Re: hoping to initiate a discussion about touch
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Posted by kenzi on January 07, 2000 at 23:04:21:
In Reply to: hoping to initiate a discussion about touch posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on January 07, 2000 at 20:35:24:
I wish I could give you an exact cite but all I can remember is that there was a study where they raised baby monkeys (or chimps?)...some were isolated completely from touch, and others were handled regularly and affectionately (I can't remember if they were touched by other monkeys or by humans). They found that the ones that were not touched were much more aggressive and less-well balanced mentally and socially. I also read recently a review of several books about children's development and some of them mention the importance of touch (along with other sensory stimulation) for creating neural pathways. Here are the books mentioned in the review: "The Myth of The First Three Years" by John Bruer (Free Press) "The Scientist in the Crib" by Alison Gopnik, with Patricia Kuhl and Andrew Meltzoff (Morrow) "What's Going On in There? How the Braina ndMin Develop in the First Five Years of Life" by Lise Eliot These mostly relate to child development but they might refer to studies involving touch. I remember reading something in Loretta Roome's book which struck me. She said something like, "henna is one of those rare occasions where women will find themselves holding hands for a long period of time". I am not a very touchy person...I was raised in a family where there was not a lot of physical affection shown so I have a slight aversion to touching and being touched. (Am I telling you more than you wanted to know?! ;-) Henna seems to be one thing that breaks through that aversion for me...i can take someone hand (or leg or whatever) and hold onto it for as long as I need to for the henna. It does create a comfortable intimacy that, for me, wouldn't exist otherwise. So henna helps me heal and also allows my clients to be touched and feel comfortable and pampered.
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- touch Eliz. 18:17:51 1/08/00
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