Title: Ever Feel Like You're Being Watched? It's Not Just You
Headings: Ever Feel Like You're Being Watched? It's Not Just You
Ever Feel Like You're Being Watched? It's Not Just You
Content: But science does have a few simple explanations for why you might sense that someone is watching you from behind, and turn round to see a face staring back at you. One possibility is that your observer has noticed you turning around, and looked up at you in return - so even though you're being watched, it's only because you've turned around. Another explanation is that some slight clue has alerted you to the presence of someone else. It could be a reflection within your line of vision, or a faint sound behind you - not necessarily a sixth sense, just the standard five. Perhaps we're also predisposed to assume that people are watching you, as a kind of defence mechanism, a 2013 study from the University of Sydney in Australia suggests. The study found that people tended to assume they were being watched if the visual cues weren't decisive - for example, if someone nearby was wearing dark glasses hiding their eyes. "So gaze perception doesn't only involve visual cues - our brains generate assumptions from our experiences and match them with what we see at a particular moment," explained University of Sydney psychologist, Colin Clifford. So the next time you're feeling paranoid, remember to look for clues before you decide that someone's really watching you through the shutters. And maybe lay off the horror films for a bit. H/T: