The Power of Touch(ing Everything)
When I first started composing this article it was titled “The Power Of Touch.” The focus of the article was to be the inherent power, the transfer of power by a simple touch to or from another human being.
Consider that power for a minute! You may have personally used the phrase “you’re in my personal space!” You may have actually cringed or shuttered at an unwelcome touch – even if that touch had the best of intentions.
We’ll examine that in just a moment. First, let me set this article up.
Detective Monk
When I changed the title to the current title and included the wording “. . ing everything” I immediately thought of the TV character Monk. The totally germaphobe former detective that was way quirky but way talented at solving serious crimes. You may remember the character.
In the opening B-roll intro he was seen walking down a street in San Francisco where the show was based. Monk was careful not to come in random contact with anything.
But as he walked along he touched every parking meter. Why? It was as if he was transferring to the parking meter his energy so the germs would not transfer to him. A little far fetched . . .
Been To A Museum Lately?
But now I want to consider a very real reality. What is the first warning you see when you enter a museum? Posted all over the place? DO NOT TOUCH.
Pieces of art, paintings, general exhibits. DO NOT TOUCH.
Well, that seems obvious, right?
If everyone put their grubby oil soaked fingers all over these pieces, soon they would look like a door in a tenement in New York – grimy, filthy. But, that’s all too obvious. Why do they have to plaster the warning all over, repeatedly?
Because we want to touch it! We need to touch it!
We see something of great beauty and we want to grab it, hold it in our arms, admire it. And, if even for a very brief period, posses it.
B.F. Skinner And His Skinner Box
You may remember the Psychologist B.F.Skinner, and his “Skinner Box.” His research was with newborn and infant babies. He separated these babies into two groups. One that had regular, daily holding and hugging. The other was placed in his “Skinner Box.” They received no holding, no hugging, they were changed or fed and that’s it.
The group that received regular touch grew healthy, as expected. The group that received minimal, basic touch perished in a short period.
When I first studied this and every time I recall this I am taken aback. The research is horrendous! It’s sad.
But the resulting data is clear. We, as human beings, need regular touch. Both touching, and being touched. We need physical interaction.
And so we come back to examining why we need to touch other things.
Imagine standing in a dark room, hands by your side. What do you feel? Inside, in the moment, what do you feel?!
Do You Feel Small? Really Small?
Your mind may be racing with constant thoughts and ideas however, until you lay your hands on something directly associated with any one of those thoughts, it’s simply, and only in your body, and in your head.
Until you touch something and transfer that thought to the thing you touched, it is still in your head. For however long, or however fleeting the moment may be.
Let me put this in even a greater, challenging perspective. Again, Imagine standing in a dark room, hands by your side. Only you, and your thoughts.
How long could you stand there?
How long before you had to quickly move about, touch something and gain a sense of location, presence and seeming security?
We need touch. We.Need.Touch! And we need to touch.
We need to touch each other. And we need to touch parts of this universe around us, just like it touches us.
When you go to a store to buy something, do you just stand back and pick it? No. You pick it up. You examine it. You touch it.
When you go to buy a car, do you look through the big windows at the dealership, see the car you want, and then call them and say “wrap it up?” No!
You run your hands all over it. You grab the steering wheel. You sink down in the seats and touch all the knobs.
You Did, Didn’t You?
You’ve probably touched more of that car than you have a loved one in the past month!
Touch gives things validity. Touch allows that thing to enter deeply into your realm of thought. And for a brief, ever so brief moment, it allows us to posses it.
Our egos say if we don’t run away from it, it’s OK, it’s safe. We’re not scared. We can touch it. And maybe get a little bit closer. And a little bit, and a little bit . .
In the grand scheme of things, and a much lesser understood environment, we are allowing that thing, whatever it is, to become a part of us. And we are becoming a part of it.
We are exchanging energy, quantum physical energy and matter. Our thoughts, concentration and intentions are now binding us to that object.
You touch and share energy with things because you want to. You need to. You have to for existence in this universe. It’s intended. It’s your projection to, and your perception of reality.
It is a part of creating your reality.
And that is a topic for another article.
I love you. Thanks for sharing this with me.
When I first started composing this article it was titled “The Power Of Touch.” The focus of the article was to be the inherent power, the transfer of power by a simple touch to or from another human being.
Consider that power for a minute! You may have personally used the phrase “you’re in my personal space!” You may have actually cringed or shuttered at an unwelcome touch – even if that touch had the best of intentions.
We’ll examine that in just a moment. First, let me set this article up.
Detective Monk
When I changed the title to the current title and included the wording “. . ing everything” I immediately thought of the TV character Monk. The totally germaphobe former detective that was way quirky but way talented at solving serious crimes. You may remember the character.
In the opening B-roll intro he was seen walking down a street in San Francisco where the show was based. Monk was careful not to come in random contact with anything.
But as he walked along he touched every parking meter. Why? It was as if he was transferring to the parking meter his energy so the germs would not transfer to him. A little far fetched . . .
Been To A Museum Lately?
But now I want to consider a very real reality. What is the first warning you see when you enter a museum? Posted all over the place? DO NOT TOUCH.
Pieces of art, paintings, general exhibits. DO NOT TOUCH.
Well, that seems obvious, right?
If everyone put their grubby oil soaked fingers all over these pieces, soon they would look like a door in a tenement in New York – grimy, filthy. But, that’s all too obvious. Why do they have to plaster the warning all over, repeatedly?
Because we want to touch it! We need to touch it!
We see something of great beauty and we want to grab it, hold it in our arms, admire it. And, if even for a very brief period, posses it.
B.F. Skinner And His Skinner Box
You may remember the Psychologist B.F.Skinner, and his “Skinner Box.” His research was with newborn and infant babies. He separated these babies into two groups. One that had regular, daily holding and hugging. The other was placed in his “Skinner Box.” They received no holding, no hugging, they were changed or fed and that’s it.
The group that received regular touch grew healthy, as expected. The group that received minimal, basic touch perished in a short period.
When I first studied this and every time I recall this I am taken aback. The research is horrendous! It’s sad.
But the resulting data is clear. We, as human beings, need regular touch. Both touching, and being touched. We need physical interaction.
And so we come back to examining why we need to touch other things.
Imagine standing in a dark room, hands by your side. What do you feel? Inside, in the moment, what do you feel?!
Do You Feel Small? Really Small?
Your mind may be racing with constant thoughts and ideas however, until you lay your hands on something directly associated with any one of those thoughts, it’s simply, and only in your body, and in your head.
Until you touch something and transfer that thought to the thing you touched, it is still in your head. For however long, or however fleeting the moment may be.
Let me put this in even a greater, challenging perspective. Again, Imagine standing in a dark room, hands by your side. Only you, and your thoughts.
How long could you stand there?
How long before you had to quickly move about, touch something and gain a sense of location, presence and seeming security?
We need touch. We.Need.Touch! And we need to touch.
We need to touch each other. And we need to touch parts of this universe around us, just like it touches us.
When you go to a store to buy something, do you just stand back and pick it? No. You pick it up. You examine it. You touch it.
When you go to buy a car, do you look through the big windows at the dealership, see the car you want, and then call them and say “wrap it up?” No!
You run your hands all over it. You grab the steering wheel. You sink down in the seats and touch all the knobs.
You Did, Didn’t You?
You’ve probably touched more of that car than you have a loved one in the past month!
Touch gives things validity. Touch allows that thing to enter deeply into your realm of thought. And for a brief, ever so brief moment, it allows us to posses it.
Our egos say if we don’t run away from it, it’s OK, it’s safe. We’re not scared. We can touch it. And maybe get a little bit closer. And a little bit, and a little bit . .
In the grand scheme of things, and a much lesser understood environment, we are allowing that thing, whatever it is, to become a part of us. And we are becoming a part of it.
We are exchanging energy, quantum physical energy and matter. Our thoughts, concentration and intentions are now binding us to that object.
You touch and share energy with things because you want to. You need to. You have to for existence in this universe. It’s intended. It’s your projection to, and your perception of reality.
It is a part of creating your reality.
And that is a topic for another article.
I love you. Thanks for sharing this with me.