social mirroring – Kitty meets Lion

Is it possible that Sociopaths (and Asperger’s and “APD” and even psychopaths) are scientifically the happiest individuals in society?? The mesolimbic pathway, sometimes referred to as the reward pathway, is a dopaminergic pathway in the brain. Sociopaths tend to experience super sensitivity so it is quite easy for them to reach an ecstasy based on external stimulus, food, music or imagery. Is this ability to self-induce ecstasy due to a socio’s dopamine levels taking them on a trip? Or is it merely a one more side benefit of the large degree of control that Sociopaths have over their mind and emotions? Autism has also been linked with excessive amounts of dopamine in the brain and these behaviours are minimized with dopamine inhibitors. If sociopathy is on the autism spectrum, along with Asperger syndrome, then sociopaths may also have elevated amounts of dopamine, although not high enough to hamper social functioning.

It seems that Sociopaths (and all mentioned above) appear to have a obsession with reward — to the “dangling carrot” — so much so that it overrules all sense of risk or concern about the “stick.” It’s not just that they don’t appreciate the potential threat, but the anticipation or motivation for reward trumps those concerns. This hyper-reactive dopamine reward system might very well be the foundation for some of the most problematic behaviours associated with sociopathy, such as violence, substance abuse, reckless sex, stealing and deceit. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the LACKING skills (i.e. fear, empathy, interpersonal skills) that shape a sociopath, but rather their ABUNDANCE of impulsivity, heightened attraction to rewards and risk taking.

From what I have studied from sociopaths (and “APD”) in the past few years (and recently been in a romantic relationship with one), I can predict the rationale behind their actions. They say these things and embody these behaviours:

“Why be physically abusive? It’s far too easy and predictable…. I need more of a challenge. More “fun”. Anyone can physically FORCE someone do something… But oh… now manipulating them into WANTING to do it…. far, far more satisfying.”
They have the fake accent. A soft British/Yorkshire blended accent seems to instantly set people at ease. “He’s just a sweet boy.” Hear the consonants roll off his tongue. Is this fake accent due to “chameleon” abilities or is there some other underlying mental process that causes a change in speech?
The “sharp tooth”. Wow. Such precision, on the mark. Likely due to “sensation seeking”. They live their lives constantly searching for some sort of stimulation, so for a brief moment they can have “peace”, “Feel”……”Normal”?
Confessions of a Sociopath: “I have delved into BDSM for quite a while now. Yes, surprise-surprise, I’m a Dom. Choking, pain, asphyxiation; all can certainly be “fun”. Knives are “fun” as well.”
Socio says, “I’ve had two stalkers in the last 8 years who didn’t take kindly to me just cutting them from my life. Of course what really happened was I got bored, manipulated them into going bat-shit crazy and doing things there was no coming back from. That cost/benefit graph can be a bitch sometimes. Mostly for others. But oh well…. I don’t care.”
In this violent and sarcastic day and age, I rather just speak the truth now…. At worst, I have a slightly “off” or “dark” brand of humor. People think I’m joking. “What are you thinking?”, she asks. “I’m imagining what kind of noises you’d make if I held you down and carved a chunk out of your shapely ass.” She laughs. ….. I was telling the truth….

One of the most powerful manipulation tactics a Sociopath uses are “tells” about who they really are. They master in playing mind games with others and can easily confuse their targets by these “tells”. There are 3 forms of these “tells”:

1 – projections

2 – truthful remarks

3 – statements that are the exact of the truth.
Projection
When sociopaths project, they are giving their targets camouflaged clues. They talk about how other people cheat or lie or hurt others, as if they abhor such behavior, when in fact they are describing themselves. And during the devalue phase of their “relationships,” they often project this negativity on to their targets, in an effort to make their victims doubt themselves. It also has the effect of making targets feel as if they are going crazy.

The Truth
Sociopaths tell their targets exactly who they are, but they do it in such a way that it is impossible for victims to understand the consequences of the horrible statements. Targets might hear comments like, “You shouldn’t be with me” or “I’ve never had a good relationship” or “I wanted to hurt someone.” Sociopaths turn these declarations into pity plays and feel secretly justified in exploiting victims when they do not realize the statements are real.

The Opposite of the Truth
Sociopaths convince their targets that they will never lie or cheat and that they love them so much. They also promise that they will never do anything to hurt their victims. They regularly mislead targets by making claims that are precisely the opposite of the truth.

“It isn’t true that sociopaths never change…. They change their mask and their target.”

So then how do I find myself to be my safest, most secure and happiest around him??? Am I stuck in these “tells” too? Does he know what he does to me? Or is this my fate? To be another forgotten game. Another quest…. Shhhhhh, don’t tell me…. let me ride this wave in oblivion…. Nothing matters….. I’m stuck in this web…. Oh darling, spin me your silver cocoon…

Much love,

Kitty xxx

Yawns…. they are an universal phenomenon called “contagious yawning”. Studied have proven that yawning is so contagious that you don’t even need to see another person yawn – merely the sight of a wide-open mouth is enough of a trigger. It was once thought that the purpose of yawning was to oxygenate the body… But recent studies have shown that yawning is a form of social mirroring that serves to create a rapport with others and to avoid aggression (these behavioural patterns have been observed in chimpanzees).

Yawning when others yawn is believed to be a gesture of empathy and a type of social bonding. Children generally only develop this inherent habit around the age of four. Autistic children are half as likely to catch yawns and in some cases, they never do. Is an inability to yawn result in someone missing out on that unconscious emotional linkage to those around them?

“A yawn is a social bonding process… The roots of empathy.”

Much like yawning, the law of mirroring (Social Mirror Theory) is one of the 12 universal laws, sometimes referred to as the law of attraction. Babies even mirror the rhythm of their mother’s heartbeat before birth. As adults this happens subconsciously when we switch our body posture to match that of the other person – mirroring non-verbal cues which sends signals that we are engaged and stimulated.

We are hardwired for this behaviour which is called “limbic synchrony”. The limbic system is the portion of the brain that deals with three key functions: emotions, memories and arousal (or stimulation).

When we are in genuine rapport with someone, we will subconsciously and subtly mirror their body positions, movements and even our breathing reaches symmetrical rhythmicity.

The brain’s “mirror neurons” not only mimic behaviours, but sensations and feelings as well. These mirror neurons are animated equally, regardless of due to making motions or watching the action itself. This was tested in late 1980s, where a macaque monkey’s brain could not tell the difference between the act of physical motion or merely observing. When applied to humans, these non-verbal links are so potent, that we can observe these instantaneous responses of others to help us gauge whether we have developed a mutual connection with them. These mirror neurons are sometimes referred to as Dalai Lama neurons, named after the ruler of Tibetan Buddhism, since they resemble a “spiritual ruler” and compassion. This gentle mimicry can act like a “social glue” and signals cohesion and trust.

The idiosyncrasies of social mirroring can be harnessed in such a way that it can be leveraged as a strategy to flirt or win someone’s affections, acing an interview, signing business deals and leading teams. When done with intent, mirroring can solidify business relationships. Imagine speaking to your boss for example…. Start by casually observing his body posture, but maintaining steady eye contact and approachable repertoire. Subtly start to cross your arms if he does. If he leans back, then do the same. Even focus on breathing in sync… Studies of social mirroring behaviour have concluded that even in a matter of minutes, a connection will be heightened and goodwill is fostered. A quick test to confirm whether you have successfully achieved mutual energies is to observe whether your movements are mirrored back in return. Change your arm position and observe whether your movement is matched. This organic harmony of movements can be a blatant signal of cemented trust and respect.

“If we never acknowledge that we are harbouring a certain vibration, we cannot embrace it and orchestrate it into an experience that we want to have.”

– Claire Bond –

This behaviour is imperative to cultivating social intelligence. Mirroring facial expressions and movements is an instantaneous signal of telepathic empathy. It is effectively placing yourself in another’s “mental shoes” and you can simulate that same emotion and share an emotional depth. Hence the feeling of being “connected” by means of extrasensory perception.

Call it crafty manipulation if you will, but I think it is genius!

These behaviours are magnified in a sociopath. A socio will mirror you, but will deepen the intensity by reflecting back to you, exactly who you are, or even who you think you are… He calculates what your good qualities are and will build up your confidence with praise. He deliberately does not mention your weaknesses in order to store them in his mind for a later date when he can exploit them. Although mirroring can be a powerful manipulation tool, it is important to gauge when and when not to. The key is to mirror the right people at the right time for the right reasons.

Mirroring can be executed with mastery to build your life through “reverse engineering”. Decide where you want to be in a year or five, and then compartmentalize tasks into attainable mini goals…. for each day, each week, each month in order to quench your fortune. Mirroring allows us to come to a state of self-reflection and to constantly evaluate how our actions contribute to living the life that we have envisioned leading. We become aligned with our inner chakra and centre ourselves.

I think that the best word to encapsulate the act of social mirroring is “Namaste”. The Hindu-originated greeting conveys a message that “I am paying obeisance to the soul in you”. At first glance, at the end of your yoga class, the greeting seems to just be the simple action of your instructor of bowing to you and inviting you to bow to her too (this is mirroring already!)…. But there is a deeper ring of spiritual emotion emulated between them. Namaste creates vibrations to the one receiving the gesture. Heart centers are said to connect during this divine saying. So when we mirror each other, we are saying: “My divine soul recognizes the divine soul in you” and I extend my warm welcome to you.

Namaste….