Here's a bit of member-written content, supplied by Gateway Member Nessa J. It's a piece on the Dublin leg of The World's Largest Eye Contact Experiment. Sounds really interesting! Enjoy!
Staring Into each other’s Eyes…
With kind permission and by mutual consent, I was allowed to share facetime with two total strangers. By appointment at 5pm on an October evening, a random group of likeminded individuals collected at the top of Grafton Street as part of the World’s Largest Eye Contact Experiment. This was the Dublin leg of similar gatherings taking place in many cities across the world. Treacy O’Connor was responsible for organising the Dublin event using facebook.
On arrival, the paving was arrayed with blankets, mats and potential partners. There was certainly an international feel and ease about this arrangement which so naturally occurred. Instead of the sometimes aggression you encounter in centre city, a palpable calm descended as if by magic while people paired up. Firstly, I sat down and stared into the eyes of a big-eyed open-hearted long-haired tall girl for a prolonged session that well-exceeded the one minute. The effect was actually remarkable.
Principally, there was no talking, some smiling, plenty of deep stare, and surprisingly little looking away. The air was lovely and fresh down there on the ground in the shadow of St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. She quite simply let it be.
The speed of my personal refection must have kick-started as I turned over a rapid succession of thought in the girl’s gaze. At the end, I actually felt I had dumped on her whereas she seemed okay about it. As for herself, I had of course no idea what she was thinking about! She assured me it was quality.
My second dalliance took place with a sandy-haired ‘schoolboy’ who likewise had plenty of experience at providing this kind of care. Despite the cameras, an ambulance and a bloke next door explaining how his life is, like, really busy - at which we laughed through our eyes ‘that guy obviously doesn’t know the rules here’.
I left with the distinct idea that this world is really changing for the better; these people must do this kind of thing a lot; and we must do this more often , which is the same thought all rolled into one if you think about it. My evening was transformed by the sudden and unexpected connection.
