It was great! In addition to the books that have been written about Highly Sensitive People (HSP), the movie really helps not only HSPs to understand themselves better, but it helps those that are not highly sensitive understand those of us that are, better too. Really, understanding and learning about HSPs helps us all know more about our true selves.
Personally, discovering in mid-life that I am a Highly Sensitive Person (and an Empath, and an Indigo) has been huge in understanding myself better, my life, my experiences; and finally having answers for so many questions that I just filed away. Learning more about these aspects of my self is helping me immensely. I went through many years of therapy trying to figure out what was wrong with me. So this movie was very comforting to me in knowing that there really is a reason for me feeling weird, different, even flawed my whole life. Scientific studies have now been done and are still currently being done on not only highly sensitive human adults, but children and animals as well.
As scientists and researchers have discovered, over one hundred different species have about a 20% of the population that are highly sensitive compared to the rest. They have studied animals like dogs and rhesus monkeys to name a few. I have always noticed that some animals are more sensitive than others. In fact, the only dog still living out of the four dogs we had -- Duke -- who is 13 now, is a highly sensitive dog. It's nice to know there is science to back this up now.
All kinds of research from brain studies to genetic analysis has been done on HSPs and it shows that our brains do work a little differently and that certain parts of the brain of HSPs are more activated. We process things differently. We see, feel, experience and process things differently. We cry easily, are affected by everything that happens to us more and are usually very creative. We also have some genetic differences. One researcher called it "differential susceptibility" -- causing some to be more affected than others to things.
They did want to stress that this movie and this research is not about making people that are highly sensitive better or any more special than anyone else. It's just about bringing public awareness to the fact that 20% of our population, including children (as well as many other species), have this trait. And for those of us that are highly sensitive, to understand that we are not crazy and not only is there a reason we are this way, but that there are others like us.
They have found that there are as many males as females that are highly sensitive. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, the males have had an even tougher time with being a HSP due to our culture and how it has been looked down upon for a boy or man to cry or be sensitive. Many cultures around the world hold the same belief, but there are a few different cultures where the sensitivity of both males and females are revered. There were several highly sensitive men in the movie who talked about this. (After the movie, they asked the female HSPs to please speak out more so as to help make it easier for the men to be able to speak out about having this trait.)
They also stated that being highly sensitive is not a disease or a disorder, it is an innate temperament trait. Science has just recently been researching and learning about this and now has solid research. Dr. Aron made the break-through discovery of the highly sensitive trait in 1991. She is a HSP herself.
I won't tell you about the whole movie, but will tell you the the four keys to defining a HSP that they covered in greater detail. The four keys (using the acronym DOES) to a HSP are:
Depth of processing
Overstimulation
Emotional responsiveness and empathy
Sensitivity to subtleties
They explain each of these keys in much more detail in the movie as well as interview both male and female HSPs, including well known singer/artist Alanis Morissette. (No wonder I liked her music so much!) Something they discussed in the Q & A afterwards, was the importance of HSPs to take good care of themselves because we absorb and are affected more deeply by things and therefore may become unhealthy. Dr. Aron also gave some suggestions on how to cope with feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated.
Looking forward... the DVD will be coming out in the near future. I highly recommend it for anyone interested, especially if you or someone you know is a HSP. Also, there is already another documentary in the works about raising highly sensitive children, and there are more scientific studies going on of which we will hear about in the near future as well.
I've also written more about HSPs here.
They explain each of these keys in much more detail in the movie as well as interview both male and female HSPs, including well known singer/artist Alanis Morissette. (No wonder I liked her music so much!) Something they discussed in the Q & A afterwards, was the importance of HSPs to take good care of themselves because we absorb and are affected more deeply by things and therefore may become unhealthy. Dr. Aron also gave some suggestions on how to cope with feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated.
Looking forward... the DVD will be coming out in the near future. I highly recommend it for anyone interested, especially if you or someone you know is a HSP. Also, there is already another documentary in the works about raising highly sensitive children, and there are more scientific studies going on of which we will hear about in the near future as well.
I've also written more about HSPs here.
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