For most people, being diagnosed with any kind of illness isn't
considered good news. We immediately think of all of the downsides and
side effects that we will have to live with for a long time, maybe even
our whole lives. In some rare cases, however, there are diseases that
actually provide surprising benefits that may even be considered
extraordinary. Yes, there are diseases out there that basically give you
superpowers, but that doesn't mean there aren't any downsides. For the
most part, these rare and mysterious illnesses are both a blessing and a
curse (mostly a curse, though). Below are just a few examples of the
diseases that make it possible for that guy who sits across from you to
have a super-heroic alter ego. In this list, you'll discover the
surprising benefits of these diseases, as well as the nasty side effects
that haunt the people who have them...
7. Hyperthymestic Syndrome - Gives You Super Memory
Hyperthymesia is an extremely rare disease that gives you enhanced
autobiographical memory. It's so enhanced, in fact, that the people who
have it can recall personal memories instantaneously, without any
conscious effort. It's important to note that this only works for
memories that are somewhat meaningful to the person; hence, it's said to
boost autobiographical memory. People with Hyperthymesia recall
everything that happens to them, or something they read about, in
perfect detail. One of the most famous cases of this disease - and the
first - is the story of A.J.,
a woman who can recall the exact events of any given day of her life.
Researchers would give her a random date, and she was able to tell them
everything that happened that day automatically. Of course, a power like
this has some significant downsides. Can you imagine what it would be
like to remember every single thing that happened to you? A.J. herself
complained that "turning it off" is impossible, which means that every
bad memory she has is vividly implanted in her mind. The worst part is
that researchers have also found that people with this disease become
fixated on the past, as they are constantly recalling past memories.
6. Myostatin-Related Muscle Hypertrophy - Gives You Super Strength
Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy is a rare condition that results
from a mutation in the MSTN gene. This is the gene that forms
myostatin, which restrains muscle growth. This disease is characteristic
of a problem with the production of myostatin, which results in the
body having double its normal muscle mass and almost no body fat.
Interestingly, knowledge of the disease is only starting to develop.
There are very few known cases in the world, so the prevalence is still a
mystery. This is mostly because there are no known health problems
associated with the condition. Of the people who do have it, their
intellect is normal, and there are no signs of any detrimental side
effects. It's important to note, however, that this is subject to change
as more cases of the disease come to light. So unless you hate looking
like a bodybuilder, the disease is mostly just a superpower. In most
cases, the mutation appears to be inherited, so your chances of
contracting it are pretty high if one of your parents have it.
Otherwise, you may have to settle for protein powder and a gym
membership if you want to bulk up.
5. Congenital Analgesia - Makes You Impervious To Pain
This
disease is found in people who cannot feel pain. In fact, most of these
cases involve people who've never felt pain. They can feel some
stimulus, such as a human touch, and the condition doesn't seem to
affect intelligence or your outward appearance. At first glance, this
disease can be seen as an awesome benefit, seeing as you would be able
to withstand things like torture and physical trauma. Without silly
things like pain getting in the way, you could have an army of soldiers
who will keep fighting like they subscribe to Bushido. Actually, that
sounds a bit dangerous. Thankfully, there are some obvious downsides to
never being able to feel pain. Children who have the condition, but
don't know about it, may end up seriously damaging their bodies. Without
pain telling them that biting your tongue and breaking your bones is a
bad thing, you're more likely to suffer from internal bleeding and other
fatal ails. Even though congenital analgesia is rare, there is one
place where it actually isn't. In a village in Sweden, there have been
over 40 reported cases. Either the disease is genetic, or the Swedish
are planning something big.
4. Stone Man Syndrome - Makes Your Body Heal Instantly
Stone Man Syndrome, or Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva for short,
is a rare disease that affects how your body heals itself. People with
this condition heal much faster, as the tissue starts to repair itself
spontaneously after being damaged. You'd think that a condition like
this would give you a superpower akin to Wolverine, but it's honestly
more reminiscent of The Thing from The Fantastic Four. This is because
the injuries may actually cause your joints to harden like stone,
becoming essentially frozen. In fact, scientists have gone as far to say
that this disease basically transforms victims into a living statue, as
any attempts to remove the hardened bone is quickly replaced with more.
As the condition worsens, the body becomes more frozen. Eventually,
people with stone man syndrome can't move their bodies, as their "second
skeleton" eventually replaces their first one. This is a gradual
process, and the people who have it lose more movement in different
parts of their body as they age. Sadly, this means that people with this
disease are unable to have children and live in constant fear of any
minor injury that may hasten these side effects.
3. Savant Syndrome - Makes You A Human Prodigy
This condition has been made famous by movies like Rain Man and A
Beautiful Mind, where the characters display abnormal memory and
cognition abilities. A savant is essentially a human prodigy who is
capable of memorizing vast amounts of data almost effortlessly. There is
believed to be only a handful of people in the world who are savants
(probably fewer than 50). These individuals are extremely talented, as
they have the ability to connect with numbers, shapes, and sounds in a
way that no one else can. They are typically artists, mathematicians and
musicians, as well. If you ask a savant how they can remember things so
easily, they often say they can "see" sounds. That may sound
ridiculous, but it makes sense when you consider some of the works done
by history's probable savants, including Beethoven. Though he was deaf,
he was still able to produce nearly flawless musical compositions,
showing signs of savant syndrome. Unfortunately, savant syndrome does
come at a price. It is typically associated with autism and other
behavioral disorders. Savants are extremely intelligent, but they can
also be very antisocial and have difficulty understanding basic human
concepts, such as priorities.
2. Tertiary Neurosyphilis - Syphilis That Turns You Into A Genius
Gone untreated, syphilis will wreck the body. It eventually becomes
tertiary, which can cause terrible side effects like paralysis,
blindness, dementia, seizures, tremors and a host of other disgusting
images I never want to see on the Internet ever again. But it has long
been believed that tertiary neurosyphilis can actually make you a
creative genius. You know, before the whole paralysis thing kicks in.
This condition is described as a euphoric creativity that dawns on the
person before the disease breaks them. It's been described as how a
light bulb begins to burn brightly before going out. This has been seen
in artists who have suffered from syphilis, including Beethoven (yes,
we're bringing him up again). His hearing was destroyed by syphilis, but
some of his best work, including the 9th Symphony, was developed
shortly before the disease finished off the rest of his body. In other
words, it's possible that, for a brief time period, the negative effects
of syphilis can actually heighten the senses and propel the victim to
produce grandiose works of art. That said, I don't encourage anyone to
try contracting syphilis in order produce their best Vine.
1. Losing Your Adrenalin Gland - Makes You Totally Fearless
The adrenalin gland is what governs fear, stress and anxiety on our
bodies. But for Jordy Cernik, the loss of his adrenalin gland makes him
impervious to feeling scared. While doing daredevil activities like
skydiving, his heart rate doesn't even go up. Cernik was a victim of
Cushing's Syndrome, which resulted in his needing a surgery that would
remove the gland that produces adrenalin. As a result, he no longer
feels the sensation of fear (among other things like stress). Of course,
the absence of fear is a pretty dangerous condition to have. Without
fear, we are susceptible to dangerous situations that can do us serious
harm. But Cernik is content with his situation, and he even raises money
for his daredevil activities and donates it to charity. So in a way,
Cernik still managed to leverage his superpower into something truly
heroic. After going through this list, it's clear that diseases are
pretty terrible things to acquire, even the ones that give us
superpowers. Still, an awesome origin story would be a Swedish man who
has intentionally contracted all of these diseases in order to fight
crime with super brainpower, strength, pain tolerance, and an absence of
fear. Are there any other absurd diseases out there that could pass as superpowers? Let us know in the comments.
0 Comments