A Boston neurologist apparently possesses a rare condition that is both a blessing and a curse for his profession. Dr. Joel Salinas of Massachusetts General Hospital has mirror-touch synesthesia, meaning when he looks at someone having a physical sensation he is able to experience a similar feeling. While he does not feel the same amount of pain as someone he’s observing, Dr. Salinas claims to experience a sort of uneasiness in the same part of the body as the person he sees.
He first became aware of the condition as a child when he would watch someone get hugged or hit and feel his body being touched in a similar way. The sensations became more significant in medical school. Dr. Salinas said, “I remember one patient who unfortunately had an amputation of the arm from an accident and I remember feeling as though my arm was dismembered and I could feel the blood.” But, he believes the…
