The Power of Facial Expression

[Leo Volont]

The Power of Facial Expression Back in the Sixties ‘a friend of mine’ did a particularly euphoric drug… probably cannabis laced with a bit of opium… and the happiness that my friend felt was so tangible that it seemed to grow up from inside his torso, come up through the heart and throat and open up into the Face like a huge flower blooming with Light and Joy. The Smile Muscles were flexed so strongly that my friend complained of happiness fatigue. I have quite internalized what my friend had told me, and over the years I have rather thought that as one draws up a big strong smile from way deep inside and brings it up powerfully into the face, that it does indeed make one ‘happy’. One may suppose this is somehow putting the cart before the horse, the effect before the cause, and yet it has always seemed to work for me – that one need not wait to be happy before one can smile, but that one can smile first and then be happy, as though the smile itself has the power to summon this joyful Jinn. But now I have found that I have not been the only person to think so. I have recently read a book on the Best Sellers List – “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell – and in one of the latter chapters of the book he discusses the power of facial expressions to arouse the very emotions that are generally thought to be their cause. For instance, people who assume a classically angry face will have an increase in blood pressure and pulse rate as though they had actually become angry, and people who are instructed to assume laughing happy faces find jokes funnier than they do when they are instructed to portray gloom. The examples he gives take up a few pages. As a Practitioner of Kundalini Yoga, I can guess that certain energy channels are opened up as one so evokes the various emotions. And then we must keep in mind that there are a number of emotions besides the obvious ones of happiness, sadness, fear and anger. Indeed, there are as many emotions as we can find faces for. Of course, where one can hardly argue that ‘happiness’ – that big smile emotion – is not one of the most utilitarian, if we have a choice in it, which now we seem to have; but still in a moment of insightful imagination, it occurred to me that one could build on ‘happiness’ by layering on ‘Wonder’ and even stretching it to ‘Ecstatic Joy’. We only need to figure out what the facial expression would be for whatever feeling we would like to develop. It doesn’t take much work at the Mirror before one finds that one is connecting with something, and our feelings follow along soon enough, verifying our facial intuitions. Also, remember that these feeling, or rather the power behind these feelings, arise from down in the torso, but these channels may not be so easy to manipulate as the muscles of one’s face. But with practice, as one feels the energies rise up, one can consciously relax and dilate those areas where one feels any obstruction or constriction.

[Leo Volont]

It reminds me of a passage in a book that is arguably the best novel in one of the English Language, "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. It is that passage where the housekeeper, Ellen, tells the young Heathcliff to desist creasing his brows into a steady gloom and instead arch them up into his forehead to give himself some goodness and light. Well, it was surprising insights like this from a 22 year old girl, out in the barren heaths of rural England, that add to the mystique of her first and only novel. The poor thing soon died from TB just after the publication of "Wuthering Heights". We could suppose that even better novels awaited within her, but we can mitigate our disappointments by remembering that her sister's first magnitude novel "Jane Eyre" was followed by 3 or 4 other novels which were not nearly so good, and would not be now read if not by the same auther that gave us "Jane Eyre". But if we do really miss Emity, we do have the option of reading the novels of the sister who was her best friend, Anne Bronte, who wrote a few novels, not at the level of "Wuthering Heights" but very good, and with that odd strangeness and intensity of "Wuthering Heights".

[DuB]

Originally posted by Leo Volont ...as one draws up a big strong smile from way deep inside and brings it up powerfully into the face, that it does indeed make one ‘happy’. This is true, my psychology professor taught us this. 8)

[wombing]

i too have discovered this, mostly due to extensive use of cannabis/hashish. some speak of 'shining eyes', or 'smiling eyes'. i have learnt to draw energy for this pupose virtually at command, no matter what my mood. i can smile with my eyes alone and get far more full-on smiles in return from strangers on the street, than if i give the half-hearted grimace that is all i used to be able to muster. i also realized long ago that the reason i have such a predilection for pot is that it 'releases energy out of my eyes' as i put it to a friend once. he had no idea what the hell i was talking about but each time i am high i feel a steady stream of energy spilling out of my eyes. 'smiling energy', which makes laughter or smiling constantly near... a month or two ago i was biking, and experimenting with the release of this energy through my eyes. for the first time, i was fully aware of the muscles involved as well. the dynamic interaction between consciousness and body. actually, it was a definitive moment in my life. i started laughing as i real-ized that the mind-body duality is a fiction, and fully accepted myself as an integrated being. now i try to spend at least five minutes a day laughing, even if i don't feel like it. after the first couple, it becomes genuine. this was inspired by seeing television footage of a group in india (about 100 strong) who gathers together every day in strange outfits, or with bizarre props, and laughs together...they claim it is an old tradition, and has always been known to make people healthier.

[Rapscallion]

I've heard of that too Asher, its the Buddhist Morning Laugh. And wasn't lucid dreaming a well known practice among ancient buddhists?

[Howie]

Facial Expressions are like finger prints. It is as if no two are alike. Yet there seems to be an innate ability for us to read so many of these expression in an instance. It is remarkable. And even the obvious can be a facade. Facial expressions go hand in foot with body language. They both can tell so much if you learn how to read them. Are you saying certain drugs can enhance this, or just make you aware? For example. This man may seem mad. But if you look deeper he is strenuously having a bowel movement

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by DuB This is true, my psychology professor taught us this. 8) Oh, it must be true since a Professor with a University is saying so...

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by Asher i too have discovered this, mostly due to extensive use of cannabis/hashish. some speak of 'shining eyes', or 'smiling eyes'. i have learnt to draw energy for this pupose virtually at command, no matter what my mood. i can smile with my eyes alone and get far more full-on smiles in return from strangers on the street, than if i give the half-hearted grimace that is all i used to be able to muster. Indeed, Malcolm Gladwell, author of that book "Blink" which I refer to, enumerated the facial muscles integral to a genuine smile, and noted that phoney and insincere 'camera' smiles are characterized by the grinning flextures of only the muscles involved in turning up the mouth and cheek muscles, but that true candidly happy smiles involve the muscles in and around the eyes. But although the eyes are important to a smile, I do not see why one should wish to hold back a full smile. Indeed, it is something of a luxury and a privelege to be able to smile with one's full face -- grin, teeth and all. Consider, when I was growing up, I lost some of my teeth in an accident and my family was too poor to instantly have them replaced, and so I had to spend some number of years smiling only with my eyes, as I was embarrassed to display what was a fractured smile otherwise. I can hardly express how delighted I was when I finally was able to procure dentures, that is, the wherewithall to present the most complete of smiles. Also, when the heart seems to be most on fire and the channels of energy rising most open, I think that it is inevitable that the corners of the mouth rise and rise high. A smile with only the eyes is a smile with only a smoldering heart, or maybe even a warm heart, but not of a heart aflame.

[Darkmatic]

I have been trying to ponder the subject of laughter and its effect on your mood . I am inclined to think that it is kind of like a floodgate . Like as you crack open a floodgate , the pressure of the water will help open the gate so much so that the gate is unable to close due to the sheer volume of water passing through it . I think maybe smiling and from there , laughter can induce a feeling which then becomes self sustaining once the "flood gates" are open . It is thought that laughter is a release mechanism used to release excess stress and i hink thats true . First the thing which is to induce the laughter must be psychologically humerous , then our facial reaction , or the opening of the flood gates brings on the full gushing of water , or laughter . Also , laughter is supposedly an extremely good workout . So maybe evolution has helped play a part in laughter , because as far as we know , humans are the only creatures to laugh and smile . With a source such as the internet , and appropriate formas of e-hilarity , we can feel good , relieve stress AND get a great workout all at the same time .

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by Darkmatic I have been trying to ponder the subject of laughter ... Hmmmmm. I once read in this thin treatice written in French (with my limited ability to read French) that Human Beings find two things humorous: ambiguity and mortality. If some phrase is used ostensively in one context, but has a significant second meaning, then it is funny, and people would be prone to laugh. 'Mortality' encompasses issues of life and death and the restrictions and conditions of being an animal, as opposed to being a pure and perfect Spiritual Being, and so 'clumsiness' is funny, references to 'poop' are funny, sex, etc. But, even if these matters of Ambiguity and Mortality are humorous, we need to wonder what it is that first made Homo Sapien laugh about it. Darkmatic says that only humans laugh. Well, technically yes. But we can say that only because of the word we use for it. We call that noise a laugh and relate it to humor and so of course we can then limit laughter to our species. But if we call it "howling" and then we have plenty of Primates that howl. Now, why do primates howl... or more particularly what makes us 'howl' with laughter. Human Beings are Social and Gregarious. We are also highly dependent upon learned behavior and more than most other animals, liberated from instinct. As former Apes we came out of the Trees and adapted to life in completely different environments, and so it was necessary to abandon instinct and begin to learn. Well, how is learning done? In the Social Context, we have rewards and punishments. Smiles good. Laughs bad. Conforming Behavior -- smile. Clumsy behavior or use of ambiguous language -- laugh. Ridicule is a powerful Socializing Tool, and it rests upon laughter. Those who laugh together are confirmed in the Social Group. Those who are laughed at are being corrected or set apart. I'm sure if we observe some of the higher Primates long enough, we will catch them howling at each other in much the same way as we use laughter in ridicule -- as a social corrective. We would say that these Apes are not so much laughing as yelling at each other. But yelling is very close to Agression. Well, some people react agressively to being laughed at, but it is considered as over-reacting. Laughing is certainly a gentler corrective then yelling. As a foreigner in the Far East, I would hear the giggles that would accompany my linguistic mis-steps. I would realize that hostility was not the intent, but only that I should then ask what word I was using 'ambiguously'. It was laughter as a learning tool. Where it would be agressive to show a negative emotion in order to correct a language mistake, which would make Language more trouble than it is worth, the 'laugh' evolved as an easier alternative. Additionally, the enjoyable nature of a Laugh would encourage the peers and companions of the one being laughed at, to take note of whatever mistake, discrepancy or ambiguity occassioned the laughter. One does not want to do what others are laughing at. Also, it seems to be a positive role in one's Society to be able to be the one to start the laughter -- to point out instances of clumsiness or linguistic ambiguity in others -- the first Teachers were Insult Comics. Yes, I enjoy a good laugh, and I like to make other people laugh... but after this essay, it now dawns on me that there is a significant difference between Smiles and Laughs. Smiles are positive rewards. But laughs are a mitigated way of howling at somebody.

[wombing]

But although the eyes are important to a smile, I do not see why one should wish to hold back a full smile. [/b] certainly . i wasn't implying that i only smile with my eyes. i was saying that if one tries to start a smile between a stranger by grimacing with their cheek and mouth muscles, the other person will probably feel uncomfortable at your insincerity and look away. however, if i look them in the eyes with smiling eyes, their own eyes usually start to smile as well, which causes me to begin to smile facially, which causes them to start to smile facially, which causes me to smile higher, which causes them to begin to smile facially, etc. it is a dynamic process which occurs in less than a second, and happens in many layers. one of my favourite experiments is to try to get strangers to share a smile with me. your suppositions concerning early hominids and primates, and smiles as reward and laughter as gentle correction is astute. as you mentioned, it is plainly evident when attempting to learn a new language...

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by Asher *certainly . i wasn't implying that i only smile with my eyes. i was saying that if one tries to start a smile between a stranger by grimacing with their cheek and mouth muscles, the other person will probably feel uncomfortable at your insincerity and look away. Oh, the problem here is not with insincerity, but you are mostly correct. Here I think the problem is one with familiarity and intimacy . As a 'for instance', once, in one of my more important dreams, I was accosted by this Avataric Christ-Like young man (who gave the impression of being a young Ramakrishna, if anybody besides Martha knows who that is). And he gave me one of those huge broad smiles, and there was no question regarding its sincerity, as the center of the smile was in the eyes. But, yes, the intensity of the smile radiated across and from within the entire face, and, well, it made me uncomfortable. I had to pull back from it a bit. Such a smile can be overwhelming. I suppose people require something of an explanation for smiles of that degree. In fact, my dream, when I became uncomfortable, the Dream broke out in a Narrative to explain just who that Young Man was, in metaphysical terms. And the narrative explanation helped me to adjust better to the smile and to put it into some perspective. So, what can we conclude. Yawns and laughter are contagious, and so are smiles up to a point, but with big Super Smiles we are more likely to be met with blushes then smiles in return.

[wombing]

So, what can we conclude. *Yawns and laughter are contagious, and so are smiles up to a point, but with big Super Smiles we are more likely to be met with blushes then smiles in return[/b] agreed . whenever i'm on mushrooms i 'super smile' everyone, and they can't take it. usually squirm, or look down, or even walk the other way quickly...i can't help it though. its impossible not to unconditionally love people when " i' m" in that state. then i laugh at how uncomfortable they get at a stranger manifesting his love for them with a sincere smile, as if i have some ulterior motive. which means they get even more uncomfortable, and i feel bad because i know they don't know why i'm laughing, so i bombard them with sympathetic/apologetic vibrations, and make it even worse so i leave them be, and by time i get to the next person i smile again... and i know a little bit about ramakrishna. i was flipping through one of his books the other day at my favourite used bookstore...

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by Asher So, what can we conclude. *Yawns and laughter are contagious, and so are smiles up to a point, but with big Super Smiles we are more likely to be met with blushes then smiles in return agreed . whenever i'm on mushrooms i 'super smile' everyone, and they can't take it. usually squirm, or look down, or even walk the other way quickly...i can't help it though. its impossible not to unconditionally love people when " i' m" in that state. then i laugh at how uncomfortable they get at a stranger manifesting his love for them with a sincere smile, as if i have some ulterior motive. which means they get even more uncomfortable, and i feel bad because i know they don't know why i'm laughing, so i bombard them with sympathetic/apologetic vibrations, and make it even worse so i leave them be, and by time i get to the next person i smile again... and i know a little bit about ramakrishna. i was flipping through one of his books the other day at my favourite used bookstore...[/b] It gets easier as one gets older. Now that I am an old man, and am no longer considered a possible sexual threat, my smiles are much more generally excepted. I simply seem like a kindly old man. People can't imagine what ulterior motive an old man might have for being happy besides just simple joy life... or, well, it may seem puzzling and inexplicable, but it is not seen as a threat. Indeed, all the people of my daily routine -- the shop people and the regulars on the street -- are all now big smiles themselves when they see me coming. Indeed, just last week I had to call a Shop regarding availability of something or another and the Shop Girl recognized my voice and asked me delightfully if I was her "Mr. Sunshine". I was nobody's 'Mr. Sunshine' forty years ago. Being old isn't all bad.

[Howie]

Originally posted by Leo Volont It gets easier as one gets older. *Now that I am an old man, and am no longer considered a possible sexual threat, my smiles are much more generally excepted. *I simply seem like a kindly old man. *People can't imagine what ulterior motive an old man might have for being happy besides just simple joy life... or, well, it may seem puzzling and inexplicable, but it is not seen as a threat. *Indeed, all the people of my daily routine -- the shop people and the regulars on the street -- are all now big smiles themselves when they see me coming. *Indeed, just last week I had to call a Shop regarding availability of something or another and the Shop Girl recognized my voice and asked me delightfully if I was her "Mr. Sunshine". * I was nobody's 'Mr. Sunshine' forty years ago. *Being old isn't all bad. You go Leo! I commend you for smiling. Because most older men and woman are very bitter and mean. Maybe it has been the product of their life over time. But how does one stay positive as they get older as society and your health decay?

[Leo Volont]

[quote] You go Leo! I commend you for smiling. Because most older men and woman are very bitter and mean. Maybe it has been the product of their life over time. But how does one stay positive as they get older as society and your health decay? Well, there is a joke... when someone asks me why I am always so happy, I respond, "Happy!? Oh god no,... it must be the drugs I'm taking for the pain." that is always good for a laugh. And here's anothe one... "Oh, no, I'm not smiling. I'm wincing." No, but seriously, I think a great deal of happiness has to do with the kind of music that one keeps in one's head. When I was younger I used to hate myself because the only Music I could consistently create were these light little candy melodies -- totally useless. Good enough for Children's programming, but in the industry that is considered 'woman's work'. But now that I've gotten older it has occurred to me that the light and happy melodies that have been bubbling up over the years have been what keeps me happy. It also keep my cats happy. Each of my 4 cats, and even the feral cats outside at the Feeding Stations that I tend, they each have their own Theme Song, or if they are a recent acquaintence, then a song that is in the works. Usually as soon as I have settled on a name, it is as though a song comes out ready made for them. Always a happy song. Perhaps that points out a problem in the music industry. Music is far too much about Love and not enough about simply being happy.

[Howie]

What Great points Leo. Thanks. And whether joking or not, the positive influence is felt by you and the recipient! And about the music. Have you seen the Movie, The Shawshank redemption?. Where he says he keeps music (hope) in his head. Where they can't take it away. BTW. You would be happy to know I had to befriended a little cat (brilliantly black) It has was 5.6 degrees in Ohio this morning. I now feed the cat on a regular basis. She has become quite friendly. And I don't want to get started with the music industry. The next generation of retired, notorious thugs. OH ya.Because she came around the time that a Dv member joined,Vex Kitten is her name.

[wombing]

Originally posted by Rapscallion I've heard of that too Asher, its the Buddhist Morning Laugh. And wasn't lucid dreaming a well known practice among ancient buddhists? i'm not completely sure, but that label definitely rings a bell... and i know tibetan buddhists practiced lucid dreaming since at least 800AD or so...i'm assuming other types did as well, simply because constant awareness would make lucid dreaming pretty much inevitable IMO-continual reality checks basically...

[wombing]

Facial Expressions are like finger prints. It is as if no two are alike. Yet there seems to be an innate ability for us to read so many of these expression in an instance. It is remarkable. And even the obvious can be a facade. Facial expressions go hand in foot with body language. They both can tell so much if you learn how to read them. Are you saying certain drugs can enhance this, or just make you aware?[/b] well, certainly not just any 'drug' can enhance this ability. cocaine, meth, heroin, etc are all basically useless for anything like this, and i don't do them anymore. all natural now. mushrooms (and cannabis to a much lesser extent) make me incredibly aware. in the moment, so to speak. i literally can be 100% in the moment for 5 hours or more if i prepare my mind before eating some. and the fact that i am completely in the moment (and see it for the ever-changing, completely unique one that it is) means that i have no pre-conceptions about other people. i don't dwell on the daily masks and let them fool me. because those masks are the same everytime they are used...they cannot ever mask the actual moment. so yes, i truly believe that mushrooms cause me to be very aware, which in turn fine-tunes my capacity to see people for how they truly are in the moment. experience after experience has proven that my intuitions are accurate, and not just a delusion

[Feeble Wizard]

Originally posted by Leo Volont It also keep my cats happy. Each of my 4 cats, and even the feral cats outside at the Feeding Stations that I tend, they each have their own Theme Song, or if they are a recent acquaintence, then a song that is in the works. Usually as soon as I have settled on a name, it is as though a song comes out ready made for them. Always a happy song. LOL all of my pets have thier own theme songs, too; I thought I was the only person that did that.

[Leo Volont]

Originally posted by Feeble Wizard LOL all of my pets have thier own theme songs, too; I thought I was the only person that did that. My, I must be getting old... I had forgotten this Thread. Oh, cats can be so political. I have 4 indoor cats and must be careful that they all have their separate and recognizable Quality Times and Special Attentions. And even then, one must always watch out for one that has somehow taken some offense anyway, and begin to mope around. That can generally be fixed by a good chase around the house, and then so much overthetop affection that they beg to be put down -- all loud and overt enough to get the attention of all the animals they seem to be jealous of. And this can be done with the singing of their Theme Song... I'm sure all the cats know each others songs and who is being sung of. However, music may not be all that simple... a few weeks ago I think I slept strangely on my neck and cut off blood to the part of the brain that makes sense out of music. There was a song on the Radio or I was playing a CD and it simply sounded like noise --arbitrary beeps and squawks. I lifted up my head to find what the noise was, and as the blood returned up that effected vein, the Music suddenly just fell into place -- one of my favorite songs in fact. So I wonder whether cats really know what's going on with their theme songs -- the Math of a good Melody might be quite beyond them. I really think I am good with cats, but then every once in awhile you meet with little old ladies who have dancing cats. Now that is something. Or maybe they are feeding them treats to get tricks out of them. I don't give out food treats.