Paranoia Pervasive, Study Finds
By Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 02 April 2008 08:15 am ET
Paranoia is far more pervasive in the general population than anyone was willing to admit, a new study finds. Mumbling and furtive glances seem to be everywhere.
In our daily interactions with others, we pick up on facial and other cues that help us judge whether or not to trust another person. These judgments, however, are error-prone and can lead to exaggerated or unfounded fears about threats from others. These paranoid thoughts can range from thinking strangers are looking at you critically, or that others are spreading nasty rumors about you, to the feeling that others are deliberately trying to harm you in some way.
"Paranoid thoughts are often triggered by ambiguous events, such as people looking in one's direction or hearing laughter in a room," said lead researcher Daniel Freeman, Wellcome Trust researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.
This phenomenon can be tricky to study, Freeman said, because it's difficult to recreate such social interactions in the lab. "Virtual reality allows us to do just that, to look at how different people interpret exactly the same social situation," he said.
Freeman and his colleagues equipped 200 volunteers with virtual reality headsets. The volunteers stepped into a virtual London underground subway, where they walked around during the four-minute trip between stations. Scattered throughout the train car were avatars that breathed, looked around and sometimes met a participant's gaze. One avatar read a newspaper and another occasionally smiled if looked at.
The participants reacted differently to the same avatars. While the volunteers most commonly perceived the virtual train riders as friendly or neutral, nearly 40 percent of participants reported at least one paranoid thought.
"It is an excellent example of the importance of interpretation," Freeman told LiveScience. "Two people can see the same things but draw completely opposite conclusions."
For instance, one participant said, "There was a guy spooking me out – tried to get away from him. Didn’t like his face. I’m sure he looked at me more than a couple of times though might be imagining it."
One woman reported, "Felt trapped between two men in the doorway. As a woman I’m a lot more suspicious of men. Didn’t like the close proximity of the men. The guy opposite may have had sexual intent, manipulation or whatever."
Another participant reported perhaps a more threatening fear: "There’s something dodgy about one guy. Like he was about to do something — assault someone, plant a bomb, say something not nice to me, be aggressive."
The researchers also evaluated the volunteers before entering the virtual train car. Those who were anxious or worried or worst-case scenarios painters or had low self-esteem were most likely to report paranoid thoughts.
The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, will be detailed in the April 1 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Mark Chiang
04-03-2008, 09:35 AM
"Mental wounds not healing
Who and whats to blame?
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train"
shellebelle
04-03-2008, 06:30 PM
So tell me Zeno what does this mean to you? How do you apply it to you and your life?
zeno wrote something about you in a private email to me but I forget what is was.....I'm so nervous these days I can't remember anything.....shivering a bit here....did this room suddenly get colder??????????????????????????
Zeno Swijtink
04-03-2008, 11:17 PM
So tell me Zeno what does this mean to you? How do you apply it to you and your life?
One thing we started talking about here on Nelson Way was: what's the opposite of paranoia?
One idea we came up with: nero-fiddling-while-rome-is-burning.
You want to avoid both. It's a challenge with all these wi-fi signals around!
shellebelle
04-04-2008, 04:28 AM
ROFLMAO
Ahhhh short circuits from the college wifi huh Zeno? Explains so maaaaany things! :wink: Wonder if its covered under workmans comp? :hmmm:
Ahhh I love it when you post things that are so seemingly about self! Gets me chuckling every time! :rofl::rofl2::hilarious:
One thing we started talking about here on Nelson Way was: what's the opposite of paranoia?
One idea we came up with: nero-fiddling-while-rome-is-burning.
You want to avoid both. It's a challenge with all these wi-fi signals around!
MsTerry
04-04-2008, 09:03 AM
HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS ARE IN ON THIS?!!?!?!?!
AND WHO OWNS THAT BLACK SUBARA PARKED OUTSIDE MY HOUSE AT NIGHT???
zeno wrote something about you in a private email to me but I forget what is was.....I'm so nervous these days I can't remember anything.....shivering a bit here....did this room suddenly get colder??????????????????????????
decterlove
04-15-2008, 08:35 PM
I meant to mention this....there's a book called pronoia.....plus
One thing we started talking about here on Nelson Way was: what's the opposite of paranoia?
One idea we came up with: nero-fiddling-while-rome-is-burning.
You want to avoid both. It's a challenge with all these wi-fi signals around!
MsTerry
04-15-2008, 09:19 PM
I meant to mention this....there's a book called pronoia.....plus
https://www.pronoia.net/
Is this where you got the invisible ink?
charrer
04-16-2008, 10:48 AM
Here is a video related to the subject. It made me laugh. I hope that does not make me a bad, insensitive person...
https://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_is_the_government
decterlove
04-16-2008, 02:25 PM
why are you posting such silly tripe, lately, Ms.Terry? I know you are capable of better. I think you're just paranoid that I put you on my ignore list. Rest assured, I still look forward to reading your posts like I do the rest of the regular Waccobians. I got it at The Invisible Ink Store, where else?
Is this where you got the invisible ink?
mykil
04-16-2008, 03:56 PM
You know I read this a while back and thought to myself how right on the money it was. When I was a child growing up on the street surrounded by drugs and violence, I was never paranoid. Everyone knew one another and what their main capabilities where in life and what to expect. Now adayz I believe the whole concept is completely different. I had to quit doing drugs for fear of going to prison with all the undercover police. I have to be prepared at any given moment to defend myself form a drug addict wanting to get their hands on my loot. I have to be prepared to go to battle just driving home and to work every moment in time cause of the crazy really bad moody drivers on the roads today. I have to really watch out for the little ole ladies that really want to kidnap my ass and turn me into a sex slave. I mean there is real concerns for ones safety in this lifetime way more than thirty years ago. All I am saying is a tad bit of paranoia is not all that far fetched and if you aren’t a little paranoid you aren’t paying attention!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
"Mad" Miles
04-16-2008, 05:40 PM
Just to state the obvious:
Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you!
"Paranoia strikes deep, what a field day for the Heat."
"Mad" Miles
:burngrnbounce:
decterlove
04-16-2008, 10:23 PM
I totally agree, Miles! Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get y....omigod, they're at the window now!!!! just like I dreamed about last night! HELP! HELP!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ps....I'm having waaaaaaaay too much fun with these font colors....sumbody stop me!!!! I can't stop myself!!!!!!!!!!!!help!
Lorrie
04-17-2008, 09:53 AM
I second that.... SOMEBODY STOP HIM!!!:wink:
I totally agree, Miles! Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get y....omigod, they're at the window now!!!! just like I dreamed about last night! HELP! HELP!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ps....I'm having waaaaaaaay too much fun with these font colors....sumbody stop me!!!! I can't stop myself!!!!!!!!!!!!help!
Braggi
04-17-2008, 10:36 AM
I second that.... SOMEBODY STOP HIM!!!:wink:
I've wanted to reply to this thread, but I'm too scared.
-Jeff
shellebelle
04-17-2008, 10:51 AM
:heart: Come sit on my lap!
I'll hold you!
Keep you safe from that mean old Doug and his snakes! :wink:
I've wanted to reply to this thread, but I'm too scared.
-Jeff
decterlove
04-18-2008, 10:39 AM
A DARK AND SHADOWY DATE
It wasn't like we were cheating on anybody. She had a kid and I had pets. There were no other love interests in our lives. At least, that she copped to.
But we were both feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing. Mostly about being seen by people we might know that evening. She was a real punk rocker type, in her late thirties but still with the white makeup, the silver rings piercing every square inch of her anatomy, purple lipstick, leather collar with chrome spikes, and the black spiky hair. I'm a fairly middle of the road guy almost even voted Republican in one election. Collars I'd been around. I don't mind 'em. But the whole nose ring thing, I figured I'd rather my high end business associates who frequently dined out in that little sleepy town just not find out about. And I was dressed like a yuppie that evening and had a nose bleed to boot that she was a little embarrassed by.
So we kept to the shadows. I parked way down on E street, past the library, the post office and we kinda slinked down the block staying on the dark side of the street that offered the most shadow under big old Maple trees----great for cover in the twilight of a warm summer evening. We froze whenever a car's headlights turned down the avenue and pressed up against a thick tree trunk whenever one was available, otherwise, ducking down below the roof line of one of the many SUV's that lined that street, like cows at a feed trough.
As we approached an alley that sliced across the downtown business area like a switchblade through Blue Imperial Margarine, I pulled her over to me and suggested, "Let's put up with the stink, honey."
We walked softly and quietly down the dark and smelly back alley and kept our eyes open for stargazers that might be leaning out the second story windows looking for dippers. Who knows? She might know someone that would rent a place above a Chinese restaurant. I know I didn't.
When we reached the main intersection, where most of the downtown business were compressed together like a bunch a sardines in a money tin, I said to her in a terse voice, "Let's keep going okay?"
She nodded quickly and pulled me out into the street and we bolted across as traffic lurched in our direction from the intersection on our right. I skipped a little. It was fun to run.
We kept running as we crossed the curb and even sped up a little until we reached the shadows again this time on the far side of a drive in banks' parking lot. We slowed to a half drunken stumble and begin laughing at ourselves and each other. She started laughing first.
Once our soft, contained laughter quieted down, I asked her, "You really don't want to be seen with me, do you?"
She replied good naturedly, "No. I don't!"
And I affirmed nasally, leaning over trying and pressing a large wad of tissue up into my nose trying to squelch the blood now spurting again from the rush of physical exercise, "And I don't want to be seen with you."
I waited a moment and inquired, "How are we gonna get something to eat, Betty?"
"Well," she replied coyly, "You're the big shot businessman, you figure it out."
"I don't know, honey. Are you actually hungry at all?"
"Yes, I could definitely eat something."
"Well, there's a gas station up their on the corner. I could go in and get something for both of us while you wait across the street. How's that sound?
"That's chill. Get us some grub, big guy."
So we looped around through the neighborhood and circled back towards the big bright Shell station on the corner. I had her sit down on a low rock wall in front of a funky old Victorian that offered plenty of shade. Didn't smell too good though. Musta had a lot of dogs in the yard but they were inside, quiet now, and the spot did offer a lot of non-gentile privacy.
I leaned my thumb into the little metal button and waited for the little white man to come on and tell me it was o.k. to cross. I walked across the wide boulevard at a moderate pace trying not to attract any attention. Cars pulled up on either side of the crosswalks but they didn't know me from Jesus. I was just some business man. A man in grey. Actually I was dressed casually in jeans and a salmon pin striped short sleeved shirt that evening but I imagined myself in a grey flannel suit with a suitcase in my left hand.
I avoided a car pulling out all tanked up with dinojuice now, heading out somewhere in the cool evening. Probably somewhere with people I guessed. Not for me. I'd rather keep it a nice little private party just for the two of us tonight I reminded myself.
I entered through the glass door and avoided eye contact with the clerk behind the counter, edging my way over to the small deli case in the far right side of the small brightly lit room. I spied the three or four sandwiches that were left at the end of a long workday and was thankful to find a turkey and cheese. I don't like buying roast beef at a joint like this. Don't trust it. I grabbed a tuna fish for Betty. And a Power Bar. And a small Sprite, and a 24 ounce Classic Coke for myself. A coupla bags of corn chips. One Barbeque, one Tequila Lime. And a Peppermint Patty.
A Hagen-Daz bar. No, better make that two. Can't eat ice cream in front of another person. It just isn't done. Unless you wanted to get knifed or shot or something, and wind up a dead stiff at the morgue. One for me, and one for the little honey outside across the street. I bought a lighter too. She smoked. I figured she could always use an extra lighter, and might show me a little appreciation at the end of evening for my thoughtful generosity. I spied some gum. Wintergreen. No, not Wintergreen. Let's go for Ice. No, not Ice. Just stick to Peppermint. Can't go wrong with Peppermint. Besides it'll go with the Patty. And the ice cream bars. They were Mint Chocolate Chip. I like to coordinate my snacks and sorta create a theme for them. Flavor of the day sorta deal. Tonight was mint.
Better check out now, I thought, thinking that the ice cream bars might start to melt by the time we got through the sandwiches. Wonder if she'd like a National Enquirer. Nah, cheap rag. Who cares about Brittany anyway. Maybe a banana. Eh, bananas are too expensive in a roadhouse like this.
Clerk rang me up, or scanned me technically. I guess nobody uses a cash register anymore. Or maybe some do. In some places of the world. Maybe in the Third World. Nah, they got no money to ring up in the Third World, I thought to myself. They must have money though. Everybody's gotta buy stuff. A businessman ought to know that. I need some food. I think I'm getting low blood sugar. Better grab some napkins in case my nose bleeds again.
I carried the large paper bag carefully across the street again after the little white man flashed me across. Got to her a little out of breath and said, "Here honey, wanna start with a sandwich? She took the turkey. Damn. I divided up all the rest of the stuff and put some of it down on the sidewalk in front of us. She was impressed and even tried to say something with a mouthful of food but I'm not sure what she said. I liked her though. I really liked this woman. Really.
We finished up in about 20 minutes. I stood up and asked her, "Wanna head back?"
She nodded her head yes, mouth still full munching the last of a Mint Chocolate Chip Power Bar. We got up and packed all the wrappers and bottles and stuff back into the paper bag dropping it off coolly in a big concrete trash can as we approached the corner again.
We crossed back over the main well lit boulevard this time almost nonchalantly, emboldened by our sustenance, pushing the edge a little, almost daring discovery. We made it down the brighter side of the street though without apparent incident but turned right back into the dark alley again, not wanting to be reckless. We walked through the dank alley silently, holding hands, satisfied with life for a few fleeting moments, and enjoying the contrast of our full bellies satiated with industrialized food and the cool night air.
When we got back to my beamer, I opened the door for her and she plunked herself in a little girlishly. We spoke little on the drive back either but I kissed her at her door and we languished for a moment. In the dark shadows of course. It was a great date. She didn't invite me in though and I never saw her again after that.