4 minute read
Mirrors - A reflection
Waking up
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- Christopher Isherwood
By Kristy Lam
The chain of intricate biological mechanisms that occurs once you wake up - the activation of your brain stem, the rise in your blood pressure, the increase in norepinephrine and orexin levels - all culminate towards one ultimate goal.
To allow yourself to be present.
This notion may seem incredibly unpoetic, but novelist Isherwood reinforced how such emotionally-void actions are what ironically allow us to ‘humanise’ ourselves as we start our day.
You might then peer outside the window to examine what pleasantries the world will bestow upon you today. You may be welcomed by an array of glistening skyscrapers that shoot up like plants from the earth, a vision likened to a canvas erratically smeared with monotonous shades of tan and grey - not a particularly enthralling sight.
The typical routine that will follow afterwards would be you forcing yourself out of the soft embrace of your blankets as you begrudgingly shuffle your way towards the bathroom. By this time, the veil of sleep that had initially surrounded you should be beginning to dissipate. You might start to think to yourself - What’s on my schedule today?
The bathroom seemed like a canvas sloppily smeared with various cool hues of blue, with the exception of the subtle glint of the mirror that reflected skewers of the morning sunlight - further influencing the biological aspects of your body to rev into action.
Despite knowing the objectives of the day that you want to achieve, this is almost completely useless information unless one has greater clarity as to why they want to execute such goals. You lift your head. This will most likely be the first time each day in which you would have glimpsed a physical vessel dazed from sleep - stitched by various sinewy fibres and compacted together by a layer of skin.
The very body that you will have for the rest of your life.
Physical Mirrors
Mirrors are an incredibly interesting piece of human craftsmanship. Not only do they allow one to view themselves in a holistic manner, but they also can pave an avenue through which one can scrutinise and fret over the micro elements of their physical being.
Seeing your reflection in the mirror as you go about addressing your hygiene is something that is a common and overlooked aspect of how we start our day. Seeing your physical being is what allows you to be further grounded in reality. It is a mechanism that is paramount in allowing you to solidify the gravity of your existence and the thoughts that you possess.
Although it is an ever-changing canvas that is a double-edged sword at its core, mirrors really can be an impetus towards allowing one to realise, admit, and thus be proactive in addressing their flaws whilst also bringing to light the intriguing uniqueness that everyone possesses.
Alternatively one should, rather than viewing mirrors as a tool of selfdeprecation, utilise them as a source of empowerment and self-improvement.
Mirrors are a source of power.
Technology and ‘Mirror Neurons’ Our biological mirrors
There may be some days that start off quite badly. You might be seeing angry splashes of red everywhere you go. Mirrors then won’t be of much help. Sometimes you may need the support of others as well to reach your goals.
Over 56.7% of the world's population uses the Internet. The world is increasingly becoming more technologically dominated, with the Internet acting as a versatile channel that allows the communication of various ideas, opinions and information. You might proceed to go on your phone in the morning after finishing up your hygiene routine. Scrolling through Instagram or sending a friend an impromptu text message might be something that was not initially on the agenda.
As inherently social creatures, we leak our emotional state to others and in turn also receive external emotional outputs from them. This is because we share “mirror neurons” which allows spontaneous and unconscious emotional imitation. This is key in fostering both intuition and empathy, where both of these ingredients are imperative towards being able to not only empower others, but also ourselves too.
Utilising technology is one way in which this can be achieved. This may take the form of a morning Facetime call with one of your best friends or maybe a quick phone call with a respected co-worker. The existence of “mirror neurons'' , in tandem with the flexibility that technology provides, has heightened our accessibility and receptiveness to external emotional output. When taking the time to understand and diligently listen to others, we are actively attempting to utilise these empathetic “mirror neurons” to reciprocate and exchange altruism. Interestingly, by doing so we are also unconsciously undergoing a process of internal change ourselves since we will consequently be increasing our emotional receptiveness.
Hence, there is an inherent connection between our processes of execution and observation. For these processes to be carried out effectively, self-empowerment and empowering others must be facilitated.
After all, how we perform such actions and why we do so are reflected by our self-confidence and compassion for others - the workings of “mirror neurons” in action.
