Empathy in movies?

[MelodyGrace]

Not sure where this goes, so feel free to move it as whoever wishes.

The title is a bit misleading. Sorry.

Alright, to start off, I have empathy, alot of times uncontrollable as well. Sometimes, when watching particularly good movies, I can feel what the main characters would be feeling, if it were real.

Is this my imagination? Is this just sympathy? Or is it possible to actually be ampathic with fictional characters?

Melody

[CFTraveler]

You may be feeling empathy with the original protagonist of the story that led to the movie, or resonating with the archetype the character may represent. Or you may just feel deep sympathy with them. I have had the same problem, which is why I don't watch very sad movies (regardless of quality) or very graphic horror movies either.

[ButterflyWoman]

Yup, I get that, too. I tend to avoid certain kinds of movies because it can trigger undesirable things (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder flashbacks, anxiety attacks, etc.). I don't know if I respond to the acting, to the writer's intentions, or what it is. You wouldn't think it would be a problem, but sometimes it definitely is.

I'm very selective about what I will watch, especially in a theatre, where there's no "escape" and everything is so much bigger and more immediate. At home, with a DVD, it's much easier to tune out if something is starting to bother me.

These days, it's not as bad because I use shielding as a normal precaution. You wouldn't think it would work with a movie, but it does seem to help. Maybe it's just a sort of "insulation" between my empathetic self and the characters (or the writers' and their intention to make me cry or upset me or scare me or whatever).

[Triot]

Rainman.