I love the subject line for this one. Posted only a couple of hours ago and it already has over 60 views (probably 80 by the time this is posted).
That's not why I'm here, is it?
I think I've come to understand what causes that. It happens to me as well. In general, it is selective, repetitive (it repeats when the selected object is confronted a second, third time etc), debilitating (obviously... transformation into a babbling idiot sums it up nicely) and does not respond to changes in subject matter (of discussion, activity, etc), time of exposure, or how well you know the person (within obvious limitations). Throw in a hefty dose of SA and what is the one thing that most aptly describes this picture?
You're not going to like this...
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN
It's called a crush. A time-worn, mild crush that at my age (and maybe yours) I thought could not be possible. You mentioned that she is kind of hot and you knew her from school... well that me' lad is exactly the description of a mild crush. I use crush instead of infatuation here because infatuations are definitively short lived, whereas 'crush' is a catch-all for any kind of usually unreciprocated quasi-romantic relationship. If you thought she was hotter than life itself, then you would probably have formed an infatuation and it would have been over with and disposed of in due haste, being that there is a failsafe in the psychological programming that handles that for you. You see, you sense when you subconciously think something is impossible or beyond reach and you, without realizing, devaluate it to yourself. The things that you don't subconciously think are impossible, even if you think it's a long shot, will usually increase in value with exposure and familiarity. Eventually the latter outweighs the former, and when it becomes invasive in your thoughts, that is limerence. It doesn't sound like you're there yet, and the chances are, you're not heading that direction, since you probably are not around her every day. Instead, I gather, she may not be on your mind much at all, but subconciously you assigned a value to her a while ago that still stands somewhat intact, if not overstated by a sort of psychosocial phase quantum leap (in a manner of speaking).
The short of it is, your subconcious is getting in the way.
And my parents think I'm autistic because I talk like this.
(I guess the agressive rocking back and forth and mumbling inaudible number sequences doesn't help much.)
Just as well, I may be way off, or I may be misreading the situation you've described...
