We have seen that every single person is connected to their environment through the potential of our brain to constantly change and adapt to new circumstances. We have also seen that this connection can be disrupted by the rigid persistence of traumatic memories. A comparable case in which an initial situation of connection becomes disturbed can also be observe in the social context.
The element of connection is here the ability and inclination to be in a social relationship with others. The importance of attachment in this context and the basic tendency towards social connectedness can be proven by a variety of observations.
The psychoanalyst Helen Lewis points out that humans are born helpless and therefore rely on the attention of others. The loss of a primary caregiver would be life-threatening for a newborn (Lewis, 1971) and this explains why a loss of social relationships is experienced as an extreme danger.
The Sociologist Randall Collins explains that every person has a certain amount of emotional energy and that it is this energy that motivates us to take action. In this context, he speaks of neurotransmitters that cause the flow of hormones in the endocrine system. When a lot of hormones are released, emotional energy increases, we are happy and more active. When fewer hormones are released, emotional energy is low, we are sad and rather passive. Because active behavior is needed for survival, emotional energy is vital.
Collins continues to point out, that each individual has their own micro rhythm and when people come together in groups and interact with one another, there is a tendency for these rhythms to align. We can also find references to this in our language, for example: we speak of being “in tune” or “on the same wave length” with one another. According to Collins, when those involved in a gathering are able to bring their respective microrhythms into alignment with each other, an amplification of the emotional energies that each person has brought to the interaction is achieved. Everyone involved thereby gains emotional energy in the process (Collins, 2004). This phenomenon also shows the vital importance of social relationships as a gateway to emotional energy gain.
There are also other characteristics that show how focused we are on connecting with others. The neurobiologists Christina Jung and Peggy Sparenberg have studied body memory and, in this context, the human tendency to unconsciously tune in to others, a phenomenon called the “mirror neuron effect”.
The mirror neuron effect refers to the brain’s ability to accurately mirror the activities that take place in the brain center of an observed person. This ability can be shown by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a non-invasive method that enables visibility of the neural functions of the brain.
Jung and Sparenberg refer to a study by Liepelt, Cramon and Brass (2008), which shows that in this context it is not just the action of the person being observed that is crucial, but rather their intention to act. For this study, the action of raising a finger was presented visually. There were three variations: 1. The finger was raised with intention, 2. The finger was raised without intention (by a robot), 3. The finger was prevented from being raised, but the intention was there. The study shows that a mirror neuron effect was present in the observers in the first and third cases, whereas the effect in the second case was minimal.
This explains our ability to anticipate a call from a particular person before the phone rings, as we can sense the caller’s intentions prior to the action being realised.
The neurologists also refer to other studies that deal with the simulation of feelings and in which a reverse simulation model was observed, which means observers recognize facial expressions that they imitate, which enables them to experience the respective feelings (Jung & Sparenberg, 2012). Both studies show that we are designed to sense the intentions, actions, and feelings of others. This explains our interest in cultural forms such as theater, film and literature, that give us the opportunity to empathize with the lives of others.
In the following blog we will direct our attention to the causes of disturbance and disruption to our basic tendency to build and maintain social relationships.
Bibliography
Collins, R. (2004). Interaction Ritual Chains. Princeton: Princeton UP.
Collins, R. (2008). Violence. Princeton: Princeton UP.
Jung, C., & Sparenberg, P. (2012). Cognitive perspectives on embodiment. In S. C. Koch, T. Fuchs, M. Summa, & C. Müller (Eds.), Body Memory, Metaphor and Movement (pp. 141-154). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Lewis, H. (1971). Shame and Guilt in Neurosis. New York: IUP.