I'm going mental right?

September 30, 2005 9:33 AM

Am I going mental, or is my body making it's self symmetrical?

Since my teens, whenever I got a spot on one side of my face, a day later another would appear in the exact same place on the opposite side. Looking in the mirror this morning I noticed that I also have very symmetrical moles.

It's also noticeable when I get a spot on my shoulder, as they are almost perfectly symmetrical.

Sometimes if its just a red mark instead, but it's always in the same place, but opposite, and with no apparent cause

Sorry for all the spot talk, and sounding crazy, but I'm really starting to get freaked, and interested by what my body is doing.

(other freaky stuff worth noticing, is that if I cut myself and see the blood, I instantly taste that copper taste)

Is there any kind of explanation for this?

posted by lemonfridge to health & fitness (15 comments total)

I notice the symmetry in blemishes too. I have no idea why it happens, but thanks for reminding me of what I was going to use my AskMe question for.
posted by odinsdream at 9:39 AM on September 30, 2005

For the blood-copper: synesthesia.
posted by Kickstart70 at 9:42 AM on September 30, 2005

"Itself."

Sorry. English major.
posted by ruddhist at 9:44 AM on September 30, 2005

yes on the mental thing.
posted by ewkpates at 9:44 AM on September 30, 2005

I haven't heard of your particular situation, but Survival of the Prettiest discusses a variety of ways in which the body makes itself more symmetrical with the apparently goal of increasing reproductive effectiveness (i.e. getting laid). For example, the symettry of women's earlobes increases around the time of ovulation. There were several other examples cited in the book.
posted by alms at 9:47 AM on September 30, 2005

Yes, if you taste copper, you are definitely going metal.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:31 AM on September 30, 2005

I suspect that what's happening here is that you notice instances of symmetry and don't notice instances of asymmetry. If you get a blemish one day and a symmetrical one the next, it makes a big impression on you. If you get a blemish one day and don't get a symmetrical one the next, you just don't notice. Or you don't notice the first at all until the second one shows up. There's a term for this phenomenon, but I don't remember what it is.
posted by anapestic at 10:56 AM on September 30, 2005

I don't think the blemish thing is too surprising really. The skin has the same characteristics on both sides in similar places, and it's responsive to the same systemic changes (hormones, etc.)

I believe in medicine they consider anything you have two of and one of them goes bad, they expect the other one to give you trouble eventually.

My kid has synesthesia; we used to amuse ourselves by asking what color a certain number was, and she could tell you.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 11:04 AM on September 30, 2005

unrepentanthippie:

With all due respect, I have to be skeptical. When I was kid I could explain the personal relationships between all the numbers and letters. For example, 9 and 7 were buddies, but 8 was kinda always feeling left out. Oh, and 4 was female with a crush on 7. Did this mean anything? Only that I was creative and imaginative as kids are. The fact that your kid can see numbers as colors is not sufficient evidence of synethesia, IMHO. But, it is very adorable.
posted by letterneversent at 11:38 AM on September 30, 2005

I've noticed the same thing, pimple-wise, many times.
posted by shoos at 11:44 AM on September 30, 2005

Someone with synesthesia will actualy be able to see the 'color' of a letter or number even if it's flashed to quickly for them to 'read'. I don't think synesthesia would cause you to taste blood just by seeing it.
posted by delmoi at 11:46 AM on September 30, 2005

letterneversent:

The kid is now 37, and she still can tell you what color each number is, although she never reported any relationships between the numbers, just the colors.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 1:13 PM on September 30, 2005

Do Brits ever say "zits" instead of "spots"? Just curious.
/derail (+ apologies)
posted by kimota at 3:24 PM on September 30, 2005

delmoi: while i won't say that it necessarily fits the symptoms here, synesthesia comes in many different flavors. See, "The Man Who Tasted Shapes." The essay mentioned in the title is about a man who would cook based on making a recipe "round" or "pointed." Another common version is seeing colors or shapes associated with specific noises.
posted by whatzit at 3:39 PM on September 30, 2005

Wouldn't it make some sense if the body tried to retain its essential symmetry over time? I've noticed symmetrical spots too, and the occasional asymmetrical one as well. Symmetry is a basic feature of the human design (sorry, I'm too lazy to think of a better word); apart from our internal organs, we're pretty darn bilaterally symmetrical. It might be that overdevelopment of one side could make you less fit in an evolutionary sense than a less well-developed but symmetrical critter.
Calling Rupert Sheldrake...
posted by sneebler at 9:38 PM on September 30, 2005