Free Hugs Movie
“When you watch other people hug, experience authentic joy and surprise, you do the same. That is, your brain actually mirrors their brain — chemically, electrically, hormonally, and holographically — your brain mirrors what they are experiencing, as if you are having the experience, directly and first-hand.” —Teka Luttrell
Free Hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. Juan tells us below how the Free Hugs Campaign all started.
I’d been living in London when my world turned upside down and I’d had to come home. By the time my plane landed back in Sydney, all I had left was a carry on bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. No one to welcome me back, no place to call home. I was a tourist in my hometown.
Standing there in the arrivals terminal, watching other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, I wanted someone out there to be waiting for me. To be happy to see me. To smile at me. To hug me.
So I got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign. I found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign aloft, with the words “Free Hugs” on both sides.
And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling.
Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven’t compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time.
Why did it get banned? Public liability fear and red tape. But it’s all OK now! If you decide to try this, make sure you check your local laws before embarking on your Hugathon!
Enjoy some free hugs vicariously. Watch the movie below. Even if you’re all alone, you’ll still get the benefit of the hugs others received. Try it. Then, if you wish, pass along this link to others who might need a hug. It’s another way you can use your power to bless.
For more information about the Free Hugs Campaign, visit Free Hugs Campaign.
