| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| art |
Posted - 04/21/2007 : 16:52:52
This is something that's bothered me for years..I'll be in the kitchen boiling water say, and one of my doggies will walk by. Immediately I get this terrible image of the little fellow being scalded. These mental pictures rise up our of nowhere, and they're quite painful to me. As it happens, my girlfriend suffers from the same kind of thing...
We're both pretty gentle people, utterly turned off by violence of any sort. I can't even stand violent movies, and have walked out of more than one....I thought I'd throw this out there and see how common this might be. I've an interest in psychology, and a strict Freudian might argue this is some sort of expression of inner rage, but that explanation just feels wrong.
Anyone had any experience with this kind of thing? |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| art |
Posted - 04/25/2007 : 06:27:14
quote:
tapes. One of them was dedicated solely to this topic, seeing disturbing images. It was said that this is actually a very common trait among ppl who suffer from anxiety. It is like a defense mechanism by distraction (sounds like tms!) & has too do with subconscious fears of losing control. the particular image that comes isn't where the meaning lies.... its all about the fear of lack of control in the world. having these thoughts does not mean these ppl are psychopaths... anymore than a mother with postpartum really wants to kill herself or her child. Its no wonder that ppl are ashamed to admit that they have scary thoughts like this if other ppl think they secretly want to do that stuff! as a HUGE dog lover... that comment literally made me sick!
shortcake,
I had precisely the same reaction...It seemed deliberatelty cruel and provocative, not to mention sleazy..at least in the way it was expressed...There are ways to say things. I've already given the alternative, Freudian view, as have a few others without being needlessly, almost leeringly violent.
The explanation you offer sounds just about right. I am an anxious/sensitive type and possibly my biggest issue has to do with a disturbing/frightening sense of my own smallness in the face of an uncaring universe...
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| shawnsmith |
Posted - 04/25/2007 : 06:24:33
quote:
Originally posted by shortcake
quote:
But possibly something deep inside you - that you are unaware of- would love to boil that dog with scalding hot water.
That is a REALLY ****'d up & sick thing to say...
I agree, but then again the unconscious is a REALLY ****'d up & sick place from the vantage point of our conscious awareness. We would not be aware of such an emotion as it is so repuslive and horrid. The unconscious is filled with blind, irrational rage which has no concern for anyone else in the least. This is a sad reality but once we come to terms with the fact that we have at least two separate reactions to things - conscious and unconscious - we will understand more fully what is taking place inside of us and the nature of these wild and crazy images that keep popping up in our dreams.
*************
Sarno-ize it!
************* |
| Singer_Artist |
Posted - 04/24/2007 : 22:48:44
I would die for my dog or any animal for that matter, if it meant saving their life..I have been put to the test with this and did exactly that..ran in front of a car, etc..Chased and lost rottweiler who could have bitten me, etc..I may get flack for saying this but i love animals more then people...(that doesn't include loved ones, friends, etc..I love them the same as my dogs, for example..)Animals, especially dogs have unconditional love and loyalty down..There is sooo much more to them then we can understand..They have risked their lives to help humans..Even a pig saved a woman once, true story..makes you think twice about eating pork..what a world..I couldn't even read the thing about torturing the dog,,i started and stopped quickly..To me, there is no greater crime..Hurting innocent children and the elderly of course is horrendous as well..We live in such a harsh world.. |
| art |
Posted - 04/24/2007 : 20:40:43
quote:
Just fishing here.......
I'd sooner hurt myself than my dog.
quote:
I know someone from my hometown who did that to a dog once and she is the nicest person one could ever meet.
Not sure what your definition of "nice" is, but it's not a word I'd associate with something so twisted.
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| alexis |
Posted - 04/24/2007 : 19:49:32
I think there are a lot of explanations, not all of them involving Freudian type analysis of the subconscious. Like a couple of people have said, maybe it's a protective instinct or maybe relatively random neural firings or maybe it's worry about all these thing that perpetuates this. But like the study I read pointed out, it's normal.
I actually toned down what the study said...I believe they found that the women actually had frightening images of themselves involved in the harm of their own babies. And they were all totally freaked out because they thought it wasn't normal. Even though it was.
But for any doctor to tell someone that it is because they "really" wanted to hurt the baby is a leap that isn't justified at this point. Maybe the doctor wants to believe that based on his or her own conscious desire to hurt their children...the doctor, like everyone else, may want to feel normal with emotions of which they are ashamed. I'm wildly guessing here because clearly this kind of statement isn't based on any real evidence about the mother.
No one could possibly know with the amount of research out there. The brain is complicated and neural paths are shared by several processes. Thinking one thing can trigger many other things. We just don't know at this point. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 04/24/2007 : 18:05:28
quote:
Originally posted by art
We're both pretty gentle people, utterly turned off by violence of any sort.
Ok, that is what you tell yourself consciously as to admit otherwise would be socially unacceptable, embarassing and personally tramatic. But possibly something deep inside you - that you are unaware of- would love to boil that dog with scalding hot water. I know someone from my hometown who did that to a dog once and she is the nicest person one could ever meet.
Another alternative explanation is that in your past you or someone you know experienced a tramatic accident involving hot water or the stove.
Just fishing here.......
*************
Sarno-ize it!
************* |
| Penny |
Posted - 04/24/2007 : 17:06:28
I had some scary thoughts post-partum, thru/out the first several months after my daughter was born. Talked about this with my psychoT b/c it always bothered me that I could visualize something in such opposition to my intentions. He made me feel like it was "normal" and attributed it to my subconscious/unconscious, and possible IC feelings of resent about going from the near-carefree experience of life without a child, to then being mandated to care for a child 24/7, be food source, and primary caregiver. I don't get these anymore, but I sometimes have disturbing dream-like visions when I'm falling or awakening from sleep.
>|< Penn |
| Shary |
Posted - 04/23/2007 : 11:01:49
I've had a lot of this happen over the years. I don't think it's abnormal, but I do think some people have more of a problem with it than others. It probably goes hand-in-hand with a TMS-prone, worrywart personality. |
| LitaM |
Posted - 04/23/2007 : 05:13:35
I get them too. I just thought that I was a little crazy. It is a great relief that others have them also. OH, I hope that we aren't all crazy, just kidding. I sometimes believe that it is also linked to worry. I tend to think that the worst will always happen. I had some hard childhood experiences. Nice to have a safe place to share such feelings.
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| Singer_Artist |
Posted - 04/22/2007 : 23:28:34
I have had disturbing images flash into my head too...especially regarding my dog kids...I think it is because i love them so much and it is like an extreme fear rising to the surface..Probably part of just being human.. |
| skizzik |
Posted - 04/22/2007 : 11:56:14
yes, w/ my kids all the time. Reminds me to push the pots to the back of the stove. Perhaps in this case, just mind using fear as a tool for prevention purposes, not so much TMS.
When I work a lot of overtime, and away from the kids, I suppose horrific thoughts of my kids can get chronic from time to time and could be a manifistation of TMS. hmmmm |
| art |
Posted - 04/22/2007 : 09:13:08
That's true alexis, that worrying about it is a problem in and of itself. I kind of have to grit my teeth and force myself not to have these images, or once they start, to immediately stop them..That's interesting, that the theme of babies and pets seems to be some sort of key...littlebird mentioned that maybe the common denominator is that this tends to happen in the presence of creatures that are dependent on us for care..Maybe it's some sort of instintive nurturant/protective thing gone into overdrive... |
| alexis |
Posted - 04/22/2007 : 08:40:37
I think this is relatively normal and likely exacerbated by your worry about it (sound familiar?). I read once, for example, that new mothers usually have horrific visions about their small babies (having their toes and fingers cut off etc.) but that it is much worse because no one tells them it is normal. When they know it is normal it decreases along with the stress.
Yes, there are real deadly illnesses with pain symptoms, real insomniac diseases and real horrific delusional thinking. But all these conditions (pain, waking at night, having flashes of unpleasant images) are normal in small amounts and one's worry that they are not normal is the real problem. |
| Woodchuck |
Posted - 04/21/2007 : 21:25:34
quote:
Originally posted by art
Anyone had any experience with this kind of thing?
Not quite like that. Once in awhile I will have a mental image flash of my 85 yo mother falling down a flight of stairs or getting in a car wreck. But, maybe it's a good thing to keep one aware to always be careful and remind others to do so. But, the images are disturbing for sure!
Woodchuck |
| Littlebird |
Posted - 04/21/2007 : 20:51:46
I have the same experience, awful images that flash into my mind involving my children and pets, but I have no idea what causes it. It used to be awful for me to heat bottles for my baby, because that would trigger those types of images. Fortunately, he decided he liked his formula cold anyway, because he didn't want to wait for the bottle to warm up on the stove (in a pan of water--pre-microwave days). I've noticed it seems to always involve someone or something that's dependent on me for care, so I don't know if that has anything to do with the underlying cause or not. |
