Why Crossdress? An Alternate Theory

[Jill Devine]

Your theory is more than a bit of a stretch and leap of faith. I'm no expert on TG issues although I do have a degree in clinical psychology, but your post doesn't make sense to me.

[April Renee]

<Quote> Stacy S - "Like anything else, people vary and people can suffer from face blindness to varying degrees. Personally, I have trouble recognizing even my wife or kids in a crowd. My wife often has to raise her hand when I'm looking in her direction or I'll walk past her"......Mine too, however its normally due to some type of altered state of mind I may happen to be in...
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My eyes hurt about three more sentences into the post so I couldn't finish. GL with your journey.
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A....

[busker]

Stacey, I thought the idea was interesting to think about, though it is not relevant to my case. don't be put off by some people's rudeness. It sounds as though they didn't read enough to see that it was not your idea, but you were presenting someone else's idea as a possible explanation for why some of us crossdress. Some of us though enjoy reading things about the why's and wherefore's even though it may not lead to THE EXPLANATION. I also like labels and other cleverly descriptive words.

[KriistineCDxoxo]

Because it's me! And I love doing it!

[Elena Ornamental]

Let's put some more theories into the mix: If you believe in in Astrology or not, to me it's interesting that Cancer and Capricorn are the two signs at my second level (Moon and Rising). As a preschooler, I had an older sister and two girls next door that I played with, did I get infected? Maybe a psychological trauma when I entered Junior High School led me to not caring about masculinity. And there's always basic genetic variation that could be a cause.

[Loni]

who needs to alternate?

i am me and just me, why would anybody else need to find out why and what makes me feel good and feel like things are right within my life. can people out there just accept me as i am without trying to prove something.

[MsGreen]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts StaceyS.

[eluuzion]

hiya StaceyS,

Welcome to the party!

here ya’ go...I wrote you a “novel” as an Easter gift...Happy Easter!

Some people wonder what time it is. Those of us born with a curious nature wonder what makes the watch tic, right? lol.

I enjoyed reading your post. I am similar to Jill Devine's reply:

I am not a "Doctor", I have only played doctor with a few girlfriends on occassion.
But I do have a degree in Abnormal Psychology and I have researched kinesics (non-verbal communication) /"perception"/facial recognition/micro expressions/truth-wizard related areas for many years. Prosopagnosia was one of many topics covered in my college psychology curriculum.

I read the text content of your post, as well as the entire text content (face blind link) and online book (FaceBind link) (uploaded by Bill Choisser) that you supplied links to. (I read all several times)

I certainly commiserate with the confusing frustrations and isolating challenges that Bill Choisser and others must face each day. I have no doubts about the authenticity of the symptoms and his basic overview of the physical and emotional struggles he has endured.

With all due respect, I read your entire post about 3 times in an effort to try and grasp a basic understanding of all the various concepts, definitions, relationships, connections, facts, theories, statistical evidence and explanations you stated in your post...that I simply could not see at all. Then I tried to find any documentation or evidence to validate the statements like ["reported evidence that more than 50%"]~~ ["effects are buried in the middle of the book"] [theory is not my own and derived from] and other references to information you claimed...but I was unable to find any.

The majority of the claims you have presented, as well as the statements to support the "theory" of relationship existing between face blindness and crossdressing ....in my opinion...were not supported by logic or documentation.
If you can produce some actual documentation to support your claims, I would be interested in viewing it.
************************************************** **************
So I am saying that our perspectives on this issue are exactly alike...
Except for being totally different. lol************************************************** *************
Here is my accumulated understanding and perspective...

There are a couple of viable explanations that many researchers seem to support. Both share the belief that the problem is caused by a disruption in the transmission network, rather than by any single component, which fails to transmit the neural connections to the entire network. This occurs in the "face" area of the brain.

In the case of Congenital Prosopagnosia (naturally present), the structural integrity of several network components are failing together to disconnect the network's path to transfer the messages. In Acquired Prosopagnosia, an outside source (stroke, etc) creates a lesion on a single node, which
creates a break in the path. This process is also suspected as a possible factor in developmental dyslexia and autism. See link below...
11/2008Carnegie Mellon University research on compromised neural integrity of networkhttp://repository.cmu.edu/cgi/viewco...ext=psychology

A recent research project investigating the possibility of Mercury poisoning being the cause is gaining some serious credibility. A review of the historical cases revealed that many victims were exposed to Mercury when young. Some of the "fathers" were pharmacists, miners, worked in thermometer plant, heavy smokers, amalgam fillings, vaccinations, etc. All shared the common factor of being exposed to Mercury. Even Bill Choisser’s book starts out with him describing his first years of life in a Mining community! See this link...

January 2011 Convincing Article with supporting evidence suggesting Mercury poisoning may play a major causal factor http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/01/i...nd-autism.html

This is a link to the REAL face blind site, with index of documented research results. (None that suggest any connection to cross dressing) http://www.faceblind.org/research/index.html

Cambridge Online Face Memory Test (for prosopagnosia) (my score= 98%)
http://www.faceblind.org/facetests/f...cfmt_intro.php

Famous Face Test (similar to above only with famous faces) (my score=98%)http://www.faceblind.org/facetests/ff/ff_intro.php

Harvard article about the other end of the scale (I am one of them)http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...forget-a-face/

NLD (Non-Verbal Learning Disorders) Websitehttp://www.nldline.com/

Other facial recognition sites/biometric etc.

Site Map for DataFace website (huge)http://face-and-emotion.com/dataface...al/sitemap.jsp

Facial Recognition Research Linkshttp://face-and-emotion.com/dataface...ner_outer.html

Visual Cognition Publication Index from UCL Institute of Cognitive Neurosciencehttp://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/Publication...d=VW&Submit=GO

I personally lean toward the Mercury theory, but not in every case.
That’s my story and I’m stick’in to it...

So, the end.
I agree that we can disagree without being disagreeable...don’t you agree?

Hope ya find lots of eggs...

[Kate Lynn]

I'm not trying to cure anything, just understand things better. That's sometimes what intelligent species do. And I can't see how it was a rant unless anything long is automatically a rant and if so, I'm so sorry.

Stacey I sometimes look at what we this way,we are living proof God has a funny bone,and we prefer to wear what we do,because we can.

[Loveday]

Hi Stacy
Wow, I really found the post very interesting. I have had trouble recognizing women I have known because they can change the way they look with makeup and hair. I have also noticed that if I met someone I worked with after hours I often had trouble recognizing them. At least now I have a name to call it and I knowledge that I am not nuts.
I should also mention have also had trouble with some pictures realizing what the subject was, it takes me a few minutes to adjust but I did really well with the pictures within pictures I was shown in my b school and psych classes in collage.

[Kate Simmons]

Another alternate theory would be that we are really multi-dimensional beings participating in multiple tier programs (multiverse) simultaneously. As a result we are connected to the feelings of our selves in the other programs, some of which just happen to be the opposite gender. Works for me.

[JulieK1980]

That's a really interesting theory that I had not heard of. It could very well be a cause or contributing factor.

My own thought is that it's, what in the medical community is known as the "Transactional model" which means there are a multitude of causes ranging from medical to biological to environmental to even socioeconomic factors. In essence, there are many different paths that will lead up to the end result. In this case Crossdressing being the end result.

While no one single factor is the definitive, and fitting of 100% of people, there are trends that can be seen of certain factors. In this case the hypothesis of "faceblindness" being a causative factor could very well be a reality, but there are other factors combined with this that would lead to crossdressing behavior.

This is based on the knowledge that no single cause can be identified in 100% of people who crossdress, and thus there must be multiple factors that lead to the same end. (crossdressing)
T

[Fab Karen]

As the guy who couldn't afford music instruments said,"don't worry, be happy."

[nancigirl]

As a clinical psychologist, I would have to say that this "theory" really makes no sense, and is implausible as a factor in the etiology of crossdressing or being trans. For those unfortunate enough to have a serious condition of prosopagnosia, it is a very difficult world to live in and the condition is very difficult to treat or manage.

[Pythos]

OOooo, nancigirl!!

Your input would be great to have.

Is crossdressing still considered a psychosis. I am seeing at least on the net, this notion is fading.

[Eloise]

I'd put this particular theory alongside astrology and man made global warming the pile of things I find to be utterly nonsensicle.