Free Hugs Campaign | Psychology [CIA-2] | | Submitted by: Alina OjhaCourse: I PSEco Roll No: 1313423 | | To: Mr. Lijo | 7/4/2013 | |

Free Hugs Campaign
Sometimes all we need is a hug!
Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement initiated by Juan Mann. It involves hugging strangers in public places. It started in Australia but now has been spread all over the world because it really makes people happy. Even new studies of scientist’s show that touch therapy like HUGS can help overcome some medical conditions like Depression and Osteoarthritis. They believe that people need four hugs for survival, eight for maintenance and twelve for proper physical growth in a day. They have also said that it is the best way to support anyone and communicate when words are not enough.
Actually it didn’t start as a psychological experiment but just as a random act of kindness to spread happiness among people and brighten up their lives.
When Juan Mann’s world turned upside down he had no one to support him, to smile at him, to wait for him and to hug him. And that’s how free hugs campaign started on December 1, 2004 in the Phill Street Mall in central Sydney, where he held the cardboard with the words “Free Hugs” written on both sides. For fifteen minutes people were staring at him and passing looks. Then there came a lady who hugged him and said how her dog had died that morning and it was also the first death anniversary of her only daughter who died in a car accident and all she needed at that time, when she was feeling so lonely, was a HUG. And when they parted after a hug, she was smiling. Juan Mann said that he felt like the king of the world and those smiles he got were the best thing that ever happened to him.
Through this we can see how one hug can help two people. The best thing about a hug is that you usually can’t give one without getting one yourself. A silent hug can mean a thousand words to an unhappy heart. A Hug is warm, friendly and so human. Scientist researches have shown that it’s a good medicine not just because it transfers energy but also because it helps in the emotional lift.
I chose this topic because I was really intrigued by, how in this self-obsessed and materialistic world of distant media and technology there was someone, courageous enough to set a mission to spread happiness and joy among the people of his place. I got this feeling that we have not lost humanity yet. Moreover when Australian local authorities banned the campaign then, 10,000 people signed a petition for the continual of this campaign. The hopeful messages they sent said that it’s a nice campaign to spread joy among people in this stressful and monotonous life. It showed me how weak we are psychologically, how much we miss the regular talks and life when internet was not so much dominating our lives. More than that I loved this topic because it gave me the chance to know about the psychological effects people have by hugging. Now whenever I will hug someone I will remember how much both of us helped each other in physical and emotional growth.
Let’s just quickly have the glance at the data’s of depression. 15% of population in developed countries suffers from severe depression. It is also said that depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020. 9.5% of population aged 18 is affected by depressive disorders.
It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something. - From the movie “Crash”
Depression is in rise because touch is in the drop and we can see this in the above mentioned statement. Because of the advancement in technology and hustle bustle in life, we don’t have time to meet people and share emotions. People use Skype and video chats instead of live meetings and chitchats. Moreover the increasing issues about the sexual harassment and inappropriate touch are playing an important role in the fewer physical contacts than before. Hug is a sign of caring but now people prefer handshakes. As a result, many of us starve for the simple, casual, warm touch from our loved ones be it family, friends or any colleague.
Because of these things, there is a development in the new field called Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). It claims that people’s immune system gets stronger and better when they are feeling good, loved or touched. Touching actually helps in libidinal refueling. When we hug someone we literally recharge our and theirs libido, the powerful energy of our body. Touch therapies slow-down the actions in the hypothalamic area of the brain, which controls our response for “Fight or Flight”. During this our stress hormones drop and endorphins climb which helps in the decrement of pain and increment in feeling of well-being. And if touch is actually from that person whom we love and care like our friend, partner or any loved ones, then there will be added benefit of heightened sense of love and security. Moreover many studies have shown that hugs helps to fight insomnia, eases tension, slows down aging and builds self esteem.
Majella Greene, a former social worker and positive psychologists has also said that the children who get the physical contacts and warmth from their parents will feel more and more protective towards others than those who were given the materialistic facilities of computers and TVs. She has also said that free hugs campaign being success itself portrays the psychology of people that how they were isolated and how it helped them to bridge the gap between each other. Even psychologist James W Prescott in 60s and 70s said that those infant having less contact with their mother are prone to the abnormalities like depression, eating disorders and violence. No wonder the rate of depression among children is 23%.

So basically a free hugs campaign is just a topic I used in order to show the psychological facts and figures in an interesting way. We are losing human touch and this has many psychological effects. 15% of the people commit suicide because of depression. Many a time people think we can create difference by doing something big, but actually we can do something small and create a big difference. That’s what free hugs campaign was all about.

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