Reeeeeeeeallly interesting post from my good and old dear friend Ted. This is the kind of stuff we discuss when we get together.
And there are a couple of themes in that post that seem to have echoes throughout my life right now:
— the question of identity, which came up in this post
— the brilliance of Richard Powers and how I am behind in my Powers reading – I think I’m 2 books behind.
— the whole “you’re an imposter” syndrome that Ted gets into over there reminds me quite a bit of Quantum Leap – only from the opposite side of it. The idea itself is already fascinating: You leap into somebody else’s body. You look in the mirror and no longer see your own face. You see the person you’ve leapt into. And yet: ARE we just our faces? Isn’t there some essence thing that might give us away? Regardless of the outer trappings? In Quantum Leap, small children and animals often pick up on the difference … like a 3 year old looking up at Scott Bakula in a dress and an apron and saying, “You’re not my mommy.” That particular experience – which happens over and over in that show – is kind of like the disorder Ted discusses in his post. (which fascinates me, Ted. You and I must discuss over wine and olives some night!)
Speaking of Quantum Leap: I’m starting my re-caps this weekend. My model for this is something along the lines of Edward Copeland’s Twin Peaks recaps. He writes: “I’ve decided to pretend as if the show is airing once a week and will do episode recaps as if I’m watching them for the first time and they are airing for the first time.” Yes!! Count me in! He gives detailed, emotional, insightful reviews. That’s my goal, anyway. To create something along those lines, except with Quantum Leap. It should be fun!! So I imagine my first “review” will go up on Saturday when my week-from-hell ends.
Anyway, back to the blog post I linked to:
Ted’s a dear friend – I’ve known him for years – and it’s so cool to me that he’s blogging now. We both live here – I see him as much as I can … but to check in with him “on his blog” is so cool too.
Of course faces are not the only component to recognition, indeed, many people with Capgras who identify a loved one as an imposter in person do not do so over the phone!! (isn’t that amazing!?) And yet you cannot rationalize with them over this. You cannot point out the dissonance because they would simply tell you that the person who called was not the same.
yes, we have GOT to whine with olives over this. BTW, that link to Richard Powers’ bio is so hilarious – that photograph – he looks like he is trying sooooooooooooooo hard to look serious, dreamy, arty..
oh – and thanks for that lovely billboard!
Ted – hahahahaha yeah, he’s like Heathcliff in that picture – or Byron. “Let me contemplate the music of the spheres … ”
Oh, and if I ever get Capgras syndrome – will you talk me thru it?? I’m so scared of it now.
Despite the pointlessness of any assurances I can give you, it is not a spontaneously occurring syndrome, to my knowledge – like you wake up one morning and it’s there. It’s the result of a severe brain insult (don’t you love that term? “Frontal lobe – you suck!”)and it is sooooo rare. Of course, there is no talking anyone down from this tree, if it does occur. I know what you mean though, I have a terror of both losing my mind – especially amnesia – and also blindness. They freak me out.
I forget, have you ever read The Man Who Turned Into Himself by David Ambrose – talk about a great mind-f*&!k. It’s relativity meets denial – a guy becomes involved in a parallel universe because he must and there are all sorts of themes involved – identity, reality, madness – oh it’s just great!
Ted – I think we read that book together!! I know I associate that book with you anyway. Or you told me to read it or I told you to read it … Unbelievable!! So so scary – and perfectly rendered. So LOGICAL. You couldn’t help but enter that experience and it was a nightmare!!!
Okay, so if you can’t talk me thru Capgras – please still love me even if I suddenly believe that you are an alien imposter, okay? Don’t hold it against me!!!
Oh, and in this context, does “insult” = “injury”?
What the hell is a brain INSULT? Like a head trauma?
Insult to injury, etc. ???
yup – insult is an injury – it just sounds so much better! I thought you might have read that book – I imagine that it is just like being in a delusion – a mind game extrordinaire.
I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if you suddenly believed me an alien imposter, given my life lately I’d say you weren’t so delusional. But don’t worry about my loving you, it would take a lot more than that to scare me away.