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: Being able to tell when someone is making eye contact is an important social skill, says psychologist Ilan Shrira from Lake Forest College. It helps us communicate and convey information, which could explain why the brain has evolved this important trick. That said, the ability to sense that we're being watched only applies if the watcher is somewhere within our overall vision. While we might be able to pick up on a direct gaze subconsciously, it all happens through our eyes - we don't have a second pair of invisible pair of eyes in the back of our heads. Several experiments have shown that we can't actually tell if someone is watching us from behind, even though it might sometimes feel like it. 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.