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Why does your nervous system register other people's pain and distress as your own? Why might your dentist make more mistakes when you are fearful? How does your dog know when you are unwell? Why does your heart rate synchronise with the person you are listening to? Another Self explains why we sometimes take on the physical, emotional, and even mental states of others. In this book-the first overview of somatic empathy-Dr Cindy Engel brings together research into social perception and interpersonal physiology to explain how and why our thoughts and feelings are not always entirely our own. New evidence reveals that this tendency to 'catch' others' emotional and physiological condition is not merely a quirk of sensitive individuals but a fundamental aspect of human intelligence: feeling with others is an ancient strategy reaching back into our evolutionary past enabling us to predict their intentions. Understanding how somatic empathy works and that it affects us without our knowing, enables us to sidestep the perils of taking on another self (vicarious harm, overwhelm, and burnout) while optimising our comprehension of ourselves and others.Be prepared to reassess your sense of self, your relationships, your occupation, and your choice of entertainment.
Info autore
Dr Cindy Engel is a rare combination of research biologist, author, and bodywork therapist - on a mission to understand the interplay of mind and body. As well as writing in peer-reviewed academic journals, she is the author of the definitive book on animal self-medication, 'Wild Health: how animals keep themselves well and what we might learn from them'. This book topped the prestigious Berkeley popular science list and is still popular and influential after 20 years in print. Her insights and expertise have led to interviews and articles being published in The New Scientist, The Financial Times Weekend, The Mail on Sunday, and The Ecologist. She was also the science consultant and a contributor for BBC Radio 4's series 'Murder, Magic & Medicine'. Cindy has been an Associate Lecturer at The Open University for over 30 years, and she lives and works in rural Suffolk, England.
