The eye contact experiment came to Philadelphia on October 15th. The experiment is a public demonstration that invites strangers to stare at one another for one minute in order to reconnect humanity. The Liberators, an international organization created in Australia by Peter Sharp, started the movement.
People who volunteer for the Liberators, like Diane Hollman and Nika Antuanette of Philadelphia, help expand this global event within the United States. Nika’s attention was brought to this experiment when she heard about it from her friend and international Liberator, Adar, in Tel Aviv. Diane partnered with Nika because they are friends and also to promote the Liberators’ message.
“To be a Liberator means to give myself permission to be free wherever I am. And the same for other people. Express yourself,” she said.
They hoped people would see this minute of contact as a way of being present in the moment of interaction.
“This is an open invitation for people that want to connect, that wants to look at someone’s eyes and see them and be seen. That’s why we’re having this event,” Nika explained.
When the experiment kicked off, people who came were fully engaged in the demonstration and the meaning behind it. In a society where technology is constantly growing and changing, younger participants enjoyed connecting with new people in person opposed to means of social media and an iPhone.
Tosen Nwadei of Philadelphia said, “We’d rather be connected through technology and devices than with each other. But here I see a group of mostly millennials who are interested in building that connection.”
Graduate Student Daegan Keyes thought the movement would be a powerful asset to society. She said, “It allows people to see the shared humanity in someone else. And when you look into someone’s eyes and you hear their story, you realize the depth of person that’s there.”
And it personally helped Penn State student Nick Moncy work through his insecurities.
“Just the fact that somebody wants to look at me and willing to talk to me despite all my flaws is amazing. It reminds me that I’m a person,” he said.
The Liberators hope people will continue to strengthen their interactions through events like this and grow the message of love and understanding in the world. Countries like Argentina, Norway, England, Venezuela and many more will take part in the global eye contact experiment on October 29th.
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