will cease to mean as much.

I have described this here previously {playing with the words a little} as the first signs of the death of consumerist society, For a better artistic rendition - think Agent Smith in the Matrix - his famous rant to Morpheus on his perspective on viral man -{divergence from plot}- and then Morpheus getting up and saying 'Hey Ho Agent Smith - I'm off to make my fellow man chill on a diet of bread and water for a (hmmm ... ... ...) lifetime.'
:-)

... with fabrics especially.The thought of wool in my mouth makes me feel a kinda' hideous repulsion.
And I've noticed that the thought leaves the aftertaste of some burnt synthetic fabric - yes odd ... I've never eaten any burnt synthetic fabric.

I wonder ... do you have allergies/asthma/eczema?

My brain isn't standard issue and there isn't anything I can do about it. I also don't feel that there is anything wrong with having a different kind of brain.

I agree. =) Without different types of brains, society would not have advanced thus far. But the problem with NT's is, I think, they don't so easily see things from someone else's shoes. I struggle with this even with my family members - I know they want to understand, but they really just don't. With bosses, co-workers, HR.. well, I think they just don't even want to be bothered with trying to understand something that they perceive as not being "real". Even with the more "accepted" disorders - a cousin of mine has a pretty severe anxiety problem, with frequent panic attacks. My younger sister and younger cousin (her sister) had to have their ears chewed on because they would make fun of her while she was having an episode - and when asked how they could possibly think that was okay, they just dismissed her problems as being a cry baby, or just trying to get attention or special treatment. I don't think this is uncommon, as sad and terrible as it is.



I was wondering if anybody else has sensitivity that comes and goes. What I mean is, I'm very sensitive to things -- if I'm worried about the car I feel every tiny little bump and groove in the road like things are about to fall apart, but most of the time I TOTALLY tune things out. A survivial technique I think to keep from being overwhelmed. The two things I can't tune out are smells and unexpected noises -- which will typically cause a severe startle response complete with leaving the ground and yelping on my part.
I know what you mean about the car thing. I always kinda thought that might be a paranoia more than anything else.. like I'm worried about it, so my body is cranking the motion/auditory senses WAY up in relation to the car in question. Unexpected noises are a bad thing... I cannot be in a room with balloons because of that very thing. I've been known to tune things out too - but not on purpose. :p I bet you are right about that though, you've probably built up your own survival tactics to deal with those over active senses. But just like most things for us, it can't just tune things out "a little", it has to be ALL or NOTHING.


Example: When I'm slightly hungry I can tell I am affected more by it than others. Once I get REALLY hungry it's like those nerves shut down and I can't reliably tell that I'm hungry anymore (which is bad). It can take up to a day or two for that sense to get reset back to normal for me.


I know that one too. I'm guilty of it right now.. it's 3:30pm and I haven't eaten yet. I was starving this morning... not a thing now. Kinda weird, certain things will completely shut down my appetite for hours, even an entire day, do you ever have that? Like finding a hair in my food, even if I know it's mine - I can't eat until the next day, usually. It's not that I feel sick or kinda turned off by that food, it's more like a switch clicks in my head that says "Okay, we're ignoring hunger now!".



I wonder ... do you have allergies/asthma/eczema?Actually, as weird as it sounds, the only thing that bothers me about the idea of fabric actually being IN my mouth is the little fabric particles/dust mites that would be left behind. (and probably taste, ick) Touching it though, well, it's bizzarre I guess!

As far as allergies/asthma/eczema... my skin is generally pretty dry, even with lotion every chance I get, but I've never been diagnosed with ecszema. I have general allergies in the spring/summer, but nothing that's medicated with more than some sudefed. Asthma, I know for sure I do not have. I have no idea if it might be somehow related to things suffered in infant or childhood.. I ran an extremely high fever and suffered seizures as an infant, which lead to my underdeveloped teeth (and I only found out those two things were related maybe 3 or 4 years ago)... but as far as how that could possibly connect, I have no idea.. if it could even connect at all. These things are kinda off and out there, theory, but I'll entertain my head a bit with that.

I cannot be in a room with balloons because of that very thing.
quote from Becka

A couple of related threads ...
Sensitivity to sound (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12155&highlight=balloon)
post#10 (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=116678&postcount=10)
November 2004
"Later on that day, a friend arrived with a helium balloon for my baby - and I couldn't let baby play with the balloon
- through fear of it bursting."

High startle reflex (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30600&highlight=balloon)
post#2 (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=312137&postcount=2)
July 2006
"... I have been hypersensitized, hypersensitive to any form of loud bang --- firework, balloon bursting ..."

My ADD superpower (aka sensitivity :p) is my sight. I'll be like "hey is that a car over there?". Everyone else will be like "???". A few minutes later, that car comes over!

I can't eat or drink things with the "wrong" texture without actually throwing it back up

I hadn’t considered this before but you are right I can’t eat foods with certain textures or I gag and yep I too will throw it up. Any think in the legume family will do this to me, always has even sense I was in a high chair. I literally remember the first time any one stuck those awful things in my mouth. I found out as an adult I lack an enzyme so I can not digest them.


Chalky substances I can’t even swallow my throat freezes..






Sometimes co-workers will come up from behind me and touch me on the shoulder to get my attention, and it usually makes me jump almost out of my seat.

Gary grabbed my arm one from behind when we were at a bar. He almost got punched in the face. My mind determined the grip was too strong, and I swung around and broke his grip so fast Gary lost his balance and I had my fist inches from his face before I stopped my self. I rarely just jump with out being prepared to swing, luckily I have never hurt any one. I also stop quickly when I ID the person. People who know me know not to do this touching me from behind in crowded places full of drunks or in dark parking lots. A too firm grip will generate this reaction even if I am in the middle of the mall. I can’t stand some one to have to hard of a grip or try to hold me down even in play.





Eyes: 10,000,000 bits per second
Skin: 1,000,000 bits per second
Ears: 100,000 bits per second

Smell: 100,000 bits per second
Taste: 1,000 bits per second

Eyes: 40 bits per second
Skin: 5 bits per second
... ... ... Ears: 30 bits per second

Smell: 1 bits per second
Taste: 1 bits per second

Hmmmm I wonder if my sense of hearing has any thing to do with the fact I naturally do not see well. I am as near sided as a bat.




This also - I don't like the sensation of food against teeth.

I hate things that stick between my teeth, some thing between my teeth can be a reason to stop the world and let me off while I get it out. I like pop corn but I hate the shells that get stuck my teeth.




The thought of wool in my mouth makes me feel a kinda' hideous repulsion.
And I've noticed that the thought leaves the aftertaste of some burnt synthetic fabric - yes odd ... I've never eaten any burnt synthetic fabric.

Upper front left side, kind of on the roof behind the front teeth gets real sensitive even to air, bottom front two, taste toward the back and sides of the tongue? Wool also scratches my skin I have to have a fabric between me and it.






Common symptoms of Sensory Defensiveness include intolerance of high-pitched noises, intolerance of overhead lights (especially fluorescent lighting); experiencing a feeling of being attacked upon being touched (especially from light touch or sudden touch); intolerance of certain types of fabrics in contact with the skin; becoming nauseated upon smelling something that does not smell bad to normal individuals; difficulty maintaining eye-contact; intolerance of foods due to taste, texture, or temperature; and generally becoming overwhelmed when exposed to a lot of sensory stimuli at once.

Wow I have all of these except the eye contact problem, I do not have problems maintaining eye contact. I can sure feel some one staring at me through




The other side to these issues is that many people report a positively heightened awareness of their senses, under the right conditions. They also promote "stims", which can include music, exercise, and any other pleasing sensory stimulation, as natural means of reducing stress

Music can be a “stim”. . . .exercise? Is this right?

May be we aren’t disordered we just have different ways on not being like “them”!




Sensory Defensiveness is a part of Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Sensory Integration Dysfunction is considered to be part of the autism spectrum, but a person does not have to display any other autistic traits in order to have Sensory Defensiveness or Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

I hand’t heard of this before. :confused:

Meadd823, "stimming" is usually associated with Autism. ADHDers seek stimulating to wake up the part of the brain that isn't firing like it should be.

SB, I will botch it if I try to repeat it, but I attended a wonderful lecture about the ADHD and the primitive brain.

From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050308134448.htm
'The cortex--the "thinking" part of the brain--is highly developed in humans. This is especially true for the prefrontal cortex. Common wisdom suggests that when we learn new things, the prefrontal cortex figures things out first. Then, as our behaviors become familiar and habitual, the more primitive, subcortical basal ganglia take over so that the now-familiar routines can be run off automatically and occupy less of our thoughts.

"What we found was evidence for something very different," Pasupathy said. "We found that as monkeys learn new, simple rules--associations analogous to 'stop at red, go at green'--the striatum of the basal ganglia shows evidence of learning much sooner and faster than the prefrontal cortex. But, an interesting wrinkle is that the the monkeys' behavior improved at a slow rate, similar to that of the slower changes inprefrontal cortex."

This suggests that while the basal ganglia "learn" first, their output forces the prefrontal cortex to change, albeit at a slower rate.

The researchers speculate that perhaps the faster learning in the basal ganglia allows us (and our primitive ancestors who lacked a prefrontal cortex) to quickly pick up important information needed for survival. The prefrontal cortex then monitors what the basal ganglia have learned. Its slower, more deliberate learning mechanisms allow it to gather a more judicious "big picture" of what is going on by taking into account more history and thereby exert executive control over behavior, Miller said.'

more primitive, subcortical basal ganglia cool!!!

... need to follow up on your ideas (thanks)
(on science forum soon)

- adding in:

Speedo - caudate putamen
Stabile - cerebellum
Qinkin - spiny neurone
Ian's thread - pyramidal neurone (evolution of form)
...and now...
l mnapl - striatum,subcortical basal ganglia

May need a couple of other posts to round this story.

cool !!!

I don't know I think what I have is a bit different than what I've been reading.

When I am laying in bed with the lights out all the sudden my ears are like bionic. I can hear the cat sniffing in the other room. If my computer is asleep or not. Cars driving by on the highway off in the distance.

But in the daylight hours hearing is.... many things at once. I will be watching tv with a friend the tv makes noise, there's background noise, maybe her sister is on the phone, and she decides to talk to me during commercials. I've got all that stuff trying to be processed at once and it's all mush. I have to say "what" like three times and turn the television down in order to understand what she is saying. And phone conversations are usually never good with me. I don't understand how people can do multiple things while on the phone. My boyfriend knows not to start trying to talk to me on the phone. It's better to save our conversations for in person. He gets really annoyed when I ask "WHAT?" all the time. He swears he's like yelling but honestly I cannot make out what he is saying.

Ever watch The Peanuts when they answer the phone. "Wha, whap whamp wham." Well sometimes that's what I hear in regular conversation. I get really sick of asking people to repeat themselves.

From Imnapl source

***Begin Quote***
"What we found was evidence for something very different," Pasupathy said. "We found that as monkeys learn new, simple rules--associations analogous to 'stop at red, go at green'--the striatum of the basal ganglia shows evidence of learning much sooner and faster than the prefrontal cortex. But, an interesting wrinkle is that the the monkeys' behavior improved at a slow rate, similar to that of the slower changes inprefrontal cortex."

This suggests that while the basal ganglia "learn" first, their output forces the prefrontal cortex to change, albeit at a slower rate.

The researchers speculate that perhaps the faster learning in the basal ganglia allows us (and our primitive ancestors who lacked a prefrontal cortex) to quickly pick up important information needed for survival. The prefrontal cortex then monitors what the basal ganglia have learned. Its slower, more deliberate learning mechanisms allow it to gather a more judicious "big picture" of what is going on by taking into account more history and thereby exert executive control over behavior, Miller said.

***End Quote***

Hmm long version we think but we haven't a clue what comes first the cortex or the basal ganglia / I think the egg came first other wise there would be no chicken.

I don't understand how people can do multiple things while on the phone.

I some times read post while on the phone or play solitaire on the computer, simple stuff that uses my vision. I can listen to two conversations at once my problem is in answering both at one time because the person on the phone can not see what I am doing plus I may be interrupting them. I often write responses to the person in front of me and speak responses to the one on the phone. I better on medication but I can do this off of medications but the transitions are not as smooth. Gary my boyfriend is like you in that he can not do any thing else while on the phone.


Having a TV on keeps me awake because if I can hear it I will process it. I can become over stimulated with too much sound more rapidly than I can any other sense. It seems like my brain processes it all at one time. Also loud sound any length of time bothers me. Those stupid stereos with the basses up sop loud they rattle every thing with in a radius mile really bother me if I have to be around them long. I have what is called a melt down or more descriptive ballistic. If people want to be deaf by 30 please don’t hurt my ears in the process.

I don't know I think what I have is a bit different than what I've been reading.

When I am laying in bed with the lights out all the sudden my ears are like bionic. I can hear the cat sniffing in the other room. If my computer is asleep or not. Cars driving by on the highway off in the distance.

But in the daylight hours hearing is.... many things at once. I will be watching tv with a friend the tv makes noise, there's background noise, maybe her sister is on the phone, and she decides to talk to me during commercials. I've got all that stuff trying to be processed at once and it's all mush. I have to say "what" like three times and turn the television down in order to understand what she is saying. And phone conversations are usually never good with me. I don't understand how people can do multiple things while on the phone. My boyfriend knows not to start trying to talk to me on the phone. It's better to save our conversations for in person. He gets really annoyed when I ask "WHAT?" all the time. He swears he's like yelling but honestly I cannot make out what he is saying.

Ever watch The Peanuts when they answer the phone. "Wha, whap whamp wham." Well sometimes that's what I hear in regular conversation. I get really sick of asking people to repeat themselves.
It actually sounds a lot like what we are talking about. :p

Or at least it sounds like what I'm talking about, in part.

I don't think your experience with hearing at night is different than it is during the day - there are just fewer noises at night. Because there are fewer, you hear them much clearer - they are very distinct because there isn't the "OVERWHELMING ROAR-WAVE-CHATTER OF NOISE" caused by conversation, people moving around the room, appliances running, cars passing the building on the nearby street, etc. It is ever so much easier to filter 3 noises as compared to 20+ noises. It doesn't make those 3 noises any less annoying, however, just for different reasons.

I spent a week shopping for a fan a few months ago, to replace my old one.. it had to be very loud, but not the wrong kind of loud, not the rattle/clank kind of loud, just the very strong and small motor loud. If I don't run it at night, I can't sleep, because I can hear the tv down the hall behind two closed doors, my dog wetting his tongue, the cat eating his food downstairs, the neighbors talking on their phone in their 1st floor kitchen.. etc. I also spent a long time putting together a collection of white noise for my mp3 player because, just like during the night at home, I need that to block out all of that unnecessary input at work. This limits me to email/msn type communication while my headphones are on, but it's better than my asking everyone to repeat themselves.. or worse yet, when the sound becomes so distracting that I visibly stop paying attention(without realizing until much too late that I've drifted away into that.. space... where my mind sometimes wanders without asking my permission) which of course makes me feel awful and is quite embaressing.

I do believe it is the same set of problems causing both situations, but the change of enviroment just makes the results a bit different...

I don't know if this would be included with senses, but I have this uncanny ability to measure volumes, lengths, and distances intuitively.

It's not something I ever practiced. It just was there.

Its pretty wierd, and I'm not sure exactly how it works, but 99% of the time if someone holds up an object or points to one in the general vicinity, I can guess the length, width, height, depth etc. to within a 1 inch error margin. Many times it's been exact.

My theory is that my visual mind creates a fairly perfect model of my environment with some sort of scale feature built in.

It only seems to work when the object is not moving or only moving very slowly. I could never catch the baseballs in the outfield very well.

My sense of touch is also pretty developed. In my dreams I can often experience textures and solid physicality.

And, I'm also extremely sensitive to emotional energy. I've spent a lot of my life trying to numb myself to the pain around me, because it's just too much. I was always a good listener, but after someone in a difficult emoitonal state was done talking to me, it would often take me 1 to 2 days to feel normal (ie not drained). It's a strange dilemma. I don't feel like I'm fully being me unless I'm aleviating pain, but it's almost as though I absorb the emotional energy from the person I'm talking to, and have to expel it over the next one to two days.

I know this sounds a little strange. Maybe I'm just trying to romanticise this.


Anyone else have these experiences/abilities ???


Lunar...

I think it could be ADD related. Like the strong empathy many ADDer's have reported. I have a strong sense of hearing but, may senses are dulling bit with age. I still can hear things most think I'm imagining. This may also be related or totally unrelated but, I'm very alert at all times. I think this is probably something that has sprung up through the years. I'm alert almost to the point of jumping out of my skin when disturbed if that makes any sense. I guess it's a sort of sub-conscious hyper-focusing. Or maybe I just scare easily. heh

Lunar is a Psychic Vampire and I'm feeling rather faint....... ;-)

I think I know what you mean, although I don't personally have experience with this.

--ah, maybe you've figured out mcciny. ....muhaha too bad for youoooo. Can you feel my psychic waves thru the screen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~:cool:

That would make sense. The ability to accurately measure lengths, volumes, distances would seem to be a bat-like ability---hmmm?

Unfortunately I'm the one that usually feels drained. Maybe I need to find a talk show for vamps that work more like a reverse pump ;)

This empathy thing some of you mention is working agains me and for people i connect with exceptionally well. I connect with their problems, real or percieved, sadness and frustration so much I end up agonising over and getting upset and stroppy over them to such an extreme as though they are my own problems, that it does no one any good and I end up getting snappy at them for having that. how screwed up am I!!!!!!!

And, I'm also extremely sensitive to emotional energy. I've spent a lot of my life trying to numb myself to the pain around me, because it's just too much.

I did this until I learned how to make it stop. I feel the energy waves of emotions but I usually do not absorb them unless they are those of some one I am pretty close to and are very strong. It is harder to shake if the person is also in close physical proximity. It is a mental decision or picture however your brain happens to work. Acquaintances and normal every day emotions I can normally separate myself from.





but after someone in a difficult emoitonal state was done talking to me, it would often take me 1 to 2 days to feel normal (ie not drained).

No it doesn’t take me days to recover, it is more like minutes. I can feel drained if the emotions are heavy and over a period of days. but it is a rarely and doesn’t last long. Most emotions have the opposite effect upon me, they normally increase my energy level.






It's a strange dilemma.

Yea perhaps it isn’t some thing every one experiences What is “really strange” is me according to many who for some odd reason feel I am lying or delusional. Although I do not present with any other delusional symptoms nor am I known to be a liar. Even if it isn’t actually said out loud people do tend to feel this is strange if I even attempt to explain this, so I usually don’t. I know when I met others who have this type of “occurrences” especially if they are physically near me, This however goes beyond any thing I wish to discuss in open forums.





don't feel like I'm fully being me unless I'm aleviating pain, but it's almost as though I absorb the emotional energy from the person I'm talking to, and have to expel it over the next one to two days.


The absorption thing improved with age for me, I work in what is considered a helping profession so this may be why I have learned to separate myself from others emotions. I still perceive them I simply do not absorb them.

My male partner has a version of this ability which makes him an excellent sales person. His is more of a surface ability to read people but exist none the less.






I know this sounds a little strange. Maybe I'm just trying to romanticise this.

I do not know about romanticizing this I believe it maybe a little hard to explain in words especially in open forums considering you are unsure of the reaction to this by other members.




Anyone else have these experiences/abilities ???

I have come close enough to understand what you are trying to explain. I can assure you we are not the only two on the planet as it would be illogical for it to be so.



Lunar is a Psychic Vampire and I'm feeling rather faint.......

I am a vampire but hardly psychic.- :D

That's an interesting concept. I think if I were a betting man, that I would still gamble you are taking in something of theirs, which is exhausting. Not truly draining them or feeding off energy but, plugging in to their mindset so to speak and thus feeling the weight of it all. Of course, that description could be utter nonsense. Just a thought!

I think the consensus of this thread is that if you have ADD you have an enhanced awareness eg. acute hearing. It appears tht ADDers receive or sense a lot more information from their environment than normal people. I believe that when people say they are 'intuitive' and a lot of ADDers say they are - that this just means that a person has come to a conclusion because of their enhanced ability to receive and process information. It is a physical response to stimuli not some weird psychic thing. You don't have to know you saw something or know you heard something for your brain to process it. We don't 'hear' sound waves ..but our brain is receiving them. The times that you think of someone and then the phone rings and it's them - it's not psychic - something physical (even if you don't know what it is) has been relayed to your brain. Our bodies and brains are higly tuned receiving devices and someone turned the volume up in ADDers.

For the record:
I never claimed to be a physic only a vampire.

That's my story and I am sticking to, well okay it as long as I remember what it is anyway.


You don't have to know you saw something or know you heard something for your brain to process it.

I do agree with the above but I believe this is different than absorbing someone else’s emotions. Absorbing another emotions is not really that unusual. This is what they mean by “attitude is contagious”.



it's not psychic - something physical (even if you don't know what it is) has been relayed to your brain.

I am not one to subscribe to psychics, nor do I believe every thing that happens to me is physical either. Too black and white for me as a person however this is a personal perception and is in no way meant to imply every one see it the same way. Many seem more comfortable attributing occurrences in life to the physical realm. I live most of my life in my mind and I believe to an extent every one does.


I believe my perception is different. I do a lot of things differently thus I am accustom to not being like every one else. It quit bothering me when I was in my mid-thirties.

Our bodies and brains are highly tuned receiving devices and someone turned the volume up in ADDers.

I sure wish they would have included a volume control apparatus so I could turn it down some times.

I think the consensus of this thread is that if you have ADD you have an enhanced awareness eg. acute hearing. It appears tht ADDers receive or sense a lot more information from their environment than normal people. I believe that when people say they are 'intuitive' and a lot of ADDers say they are - that this just means that a person has come to a conclusion because of their enhanced ability to receive and process information. It is a physical response to stimuli not some weird psychic thing. You don't have to know you saw something or know you heard something for your brain to process it. We don't 'hear' sound waves ..but our brain is receiving them. The times that you think of someone and then the phone rings and it's them - it's not psychic - something physical (even if you don't know what it is) has been relayed to your brain. Our bodies and brains are higly tuned receiving devices and someone turned the volume up in ADDers.
So very well said. I believe that is what I have been thinking about this the past few days but was unable to express. (I think this goes along with the ability to get along with a variety of 'types' of people with little effort - we are 'reading' them without even realizing it - and then we are just fast to learn how to respond)

For crying out loud I was using the word psychic in joking terms. And while talking about it in some mumbo jumbo way, I am well aware there are rational explanations for this.

Anyways, I was thinking yesterday that I believe I'm more like Lunar than I realized. I have the bad habit of sucking myself into people's problems/emotions and feeling them full force. It's terribly annoying and I can't seem to shut it off. I end up caring more than the original recipient does. ;-p

HA! You guys are silly! :D Psychic vampires and sound waves being detected directly by the brain without first going through the ear and nerves -- which is physically impossible by the way without a particular surgical implant in your skull -- all because of a miscommunicated joke. How funny!

Anyhow, my husband never ceases to be amazed by all of the juicy conversations that I'm able to eavesdrop on because of my super-sonic hearing, combined with my uncanny ability to read lips and body language. It's as close to being psychic as I can get. Go ADD power!

I do have an acute sense of smell. Perfume sickens me, but I love the different smells of food. Mom tells me that I used to smell my food before eating each bite as a child. I know, strange! I can also tell when someone's eaten a hamburger: it smells like human body odor with a slice of cheese and ketchup and mustard on it. Disgusting isn't it? Now, you know why I never eat fast food hamburgers.

Hey, this was fun! Good day to all!

Meadd823, I see this absorption thing like this: (1) a person exhibits signs of emotions eg. crying,laughing, (2) ADDer reads all the signs ..some of which are more perceptible than others (3) ADDer processes signs with memory including personal experiences (4) ADDer becomes emotional and turns to computer for solace.

If you have more 'attention' than everyone else then you are going to experience more. This in turn means that your memory will have more to work with when you assess a situation. ADDers don't need psychology degrees to work out someone's mood. It seems to be that ADDers absorb more of everything including emotions. I'm hearing people say that they 'cant shut the emotions off' etc. Is this a case of remembering to forget?

Like no one here, has ever met a 'psychic vampire', in their own daily existence ?

You know the one...
The one who drains you, emotionally, in one 'way' or another...

Another 'laymens' term for them is 'emotional vampires'. (0:

ps-I wasn't calling Lunarfrog that, lol !

I WAS!!! :-p I mean.........whoops, wrong room..........

ps-I wasn't calling Lunarfrog that, lol !Oh......thanks for clarifying that Nova, I was beginning to question myself :rolleyes:.

HA! You guys are silly! :D Psychic vampires and sound waves being detected directly by the brain without first going through the ear and nerves -- which is physically impossible by the way without a particular surgical implant in your skull -- all because of a miscommunicated joke. How funny! For crying out loud I was using the word psychic in joking terms. And while talking about it in some mumbo jumbo way, I am well aware there are rational explanations for this.---Warning - this is going to be a little off topic---

Ok.. people...I have to say something about this. And, I'm not tripping and claiming that this applies to my situation, but there are many things that happen all the time that people would consider impossible and supernatural. I personally don't like the word supernatural. It's all actually pretty natural. It seems, we as people have a compulsion to define things we don't understand as being outside our "secure" definition of natural.

First, my parents revealed to me when I was 27 (I don't know why they waited this long to tell me) that when we lived in our first house my Father woke up in the middle of the night staring at the ceiling----which was about 6 inches away from his face. He then preceeded to wake up my mother who also witnessed the bed levitating. After a few minutes, the bed slowly descended to the floor. They both witnessed it, and I guess were worried that it would upset me. I would have probably been between 4 and 5 at the time.

The house we lived in was built around 1900 and the ceilings were 10 feet tall and my Dad is no small man.

Secondly,

I know someone I trust very well who spent some time in India studying a form of Hinduism.

He told me that while he was there, that there was a problem with a man who practiced a form of left-handed tantra (I hope I'm getting the terminology correct). He frequently killed people. He was often arrested and jailed to be held for trial. The problem was that soon after he was imprisoned, he would just leave ---right through the walls.

This was witnessed by man people and government authorities. I don't know if he was ever caught.


Thirdly,

St. Simeon the Stylite..

A 6th century monastic who stood on a pillar for most of his life. During Great Lent he didn't eat or drink anything (that's approximately 50 Days in the Eastern Tradition)---definitely scientifically impossible.

The interesting thing about this Christian figure was that he was recorded not only in Church history, but in the history of other non-Christian nations of that time who's leaders frequently visited him for advice.

These are jsut a few examples.

All in all, this stuff doesn't impress me too much. I consider it much less impressive than a proud person humbling themself or someone acting truly unselfishly (rare and almost impossible these days).

So....rationality...hmm?...a useful tool-yes....the whole toolbox....

Definitely Not!

Lunar.....

By the way--logic and the scientific method are our creations. Just tools --and often limited ones.

Maybe we should talk about the unreality of zero in our number system.

Sorry--starting to get worked up. I'll stop now.

can you feel the waves ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~;)

The forms of 'Tantra' that I've studied, have nothing to do with the 'taking of another's life'.
Translation of terminology gets 'muddled', when 'words' are used, more often than 'not'.

Wow, Lunar that's wild stuff! Well, it would be great if someone would document these occurances within the structure of a scientific paper and publish it. Perhaps, I'm just not understanding it because I need that information to be translated into a format that I can understand. I would be curious to know how these supernatural events came to be.

Sorry Nova......I should have done more research. The practice of human sacrifice in Hinduisim was never a mainstream accepted practices, but there were a few very small (schismatic?) sects that practiced it throughout history. It's not necessarily tied to Left-handed Tantra. Most, if not all Hindu's would not even consider it Hinduism, but demonic in nature.

Also, to clarify, Hinduism is a very broad blanket term for numerous practices and belief systems.

Sorry for any confusion.


Wow, Lunar that's wild stuff! Well, it would be great if someone would document these occurances within the structure of a scientific paper and publish it. Perhaps, I'm just not understanding it because I need that information to be translated into a format that I can understand. I would be curious to know how these supernatural events came to be.
Its not actually that wild. I would be willing to bet that you would find at least a few "very natural" occurences if you talked to your relatives or friends - if they felt secure enough to be honest.

The difficulty is that these "occurences" remind us that we don't have reality defined or labeled correctly, and therefore we aren't in control. Most people who have these experiences end up not talking about them, because they think it only happens to them, or it shakes up their reality so much that they just want to forget it, so they can keep on feeling secure and living in the accepted construct around them.

Lunar......

we don't have reality defined or labeled correctly
yet......


... ... ... soon though ... ... ...

Hello SB...

I wondered when you were going to jump in on this.

Again, I think our form of logic/construct presently is limiting.

In the Christian East the center of man (the place of choices and revelation of reality) is the heart--not the mind. The mind is only a tool to communicate revelation (spiritual awareness). Maybe were trying to use the wrong tool for the job???


Lunar....

Lunar and friends.....Can you recommend some sources of information on this supernatural theory? My lifetime observations of religion and spiritualism have led me to believe that it's all a bunch of hooey. Care to enlighten me?

My 'personal' theory is:
Your personal, individual *truth* is dependent upon your individual, personal *belief*.

So if you believe 'it's all a bunch of hooey'..it doesn't matter how anyone tries to 'enlighten' you...now does it ?

Okay, okay! Just thought that someone might have a good argument. Not trying to offend.

Wow I came in this one late.

But I'll jump on the train....

Since Tam's (meadd) is my sister...I will add some more family dynamics.

I am like her other daughter. Sensitive to touch. Not a touchy feely. Not because I don't love people, I just am sensitive to it. I sense when people close by....or getting ready to touch me..sometimes I have time to move...(silly me)

I can't remember who said it earlier in the thread, but when people touch me unexpectedly, like if I am working and they come up and touch me I almost jump too. I always thought I was just one who needed the "personal space" more than others, but after reading here, I guess I would consider it being sensitive to touch. And on a kinda weird note that is also tied to someone posting about the emotional sensitivites...sometimes when they touch me i don't like the vibes that come with the touch. It's not always umm in a sexual tone either....I just sometimes sense more than I normally do when I am just around them, listening to them and watching the body language...I just sense more than I like I guess. Without sounding weird.

It makes it hard with a partner who is a touchy feely. I have to kinda shut off that part of my sensitivity to not hurt his feelings. And I really have to do it with my younger boys, who are also touchy feelies.
I never thought about it...like a sensitivity. But since I was never really abused, or anything extreme..and I grew up with a mom who hugged us and showed us pretty regular "physical" types of affection...it would make some sense.

I also have sensitive ears. I always equated that to the fact I am blind as a bat...but hey maybe it's that and ADD.....like my sister I hear the humming of flouresant lights, the low hums on the TV ....and perk up sometimes the same time the dog does. I sleep with the TV on or my noise machine..to block out all the 'outside racket" that keeps me awake...

Interesting ....subject. It seems their might be some family connections? I share one with Tam's and one with her daughter. ....hmm have to ponder this one somemore....

You know what's 'neat', Hope ?

I'm close to Meadd too...and she and I both talked about our 'accute' sense of hearing, many times.

So it runs between you two..and it runs between her and 'one' of her friends, too. (0:

I hate to go moderator in the middle of this interesting discussion however I promised hmm some one oh yea in administration I would help remind members of the guidelines here on ADDF. The general references to the spiritual realm is one thing however the guideline is violated when the discussion begins to include specific religious practices.

I think I shall make it easier on all of us by simply posting the guideline dealing with this issue and a hyperlink to the guideline area (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15842) for review.

Banned Topics:
* The main focus of ADD Forums is to provide a safe supportive place for people affected by AD/HD, and other comorbid disorders. To do this, sometimes we must limit the scope of the permitted topics, to foster such a supportive environment.

* We have had issues arise here that have prevented this from happening - primarily members voicing their opinions about religious and political matters. While everyone is allowed their own opinions, there really is no other way to prevent such issues from "disturbing the peace", except to keep these things completely out of the ADD Forums in the first place.

* It is against ADD Forums Guidelines to discuss religious and political matters on the ADD Forums.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.


***Any concerns or questions regarding this moderator note or staff actions should be private messaged directly to staff, this will prevent further disruption of the discussion. Thank you.***

Okay, okay! Just thought that someone might have a good argument. Not trying to offend.

We have a private debate section for this type of discussion, Religious or spiritual debates are not allowed in open forums. The members who are refusing to discuss this with you further are tactfully preventing this discussion from violating the guidelines.





Okay I have done my staff thing, Can I "play member now?"


Be right back I am going to get a cup of coffee and a new sheet of posting paper.

Wow, Lunar that's wild stuff! Well, it would be great if someone would document these occurrences within the structure of a scientific paper and publish it. Perhaps, I'm just not understanding it because I need that information to be translated into a format that I can understand. I would be curious to know how these supernatural events came to be.


Mead shakes head then bangs it briefly on computer desk ,to wake self up and reads again. Hmm if we could explain these occurrences umm they wouldn’t be supernatural would they?

Science is as limited as these squiggle lines we are using in an attempt to convey thoughts. The squiggly lines aren't our thought they merely represent them in a very limited way.

Even if the walking through wall dude did this in front of fifty scientist it would not be considered evidence unless he could do it again in front of more scientist Then it still would have to be peer reviewed by even more scientist that did not witness the event. Seems rather cumbersome it would be more efficient to simply walk through a wall leaving the scientist to doubt in their own confusion.


Science is a good thing as long as it never becomes the only thing or the every thing. It has it’s place as does the “supernatural” other wise known as the “mindful”.” Spiritual” (insert personal belief preference} , they just simply do not belong in the same place.






The difficulty is that these "occurrences" remind us that we don't have reality defined or labeled correctly, and therefore we aren't in control.


Reality is plural and control beyond self is an illusion however the only illusion is that there is no illusion,






Most people who have these experiences end up not talking about them, because they think it only happens to them, or it shakes up their reality so much that they just want to forget it, so they can keep on feeling secure and living in the accepted construct around them.


Actually I see it a bit differently {thus plural realities level one} I would not talk about it because few if any would even believe me. There are a lot of people who become uncomfortable with the unexplainable and instead of dealing with their own fears they make fun of the person who had the experience. Dealing with realities and alternate realties can be difficult enough adding stupidity to the equation would be un-necessarily burdensome. (IMHO)





My lifetime observations of religion and spiritualism have led me to believe that it's all a bunch of hooey. Care to enlighten me?

Can’t touch the spiritual stuff here even through it might be fun Using a spiritual approach would be against the rules I am supposed to be encouraging other to adhere to. The administration really frowns upon us doing that. Luckily I have done this debates often enough I don’t need to break any rules.

My presentation is simple because I am a simple person it goes like this

Science can’t ” prove” we exist so we merely believe we exist No one is for sure because we can’t objectively prove our existence scientifically.. Therefore we each create our own version of rreality I can not create your rrreality any more than you can disprove mine.


Okay all done with enlightenment do you feel any lighter yet? ;)

I feel the need for that cup of coffee I left in the other room, now if I could just remember which other room.





Wow I came in this one late.

Late??? There is no such thing as late well not here any way, Late is what I am every where else on the planet .




And on a kinda weird note that is also tied to someone posting about the emotional sensitivites...sometimes when they touch me i don't like the vibes that come with the touch.

The creepy skin crawlies where your skin feels like it is trying to crawl away from the person’s touch it self. I get the hair on end thing some times to.


I will admit I am not as sensitive as you and Michelle but I do have a certain amount of sensitivity in this area.





and perk up sometimes the same time the dog does

Lady dog picks up slighter faster than I do but I locate the direction of the sound faster than she does. We listen out for reach other.



So it runs between you two..and it runs between her and 'one' of her friends, too.

Kind of like one of those quantum connections. :)

Thank you Mead for the info. My intent is not to cause a ruckus, and my views tend to stir emotions and fantasies of a good lynching in most folks. So, apologies for all offended! :) Boy, did I clear a room! Mead, can you direct me to the proper area which I need to go to discuss such touchy subjects? Thanks, again...

Mead shakes head then bangs it briefly on computer desk ,to wake self up and reads again. Hmm if we could explain these occurrences umm they wouldn’t be supernatural would they?

Science is as limited as these squiggle lines we are using in an attempt to convey thoughts. The squiggly lines aren't our thought they merely represent them in a very limited way.

Even if the walking through wall dude did this in front of fifty scientist it would not be considered evidence unless he could do it again in front of more scientist Then it still would have to be peer reviewed by even more scientist that did not witness the event. Seems rather cumbersome it would be more efficient to simply walk through a wall leaving the scientist to doubt in their own confusion.


Science is a good thing as long as it never becomes the only thing or the every thing. It has it’s place as does the “supernatural” other wise known as the “mindful”.” Spiritual” (insert personal belief preference} , they just simply do not belong in the same place.









Reality is plural and control beyond self is an illusion however the only illusion is that there is no illusion,









Actually I see it a bit differently {thus plural realities level one} I would not talk about it because few if any would even believe me. There are a lot of people who become uncomfortable with the unexplainable and instead of dealing with their own fears they make fun of the person who had the experience. Dealing with realities and alternate realties can be difficult enough adding stupidity to the equation would be un-necessarily burdensome. (IMHO)







Can’t touch the spiritual stuff here even through it might be fun Using a spiritual approach would be against the rules I am supposed to be encouraging other to adhere to. The administration really frowns upon us doing that. Luckily I have done this debates often enough I don’t need to break any rules.

My presentation is simple because I am a simple person it goes like this

Science can’t ” prove” we exist so we merely believe we exist No one is for sure because we can’t objectively prove our existence scientifically.. Therefore we each create our own version of rreality I can not create your rrreality any more than you can disprove mine.


Okay all done with enlightenment do you feel any lighter yet? ;)

I feel the need for that cup of coffee I left in the other room, now if I could just remember which other room.







Late??? There is no such thing as late well not here any way, Late is what I am every where else on the planet .






The creepy skin crawlies where your skin feels like it is trying to crawl away from the person’s touch it self. I get the hair on end thing some times to.


I will admit I am not as sensitive as you and Michelle but I do have a certain amount of sensitivity in this area.







Lady dog picks up slighter faster than I do but I locate the direction of the sound faster than she does. We listen out for reach other.





Kind of like one of those quantum connections. :)


Better late than never then!

So it would be interesting to see if it's proven the "sensitive" senses thing is genetic, or an ADD trait...or both? Or hey seperate.

It would be kinda hard in our family, since we just discussed the fact Tams and I have some of the same sensitivities, and share them with other family members. Like something else I noticed is the sensitivity to "textures" that is shared by both Tam's and my middle son Darius, who are "a lot " alike somewhat like her daughter Michelle and I are.
It's not the actual taste of certain things that gets him, it's the texture. Should I say beans...peas and anything of that nature.
I too share the texture thing, but more of clothing ....some things I can't stand near me. The texture, or the way it sounds when I run across it. Makes my teeth hurt. LOL.

I like the discussion..would be interesting to pursue it more, if only I were on my Adderall today...LOL.

And yes Nova your point makes it more interesting that it runs in the ADD realm since we all seem to share some of the traits, yet are not genetically linked. Welcome to the "super hearing" sense family!

"super hearing"hmmm... ... (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=386613&postcount=99) ...

... ... {?} ... ...
.....Sight - Fire
.Hearing - Spirit
..Touch - Earth
..Taste - Water
.....Smell - Air
... ... {?} ... ...

Firstly, I apologise, I find the subject of sensitivity to sound, smell etc really interesting but I havent been able to read the whole thread, too long...... any way I too (have ADHD) am very sensitive to noise, supermarkets and busy places blow my mind, I become confused, agitated and anti people. I have good hearing but my partner, who has AS makes my hearing seem normal, some of the noises she hears