Is mirror-touch synesthesia a real diagnosis in Brilliant Minds?

There are certainly times when TV shows will bring in a condition that sounds completely made up. Was that the case in Brilliant Minds?

During the third episode, Dr. Wolf got to the bottom of Dr. Markus’s health condition. Markus has mirror-touch synesthesia, which means that he can feel what his patients are feeling. Markus admitted that he’s always had this, feeling the pain but also the joy of others.

It’s why he struggles so much with putting needles into a person. It’s also why he collapsed when another patient collapsed. He literally mirrored everything the young girl went through when her heart stopped.

Yes, mirror-touch synesthesia in Brilliant Minds is a real thing

Mirror-touch synesthesia (MTS) is a real condition. It may sound like something fantastical, but it’s a rare condition. It’s an extreme form of empathy. People will feel what the other person is feeling, whether it’s mental or physical. If someone twists their ankle, the person with MTS will also feel that exact same pain to the same intensity.

Of course, it’s not just about the bad. People with MTS will feel everything, so that means the good feelings as well.

We usually hear it more with twins. When one is hurt, the other feels it. However, in Markus’s case, it’s got nothing to do with the “twin thing.” He can experience the pain of his patients, and that could make him a great doctor.

How can Markus use MTS in Brilliant Minds?

Now Wolf and Markus need to figure out how MTS can become Markus’s superpower in the way that face blindness has become Wolf’s. I guess the best way is so that Markus becomes extra skilled at diagnosing something. He can tap into the pain that he is feeling based on the pain another person is feeling. It can help him get to the bottom of the issue faster.

While Wolf doesn’t treat a person by the symptoms, he does use them to help get to the bottom of the real issue. Having someone else who can explain the symptoms could help get to a diagnosis and a treatment plan faster.

Brilliant Minds airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC. Catch up the following day on Peacock.

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