Societal Issues Targeted:
- Promoting human connection and understanding
- Creating world peace through greater connection
[Videos will go here]
Everything I know about life and the universe is held inside of me. There is more, certainly, but I haven’t yet understood it, and so the entire universe I know is inside of me. When we look into the eyes of another, we are gazing into another’s entire universe.
– Andy at Focallocal
Intro
This gathering invites you to experience the magic of eye contact—a simple yet powerful act that dissolves barriers and unites us in our shared humanity. As you look into another’s eyes, you’ll find that the differences—race, age, gender, social status—fade away, revealing our shared journey in life. It’s a reminder that beneath the surface, we are all remarkably similar, navigating the same beautiful and complex world.
Benefits
Studies show that eye contact brings forth positive effects in an individual’s cognitive processing. Scientists have postulated that eye contact initiates a heightened processing of stimuli in relation with the self, and that this leads to the enhancement of self-awareness, memory effects, activation of pro-social behaviour, and positive appraisals of others.
What Do I Need?
- A welcoming sign to invite people passing to share this unique experience with you (see examples).
- Comfortable seating—cushions, pillows, or a yoga mat will do!
- Optional: Soothing music to set the mood.
- A timer, so you can be fully present until the buzzer goes (phone timers work just fine).
Wet Weather Plan:
- Bring an umbrella
- Cushions won’t be needed! Standing together under an umbrella works equally as well.
How?
- Create welcoming signs to invite passers-by to sit with you and share one minute of eye contact.
- Set up a comfortable spot with seating options, slightly to the side of a place with good foot traffic passing-by.
- Wait patiently and invite those who show interest. Some may be curious but hesitant.
- Use a timer to ensure you can be totally focused on the eyes of your partner, and not wondering about the time. Having security in an agreed end point ensures the interaction is comfortable for both parties, as many people do find the interaction emotional.
- Calmly look into the eyes of the other person in front of you. Don’t expect anything, just relax and see what comes.
Pro-Tips:
- Use the opportunity to reflect internally upon yourself and whether people’s age, gender, and other determining factors would cause you to act a certain way around them. Should it?
- Consider the other person and reflect on what you can read about their character from their eyes.
- Imagine them as a young child or when they are elderly. The eyes are the same looking out on the world.
- Reflect on humanity and life itself.
- Try to quiet your mind.
- Match their breathing.
- Focus on kind wishes for the person you’re engaging with. Try to project these warm thoughts and feelings through your gaze. Afterward, consider sharing your experience with them and ask if they noticed a change in your expression when you held caring intentions.
- Expect to be a little tired by the end of the event. We often make plans for socialising after but everyone usually finds they are pleasantly exhausted from the intense eye contact shared during the gathering, so the socialising events are short.
Resources
- Example signs
- Countdown photos (thanks to Linda Donagan from Kind Ireland)
- Calming Background music
- How-to posters/guides
Legal Stuff (how it worked out for us)
It’s fairly normal that you might find yourself having a chat with the police. In the UK, you can apply for a free Temporary Events Notice, but personally, I think the right for the public to gather in a public space and enjoy a positive activity is (and certainly should be) a protected human right. I have very rarely applied for one, and I’ve had a few discussions with the police during this events. After I explain that we are simply conducting a ‘gathering’ (not an ‘event’, that’s important!) of local people doing something positive for the community, with no money being exchanged, the police have never made us stop. The worst you can expect is to be asked to move somewhere else, which is really not too much bother.
Special thanks to our Australian friends, The Liberators International, for making this wonderful idea globally known.