9 Brain Disorders That Completely Warp Your Reality

9. Mirror-Touch Synaesthesia: Touched By Phantom Hands

It can sometimes be difficult to put yourself in someone else's shoes, but for those with the rare condition known as mirror-touch-synaesthesia, it's unavoidable.

One woman described the feeling the sensation of being hugged, whilst simply watching someone else receive a hug. She also reported that she can't watch other people eat, as it makes her feel as though an invisible entity is shoving food into her mouth, which is as creepy as it is intriguing.

A study into the bizarre condition compared the brain activity of the mirror-touch synesthete to a control group and found that she had massively increased activity in three different parts of her brain involved in processing sensory information, self-awareness and, crucially, an understanding of the actions of others.

This is basically phantom limb syndrome, but the phantom limbs belong to someone else. And they're touching you. All the time. *shudder*