Several experiments have shown that we can't actually tell if someone is watching us from behind, even though it might sometimes feel like it. But science does have a few simple explanations for why you might sense that someone is watching you from behind, and turn round to see a face staring back at you.
Controlled experiments have shown very clearly that people cannot tell when other people are staring at them from behind. There are a number of well recognized psychological reasons that people like to think this, but it has been thoroughly debunked.
Some studies have found that up to 94% of people report that they have experienced the feeling of eyes upon them and turned around to find out they were indeed being watched.
The first things we usually notice are the other person's head and body positions. If either is pointed in your direction, especially in an unnatural way, this is a big tip-off. The most obvious case is when someone's body is pointed away from you, but their head is turned toward you.
The answer is yes, our minds can sense someone staring at us even when we cannot see it/him/her or are asleep. The explanation for this is that our minds are constantly receiving and processing information from our environment, even when we are not consciously aware of it.
The visual cortex is the main contributor. This is a large area at the back of the brain, which supports many important aspects of sight. But other areas, such as the amygdala, which registers threats, must also be involved with gaze detection somehow. Humans are sensitive to the gaze of others.
“Felt presence” is a phenomenon where you feel that someone or some entity is near you, sometimes accompanied by an actual hallucination of some form. The phenomenon occurs in sleep paralysis (see this blog post) but also in certain neurological conditions. It can even be induced in healthy people while they're awake.
Research finds that direct gaze is associated with confidence, interest, and attraction, while an averted gaze of looking away is related to lack of confidence, rejection, and being socially ostracized. In addition, many people consider eye contact to be a sign of trustworthiness.
It might not be possible to read a person's exact thoughts from just looking at their eyes. This is great—because from the perspective of the observed, the privacy of thoughts is maintained. But eyes tell us much more than we sometimes assume—and our eyes, unlike our mouths, cannot lie.
Individuals usually look away when they are thinking, hesitating, or talking in a non-fluent way. This behavior likely serves two purposes, the first of which is to shield themselves psychologically from the embarrassment of being judged for not proceeding.
Paranoia is the feeling that you're being threatened in some way, such as people watching you or acting against you, even though there's no proof that it's true. It happens to a lot of people at some point. Even when you know that your concerns aren't based in reality, they can be troubling if they happen too often.
If you are regularly waking up at 3 am, then it may be due to a lack of sleep. This can manifest itself in the form of nightmares that cause you to wake up in fear, which often causes people to wake up feeling very disorientated, confused, and feel as if someone is watching them.
The psychic staring effect (sometimes called scopaesthesia) is a supposed phenomenon in which humans detect being stared at by extrasensory means.
Sometimes, guys might stare without smiling because they're feeling intimidated or overwhelmed. They could be nervous about approaching you or unsure how to handle a situation they find themselves in. Their curious eyes might indicate that they're feeling vulnerable and trying to regain their composure.
When done without blinking, contracted pupils and an immobile face, this can indicate domination, aggression and use of power. In such circumstances a staring competition can ensue, with the first person to look away admitting defeat. Prolonged eye contact can be disconcerting.
What does locking eyes with someone mean? Eye-lock is a very powerful level of eye contact attraction; it has the power to convey deep feelings and emotions. When you lock eyes with someone, it shows you have strong feelings of attraction towards this person.
Winking may mean someone is trying to let you know he/she is interested in you. Intense eye contact, especially with a smile, may mean the person has a crush on you. Pupil size increases means the person likes what he/she sees. Glistening eyes can signify strong attraction and perhaps even love.
With sadness, the eyes look heavy, droopy. With anger, the eyebrows straighten and the eyes tend to glare. With confusion, the skin between the two eyebrows can wrinkle briefly. There's a connection between what your emotions and body language.
Watch for Their Eye Gaze
Like touch, eye contact triggers the release of oxytocin. When someone is attracted to you, they subconsciously will try engaging in lots of mutual eye contact. They do this to feel closer to you, and because they are interested in you and what you are saying.
The Intimate Gaze
In close encounters it is the triangular area between the eyes and the chest or breasts and for distant gazing from the eyes to the crotch. Men and women use this gaze to show interest in each other and those who are interested will return the gaze.
For those without a diagnosed mental health condition, avoidance of eye contact could be related to shyness or a lack of confidence. Looking someone in the eye while speaking can feel uncomfortable for those without a lot of practice making conversation or who tend to prefer not being in the spotlight.
Tactile hallucination is the experience of feeling like you're being touched when you're not. It's one of the most common aspects of sleep paralysis. Many people say they feel pressure or contact. It's like something or someone is holding them down.
A lot of us have had the sense that there's someone behind us, and yet when we turn, nobody else is in the room. To researchers, that's called a feeling of presence, or FoP. It can happen to anyone, although it particularly afflicts people with Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.
Hypnogogic hallucinations are brief hallucinations that take place as you're falling asleep. They're common and usually nothing to worry about.