The persuasive power of images

"Like the Entomologist in search of colorful butterflies, my attention has chased, in the garden of gray matter, cells with delicate and elegant shapes, the mysterious butterflies of the soul, whose beating of wings may one day reveal to us the secret of the mind"....Santiago Ramon y Cahal....on the persuasive power of images.

It has been deduced that looking at a human face, unlike any other object can trigger specific activity in our brains.

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For the longest time I have been pondering the human race and it's evolution or devolution, depending on the view of each individual. We have immersed ourselves in our technologically advanced hardware and software. We are slaves to our cellphones, computers, iPads, iPods, tablets and the vast numbers of electronic devices that I am still not caught up on.

While the world is decaying into the mystifying senselessness of violence, violence against our children, against specific races of people, against each other, even against self, and violence just for the sake of violence, are we stopping to wonder why?

Are we missing the subtle calls for help that are being sent by those close to us, those with whom we work, or just those around us in general. Do we even see each other any more? With our faces forever planted in our devices we have become automatons, the robots in our own futuristic minds.

Excerpts from an article by Peter Dockrill asserts that looking at faces is extremely important to the human psyche. His points as stated below explains that principle by citing some scientific research:

"You could easily argue that faces are one of the most important objects we look at," says Ueli Rutishauser, the director of the neuroscience research, Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

"We make a lot of highly significant decisions based on looking at faces, including whether we trust somebody, whether the other person is happy or angry, or whether we have seen this person before."

It's long been known that seeing faces makes neurons fire in the amygdala more so than for other forms of stimuli, although the reasons for this have remained uncertain.

Another key finding was that long-distance communication between different parts of the brain was increased when social stimuli were present.

However, when the participants looked at human faces they had already seen earlier in the experiment, the neuron-firing pattern in the amygdala appeared more slowly – suggesting learned and familiar faces don't spark the same level of neural excitement as new social stimulis". End quotes.

Basically, we need to be constantly socially stimulated to maintain an ongoing excitement for life and living.

I am old enough to remember when we did not walk around with our heads buried in the sand. When social interaction was done on a face to face basis. When we greeted each other everyday because we were looking up and out, not down where we are totally oblivious of the world around us. When the members of my family were not texting me their thoughts even though we are in the same house, sometimes in the same room, annoyingly.

Are we not seeing that the absence of social interaction and stimuli is taking a toll on the mental capabilities of the younger generation. They are more depressed, more repressed, more introverted and more prone to violence. Video games and the entertainment media are chock full of violence and mayhem. Even for the very young, the so called funny cartoons and childish platitudes are nothing but violence wrapped up in fun and laughter.

"An infected mind is a far more dangerous pestilence than any plague— one only threatens your life, the other destroys.”-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

So no, we are no longer seeing each others faces, the faces that we are so in need of to stimulate a newness and excitement for the sheer joy of being alive. We register disdain and angst when anyone or anything try to distract us from our GODS of the almighty screens and media. We are impatient as we hurry along our daily life's road, too impatient to really see or listen keenly to what others are saying or doing. We are so caught up with self that we are missing the signs and cries for help that maybe could save a life or many lives.

Are we not to blame in some part for distancing ourselves from participating in the continuation of joy in our world.

Motorola showcased the first prototype cell phone in 1973.Texting was officially introduced maybe in 1993. I remember calling my friend on the phone and he kept texting me back. The feeling of loss of closeness and the personal pleasure of speaking to someone was so deeply felt then, that I have never forgotten it. I believe we are losing our humanity to technology. I believe it is leading to our downfall as a people. I believe it is the young people who will suffer the most. They may not realize it now, but if we look at the events which are unfolding, therein lies the proof.

We may find it impossible to live without our playthings and many distractions which prevent us from utilizing our brain to it's maximum capacity. We do not apologize for those among us who prey on the weak and vulnerable. There are many ways that we can harness and tap into our creative selves effectively. Sometimes someone just needs a little push or pull to find themselves on an opposite path towards the correct destination.

We need change, and the need to seek to realign with the software and hardware of the human soul.

We need change today.

We are seeing the tip of a very horrific iceberg.

Change begins with each of us.

N.A.