# Poll: Putting your finger close to your "third eye" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 4, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461 "2006-05-04T22:24:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/21 "2006-05-05T03:51:02Z")
Not a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/22 "2006-05-05T04:05:51Z")
Ah-ha! I’ve had that all my life. It’s not a tingle for me, but an unpleasant achey pressure sensation, and it’s a little lower down than in the forehead. My husband will sometimes tease me by holding his finger there, scoffing at my peevish reaction. It’s real. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/23 "2006-05-05T04:11:05Z")
Nothing supernatural about it. It’s a mixture of a sense of danger/discomfort, the urge to move away, and the repression of that urge. To prove this, you need a friend who trusts you and follows instructions. Tell them to stay still, and to open and close their eyes when you tell them. Begin approaching with finger about two feet away. Tell them to close their eyes. Move the finger foot closer and tell them to open their eyes. Tell them to close their eyes. Move the finger to six inches away. Tell them to open their eyes. Tell them to close their eyes. Move the finger to three inches. Tell them to open their eyes. Tell them to close their eyes. Move the finger to two inches. Tell them to open their eyes. Tell them to close their eyes. Move the finger to an inch. Tell them to open their eyes. Tell them to close their eyes. Move the the finger to half an inch from their forhead. Tell them to open their eyes. Tell them to close their eyes. Slowly and quietly move your arm away from them. Tell them to open their eyes. The tingling sensation is most intense the last time, despite the fact the no object is near their forehead. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/24 "2006-05-05T04:52:24Z")
This is so disturbing! I don’t feel it, and I’m usually the ultra-hyper-sensitive one in the bunch. I must be doing it wrong. Forehead, or bridge of the nose between the eyes? I wanna feel it… ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/25 "2006-05-05T05:44:45Z")
Yeah, I get a sensation. At least when I do it to myself, I haven’t really tested with another person doing it. For me, the “focus” is just at the top of that little bit of facial muscle at the top of my nose. You know, the chunk that bumps out when you scrunch your nose. I always thought it was triggered by feeling body heat from my finger. But a quick test with a pen gave the same sensation, although it’s not quite as strong. As another possible bit of data: I’ve got a bit of a unibrow. There is a sparse spattering of eyebrow hairs at the top of my nose, maybe those are acting along the same lines as a cat’s whiskers? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/26 "2006-05-05T05:53:04Z")
Yes, I do. But I get the feeling no matter where I put the finger. Since you’ve already put the idea of the sensation into our heads, it’s probably just suggestion. Or it’s not impossible that you’re actually feeling the heat radiation from your finger. I have a laser pointer (output \< 5 mw) that I think I can feel a tiny amount of heat from when I point it at my skin. But since it’s very low power and I don’t have a way to directly measure the heat from it anyway, that’s probably suggestion, too. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/27 "2006-05-05T11:35:31Z")
I experience this, and I always have. Doesn’t have to be a finger - any object in front of my eyes and too close to focus on makes me squirm. I guess that eliminates radiant heat as a mechanism. I think **Doc Cathode** is on the money. The sensation for me is similar to the “phobic squirm” I get from close encounters with certain insects. Perhaps it correlates with being ticklish? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/28 "2006-05-05T11:40:51Z")
Nothing. Doesn’t matter if eyes are open or closed. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/29 "2006-05-05T12:21:36Z")
nothing. Apparently. . .third eye, blind. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/30 "2006-05-05T12:58:11Z")
The finger pointing method did nothing for me. However, in yoga practice I concentrated my meditation on that point between the eyebrows, the _ajña cakra_ and noticed a definite sensation. In yoga, you could achieve that effect or other effects at any spot on the body. The spots where yoga traditionally focuses the most are called _cakra_s, and the _ajña cakra_ is the most frequently used. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/31 "2006-05-05T13:51:54Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Nothing here either. I thing you guys are imagining things. [/QUOTE] Moi aussi. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/32 "2006-05-05T14:17:18Z")
Does anyone else sometimes itch or poke at a particular area on their cheek and feel a nerve tingle down into their neck? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/33 "2006-05-05T15:20:03Z")
I feel it too. Makes me want to scratch the inside of my skull. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/34 "2006-05-05T16:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Nothing here either. I think you guys are imagining things. [/QUOTE] Don’t jump to conclusions! People are different, and [can experience things differently](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=310467). Check out post 32 of the linked thread. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/35 "2006-05-05T16:54:57Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] The finger pointing method did nothing for me. However, in yoga practice I concentrated my meditation on that point between the eyebrows, the _ajña cakra_ and noticed a definite sensation. In yoga, you could achieve that effect or other effects at any spot on the body. The spots where yoga traditionally focuses the most are called _cakra_s, and the _ajña cakra_ is the most frequently used. [/QUOTE] Bah, if you’re not focusing getting your kundalini to ascend and ignite, you’re wasting your time on dung. And not the good kind which comes from Mother Cow either. **Gigi** No, but it’s not in general uncommon for a sensation, especially pain, to have its cause in one place and be felt in another. On the face and neck, there are plenty of trigger points where you can stick in a thumbtack and cause pain several inches away. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/36 "2006-05-05T17:30:02Z")
The only time I feel anything is when my finger gets close enough to actually touch the tiny hairs between my eyebrows. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/37 "2006-05-05T18:15:57Z")
Just tried it and didn’t notice anything. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/38 "2006-05-05T18:18:13Z")
I’ve noticed that effect my entire life. Has nothing to do with a danger/discomfort response for me, I know something is there and get that sensation even when I can’t see it and don’t otherwise know something is there. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/39 "2006-05-05T18:21:53Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] Odd place to have pre-cum, **JohnBckWLD**. You seen a doctor about that?.. [/QUOTE] He diagnosed it as festering acne sores. :eek: All kidding aside, I feel something too, damnit! It wouldn’t describe it as my Chi’ - it feels more like another kind of power: the power of suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461/40 "2006-05-05T18:34:20Z")
[QUOTE=brightpenny] This is so disturbing! I don’t feel it, and I’m usually the ultra-hyper-sensitive one in the bunch. I must be doing it wrong. Forehead, or bridge of the nose between the eyes? I wanna feel it… [/QUOTE] You’re not “doing it wrong”. There is nothing there to be done right. Do you really think there’s some hyper-sensitive spot in the middle of some people’s forehead that can detect the closeness of a finger? It is to laugh. It’s simply feeling uncomfortable with having a finger a millimeter from your forehead. Or, just booger-eaters tingling with anticipation because their finger is getting close. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-putting-your-finger-close-to-your-third-eye/355461.md?page=3)