Eisoptrophobia, sex dolls, and The long-distance relationship with…ourselves
Believe it or not, there was a time where online dating as taboo. Today online dating is the norm, almost preferably by many. Strangely as online dating became more acceptable, so did our relationship with technology. Acceptable to the point where we’re cheating on our inner selves with technology. Hence, the long-distance relationship with ourselves.Â
The eyes being the windows to our souls can make looking at our own reflection extremely difficult. Eisoptrophobia is the fear of seeing one’s own reflection in the mirror. Mirrors are reminders of our mood, appearance and the last chance for us to make sure we’re “faking it till we make it”.
We can practice our happy face, or pretend to be interested when we’re really not interested face amongst many other empathetic emotions. We can lie to others but we can’t lie to the mirror.
Numerous movies are predicated around this fear, with the Candyman squeal being the most recent. Why do movies that revolve around summoning a spirit in a mirror resonate with audiences? One reason? In the original Candyman, the protagonist becomes the very thing he is running away from.
Why would someone be afraid of their own reflection? While looking in the mirror for more than 30 seconds we begin to notice what we suppress comes to our conscious mind. We can lie to ourselves while taking a self which often is out in public.
However, the mirror at home, in the quiet bathroom or bedroom gives us the necessary silence to hear our inner voice. As a result, we hear the yells and screams of our inner self, the part of us that is trapped in a long-distance relationship.
We’ve all lost something materially vital that we used daily before. Only to find out it was close to or right in front of us the entire time. When we’re not mindful and self-aware, the same thing happens to our inner self.
When we were born, we may cry because of the rawness of the alignment of our inner self and awareness—the blank slate of experiences, nothing to compare it to. Our mother’s womb is so dark, comforting, and nurturing. Where did all this light come from? The inner self needs no light from the physical world to see. Possibly this is why we meditate with our eyes closed.
Unfortunately, just as the countdown to death begins when we’re born, the relationship with yourself begins. From this moment forward, your manufactured identity forms down an assembly line of people’s expectations.
Being peer pressured is another way of not meeting expectations. If the masses are sheep, maybe being the black sheep isn’t so bad. But we can’t blame this all on society.
Our inner self fled the relationship because we were abusive. Every time we said yes when we wanted to say no, ignored our gut, and gave others more consistent attention than ourselves. These and other instances are all the times we’ve abused our inner self.
This form of self-harm is so subtle, so acceptable in society it’s ignored by everyone. Just because it isn’t blunt force or and immediately life-threatening actions doesn’t make it less severe. If fact, it could make day to day life dreadful and depressing and miserable.
Ironically, as society becomes more impulsive and instant gratification driven, fewer people will want a relationship with their inner selves. It’s not so much your job or family, making your life miserable. It’s the opposite, its what you do with your leisure time.
Media and American cultural traditions are more concerned about our dollars and not our well being. Depending on how good or bad the movie or your sports team is will provide temporary satisfaction at best. The countless hours of consuming entertainment instead should be spent developing a relationship with our inner selves.
If you want artificial companionship while watching a movie or sports and can’t find an online girlfriend or boyfriend, there’s still hope for you. Sex dolls are on the rise, male and female. In fact, in Las Vegas, there’s a sex doll brothel. What was incredibly taboo 25 years ago will be widely accepted in the years to come.
Why? The more reasons we come up with to avoid our inner selves, technology will be at the finish line for the path of least resistance.
There’s a variety of holidays, billion-dollar industries of consumption to distract you from you. No holidays exist that promote your building of this relationship because you will become content.
In conclusion, When your content, you become less of a consumer, which affects their industries. What better time than now during the Coronavirus pandemic to get in touch with yourself?. Make your long distance relationship a domestic one.
Do you feel close or far from your inner being? And why? Let us know in the comments section below.