It's probably true that there are always at least two people making eye contact somewhere in the world at every moment of every day.
Lovers, people deep in conversation, job interviews, around the dinner table.
But that's usually not with strangers. Usually, people try to avoid eye contact with strangers. It can be awkward or intimidating. At the very least you may wonder, "Why is this person staring at me?"
On Thursday, October 15th from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., there will be a worldwide eye gazing event-- and of course, New York City is in on it.
The global event is curated by The Liberators, an Australian collective that's sort of like Improv Everywhere, the crew behind the No Pants Subway Ride and MP3 Experiment, but with more intimate intentions.
The Liberators are all about engaging humans in voluntary "acts of freedom," designed to illuminate the love and similarity between all people.
It seems the idea is to overcome our differences by recognizing each other's humanity, basically. It's kind of all about loving yourself and each other.
For example, check out their viral video of a woman who undressed in public-- blindfolded-- next to a sign asking for people to draw hearts on her body.
via Worldwide Eye Contact Experiment NYC Facebook Event Page
Entitled the "Self Acceptance Experiment," she was doing it for anybody who's dealt with an eating disorder or body identification issues. The public's reaction was stunning and positive.
Now, the Eye Contact Experiment is happening all over the world, on every continent. In the USA alone, there are 16 participating cities! Worldwide? Let's just say the listing is 4.5 pages long.
You can RSVP for the New York City event, produced in conjunction with Authentic Relating NY, right here.
So yeah, we strongly encourage you to go check it out this month; go stare through the windows to the soul and see what's inside.
You might be surprised at what you find.
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