# Regarding a question Cecil couldn't understand. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138 "2004-02-14T01:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrunkenNinjaMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/1 "2004-02-14T01:12:45Z")
Around 2 months ago I was browsing the archives and came across a question that went something like this (it’s very brief because I’m sure no one will understand) - “I can make my body feel weird, what’s up with this?”… Cecil replied with a ‘funny’ answer because he obviously didn’t know WTF the question meant. I KNOW EXACTLY what the question is asking because I can make my body feel ‘weird’. Well, lower body only - as in from my groin level down to roughly my below my knees. It’s almost a tickle in my thighs and _especially_ my knees. I can initiate this feeling by (keep in mind it’s hard as hell to describe) VERY loosely tightening the muscles in my thigh/knee region, only WITHOUT them tightening. I can make it so intesnse that I actually twitch because it feels so weird. I know most of you are like WTF’s this guy on, but I noticed about 10-15 years ago that I could do this, and until I saw this users question about it, I could not find ANY reference to it at all - ANYWHERE. No one knew what I was talking about. Will someone please clarify this a little better (if anyone knows what I’m talking about)??? Also if there’s no word for this phenomenon (which I’m sure there isn’t), how can I go about naming it? ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/2 "2004-02-14T01:16:36Z")
IANAD, but sounds to me like a nervous system problem where the signals are getting confused or lost somewhere in the track and leading to a sensory overload. Thats what I’d guess. Can you tighten the legs normally? ---
**Author:** ![DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrunkenNinjaMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/3 "2004-02-14T01:20:46Z")
> [@Alien2022](#): > > IANAD, but sounds to me like a nervous system problem where the signals are getting confused or lost somewhere in the track and leading to a sensory overload. > Thats what I’d guess. > > Can you tighten the legs normally? My body can function PERFECTLY normal - this tingling sensation is just something that I can do on the side. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrunkenNinjaMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/4 "2004-02-14T01:22:35Z")
Tryingf to explain _how_ to do this is like trying to explain how to flare your nostrils - either you can, or you can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/5 "2004-02-14T01:50:37Z")
Do you get the tingling when you tighten your muscles normally? ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/6 "2004-02-14T01:56:11Z")
I can do what you describe as well. I’ve always considered it some kind of response from expecting movement but finding none, because that’s how I do it…try to move while willing myself not to move. I don’t know if the muscles are simply only very slightly contracting, or if it is a psychological feeling, or what. I can do it in my legs or arms, though. Very strange feeling. I don’t recall this column, though, got a link? ---
**Author:** ![DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrunkenNinjaMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/7 "2004-02-14T02:05:01Z")
No ☹ I tried, but couldn’t find it. You won’t find it by searching because it was originally found on a page where he already answered a different question, then ‘this’ one (as if it were a filler). ---
**Author:** ![DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrunkenNinjaMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/8 "2004-02-14T02:07:05Z")
> [@Alien2022](#): > > Do you get the tingling when you tighten your muscles normally? No. Trust me, my body is in PERFECT functioning condition. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/9 "2004-02-14T02:36:05Z")
This is from what I read a long time ago, and so could be way off base, but are you referring to motor neuron oscillations (your muscles undergoing rhythmic slight contraction/expansion upto a maximum of 12 times a second)? On a related note, if I’m sitting with my heels raised, my legs start involuntarily oscillating? Anyone know what this is? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/10 "2004-02-14T05:51:26Z")
> [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](#): > > Around 2 months ago I was browsing the archives and came across a question that went something like this (it’s very brief because I’m sure no one will understand) - “I can make my body feel weird, what’s up with this?”… > > Cecil replied with a ‘funny’ answer because he obviously didn’t know WTF the question meant. > > I KNOW EXACTLY what the question is asking because I can make my body feel ‘weird’. Well, lower body only - as in from my groin level down to roughly my below my knees. It’s almost a tickle in my thighs and _especially_ my knees. I can initiate this feeling by (keep in mind it’s hard as hell to describe) VERY loosely tightening the muscles in my thigh/knee region, only WITHOUT them tightening. I can make it so intesnse that I actually twitch because it feels so weird. > > I know most of you are like WTF’s this guy on, but I noticed about 10-15 years ago that I could do this, and until I saw this users question about it, I could not find ANY reference to it at all - ANYWHERE. No one knew what I was talking about. > > Will someone please clarify this a little better (if anyone knows what I’m talking about)??? > > Also if there’s no word for this phenomenon (which I’m sure there isn’t), how can I go about naming it? I know exactly what you are talking about. I can do this at will! I have no idea how, but I do it. I wish I knew what was happening though. It feels like all of my voluntary muscles are relaxing at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Z\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/41988e/32.png) [@Z\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Z_Al)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/11 "2004-02-14T06:07:11Z")
Quite unrelated, but I can blur my vision at will. I believe I do this by controlling the muscles that hold on to my eye lens because if I make my vision very blurry, I get this slight pain as if the muscle is strained. Any idea if this is something common or whether it has a name? ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/12 "2004-02-14T07:25:02Z")
**Z\_Al** , ever heard of “[Magic Eye](http://www.magiceye.com/)”? I believe this is really no different from focusing on far-off objects, but it’s done without any far-off objects visible. In any case, I think what you describe is much more common. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/13 "2004-02-14T07:28:48Z")
A bit more browsing on the FAQ at the Magic Eye site, shows that what you’re doing is “diverging” your eyes, or possibly “converging” but that’s more commonly known as “crossing your eyes” so probably not. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/14 "2004-02-14T13:33:04Z")
I can do something like that with my hearing. If I am really tired, or after taking NyQuil or something similar. If I do a certain thing to my head muscles (relax them?) I can make something “vibrate” inside my ears. It creates the sensation of a sound AND movement, but my wife cannot hear it even when placing her ear right next to mine. It is impossible to describe how to do it, and drugs or tiredness definitely have something to do with it. Alcohol consumption will not cause the same effects. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/15 "2004-02-14T19:58:22Z")
> [@MC$E](#): > > I can do something like that with my hearing. If I am really tired, or after taking NyQuil or something similar. If I do a certain thing to my head muscles (relax them?) I can make something “vibrate” inside my ears. It creates the sensation of a sound AND movement, but my wife cannot hear it even when placing her ear right next to mine. I can do that at will. I learned it after noticing the rumbling every time I yawned. Our ears contain muscles which tighten/loosen the eardrum. I suspect that the noise comes from this muscle when it tightens, since tight muscles always quiver slightly. **[http://amasci.com/brain/](http://amasci.com/brain/) While yawning, notice that rumbling sound right near the end of the yawn. You can control it consciously, and make a “boom” sound which only you can hear. Walk down the street while accompanying yourself on the Invisible Bass Drum. Launch thought-balls at irritating drivers and hear them explode. Burst out giggling while walking along at work, and nobody knows why!** With the “thigh tingling, non-clench” thing… I wonder if we’re tightening some weird muscles deep inside? Perhaps clenching the muscles which surround major blood vessels? Also, I notice that if I “tingle” myself for too long, I start to feel like fainting, which leads me to suspect that the “tingle” effect is altering my blood pressure. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/16 "2004-02-14T21:09:42Z")
Upon doing a Google search on TSD for [body feel weird](http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=site%3Awww%2Estraightdope%2Ecom+body+feel+weird) I leave you two options: **1)** [Astral Projection](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mastral.html) **2)**[Get your nipples pierced](http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=2&q=http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_363.html&e=7388) . ---
**Author:** ![DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DrunkenNinjaMaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrunkenNinjaMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/17 "2004-02-14T22:23:22Z")
> [@Gyan9](#): > > This is from what I read a long time ago, and so could be way off base, but are you referring to motor neuron oscillations (your muscles undergoing rhythmic slight contraction/expansion upto a maximum of 12 times a second)? > > On a related note, if I’m sitting with my heels raised, my legs start involuntarily oscillating? Anyone know what this is? Wow, y’know that’s almost what I guess it _would_ feel like. I’ll look it up, thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/18 "2004-02-14T22:52:10Z")
I posted a comment on Cecils column linking the question to a discussion we had on here before about “self-shocking”. Sounds like this could be related. I believe the OP is referring to the second paragraph of this question: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_264.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_264.html) > [@](#): > > Second, I can do something inside my body which results in a strange sensation. It feels like it is around my stomach or below. What is it? Here is the “self-shocking” thread where people discussed the various ticklings, chargings, tics and twitches they could induce in themselves. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=154561&highlight=electric+shock+body](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=154561&highlight=electric+shock+body) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/19 "2004-02-14T23:36:48Z")
> [@Z\_Al](#): > > Quite unrelated, but I can blur my vision at will. I believe I do this by controlling the muscles that hold on to my eye lens because if I make my vision very blurry, I get this slight pain as if the muscle is strained. Any idea if this is something common or whether it has a name? I can do this as well, and I’ve known I can at least since I was ten. Doesn’t hurt, though I can kinda feel some pressure when I do it. It’s different than the Magic Eye pics, and when I was first learning how to do those, I had a hard time not blurring my vision as well. Actually, I still do, but not as much. ---
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138/20 "2004-02-14T23:55:08Z")
> [@MC$E](#): > > I can do something like that with my hearing. If I am really tired, or after taking NyQuil or something similar. If I do a certain thing to my head muscles (relax them?) I can make something “vibrate” inside my ears. It creates the sensation of a sound AND movement, but my wife cannot hear it even when placing her ear right next to mine. > > It is impossible to describe how to do it, and drugs or tiredness definitely have something to do with it. Alcohol consumption will not cause the same effects. i’ve always been able to do this… when i sing songs in my head, or even out loud… i usually whip the bass line out with my ears… sounds fine to me. everyone else is like 😕 it sounds like an earthquake if i just go full blast… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-a-question-cecil-couldnt-understand/229138.md?page=2)