There are many ways to define a phenomenon. In this case, we will define it in terms of ten unique human abilities that we still cannot scientifically explain.
We all know they exist, and most of us have experienced them in our lives. They are present globally, across cultures, and throughout history. While some of these abilities are very subtle, others might seem to a skeptic to be impossible.
There have been plenty of theories put forward by scientists, but none of them has been completely satisfactory. These unique human traits serve as reminders of how infinite and complex our experiences as human beings can be.
1. Intuition
Intuition is instinctively knowing something without using logical reasoning. It is sometimes called “gut feeling.” Intuitive information is known suddenly and forcefully.
Most of the time, intuition is correct before you can justify it with facts or evidence. Scientists have studied how humans have developed pattern recognition and how we process information subconsciously.
There are many different types of intuition, but we often experience intuition that goes beyond known forms of thought.
It gives us instant knowledge before we experience danger/threat, and it is never scientifically explained how or why this happens. Intuition cannot be easily measured or predicted; however, many people rely upon it at some level every day.
2. The Placebo Effect
The placebo effect demonstrates how strong your belief can be in determining what happens in your body. For example, many people experience improvements in their health after taking a sugar pill (fake medicine) because they believe they will get better.
This improvement in health results from lesser pain or reduced symptoms, too. Scientists know a fragment of how the placebo effect works, but not all. How your belief results in physical changes is not entirely understood.
The mind can influence the body in incredible ways. The chemicals in your body change when you have expectations of something happening (the placebo effect).
3. Déjà Vu
Déjà vu (the sense of having already experienced an event) is sudden, transient, and not fully explained by scientists as being caused by memory or timing problems of the brain.
Yet there is still something magical about this feeling when you experience it emotionally. This type of experience will happen to you out of nowhere and will occupy your brain for a few moments.
Déjà vu cannot be predicted, but the experience is still a great mystery, and recreating it in experimental settings has proven elusive thus far.
4. Extreme Memory Recall
Some individuals can recall large amounts of information easily. Some can remember things in detail that happened years ago.
Some people can remember entire dates, words from conversations, or even photos, and there is no known reason for why this happens, even though memory scientists have spent time exploring these phenomena.
There are many aspects of our brains (like the capacity to remember) that differ widely, and while people can develop their memory through training, there will always be inconsistencies between individuals’ abilities to recall what they have learned or practiced.
Hence, our memory ability is affected by many factors other than simple practice.
5. Emotional Contagion
Emotional contagion is a process in which one person’s emotion can transfer to another without using words. That can occur between strangers, too.
Research on mirror neurons is helping scientists understand this phenomenon; however, the process of transferring emotion has to do with something more than mirror neurons.
Some people can absorb other people’s feelings very well. This ability to absorb feelings can affect a person’s mood, health, and overall behavior.
Emotional transmission may be much deeper than the conscious awareness of the person receiving the emotion. Emotional energy may also go beyond the boundaries of our conscious awareness.
6. Pain Tolerance Variations
Everyone experiences pain differently; some people can cope with more intense pain, while others feel discomfort more acutely than others.
While scientists are looking at the sensitivity of the nerves and the psychological aspect of pain, there has not been a complete answer.
Our cultural, emotional, and mental experiences play a role in how we respond to pain.
Some people have been able to overcome their pain through concentration or their belief system; this demonstrates the interaction between the mind and body. Pain is a very personal experience, and we still do not have a complete understanding of it.
7. Sudden Strength in Emergencies
Sometimes people display an extraordinary amount of strength in emergencies. There are many accounts of people being able to lift huge things and do amazing physical things while in distress.
Scientists have found that this is due to the release of adrenaline from the body, but this doesn’t explain all of the evidence. The way the body works implies that we have a greater potential than one normally expects from our bodies.
This points to the fact that humans may possess a greater amount of strength than is commonly known to be possible.
8. Creativity and Inspiration
Creativity frequently comes in a spontaneous way. New ideas appear on their own; artists describe their experience as having a ‘flow’ of inspiration that runs through them.
Scientists try to understand creativity through experimenting with lab tests measuring brain activity, but creativity is impossible to predict. Some ideas come while sleeping or while daydreaming.
Attempting to force an idea out of your mind will not typically result in success. Creativity links together imagination, emotion, and memory; therefore, it feels more intuitive than mechanical.
This state of the human mind continues to be an unknown aspect of humanity.
9. Time Perception Changes
In dangerous situations, time seems to pass more slowly than it does during happy times.
While researchers and scientists can study brain processing speed, very little is known about how subjective the changes in time perception are, how one’s current mood can alter their awareness of time, and the fact that the brain, as it creates the experience, influences the way that an individual recalls an event and the experience associated with it.
Time perception is always changing and is ultimately based on the individual.
10. Human Resilience
Recovery from trauma is known as resilience. Some rebuild fast after losses or hardships; others find it difficult to do so. Scientists have studied how people cope, but resilience appears to have a lot of variety.
Emotional strength appears to be something internal, while belief, purpose, and the presence of others can greatly help.
People appear to have an inner strength when recovering from trauma, often surprising themselves with how much they can take. Resilience remains difficult to estimate and predict.
Born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ever since I was a little girl, my imagination knew no bounds. I remember vividly how I’d scribble down short stories, each page bursting with adventures and characters conjured up from the whimsy of my mind. These stories weren’t just for me; they were my way of connecting with my friends, offering them a slice of my fantasy world during our playtimes. The joy and excitement on their faces as we dived into my fictional realms motivated me to keep writing. This early passion for storytelling naturally evolved into my pursuit of writing, turning a childhood hobby into a fulfilling career.