How Much Do Hands Move?

Almost a month ago I received an email asking "What percentage of the day do humans use their hands?" The question stumped me at the time, and has had me pondering it ever since.

I suppose the best answer is that humans use their hands all the time - 100% of the day. Even when the hands are not in motion, they can still be seen holding a position that reflects what is happening in the person's mind. When the thoughts and emotions (and the nervous system) change, so does the natural hand position. Every finger twitch tells a tale, and even in sleep the hands can move.

Work Disruptions Continue

It's amazing how quickly noise sensitivity developed from the renovations happening to our home. The outer stucco and walls had to be completely removed, and about the only way to do that is with a circular saw, hammer and crowbar. The noise and vibration inside have been rather intense this week - Even when it's quiet while the workers take a break, it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm so glad for the meditation training I've done - Can't even imagine how I could have continued working during this noise otherwise. (Surprisingly, my hands are still very steady while the construction goes on, with no tremors or finger twitches.) It will certainly be nice when the renovation work is all finished.

Hand Positions to Amplify Meditation Effectiveness

One of the most overlooked parts of meditation is how to use specific hand positions to amplify the potency and effectiveness. You can't be curled up in fetal position hyperventilating and meditate well - Your body posture and breathing must be correct. In just the same way, you can't get the full benefit of a meditation unless you use a complementary hand position.

Hand positions are especially effective with meditations specific for increasing psychic powers or mental control - http://www.humanhand.com/ebooks/powermeditations.html

palmistrymeditationpsychichands

Wii Power Glove and Hand Gestures

Another attempt to use hand gesture recognition technology is with the Wii Power Glove (click to view video) This one seems inferior to what is being developed by Oblong Industries.

If you apply chirokinesics interpretations (hand movements and gestures), then the mind is kept rigid when using the glove and allows for only the most primitive thoughts and emotions. Note how firm the hand has to be held, and the awkward movement of the fingers and thumb to click.

Seems like your arm would also get pretty sore if you used this glove too much.

Watch Your Child's Hands and Thumbs

As a parent, you can really learn a lot from watching your young child's thumb position. When it falls inside the closed fist, their independent will is being suppressed (broken will). When the thumb stays more extended, the child can reveal their own unique personality instead of just the "approved" parts.

It seems that when a child desperately needs more support and guidance from others, their thumb naturally collapses into the hand. When our daughter got sick with a flu, for example, her thumbs fell inside the closed fists much more frequently than normal. At those times she wanted/needed almost constant physical contact with one or both parents. In the times where we as parents expressed any frustration or anger, our daughter's thumbs seemed to collapse automatically, regardless of what we were frustrated about.

Children appear so much happier and active when their natural relaxed thumb position remains more extended. Their games are more physical and their excitement shines through. Their laughter is real, and their confidence and determination quickly grow. (But of course as their independence and self awareness grow, the child becomes more prone to challenging the parents' authority and decisions.)

Hand Movements and Gesture Recognition Technology

So much for sore index fingers and carpal tunnel syndrome - I suppose every mouse has its day as well.

Making 'Minority Report' computer navigation a reality: "The mouse has had a good run, but it's time to say good-bye," said John Underkoffler, the founder and chief scientist of Oblong Industries.

His company has an operating system, based on human hand gesturing, that enables the user to explore in a 3D plane. The system responds to the pitch, roll and yaw movements that come naturally to the hand and works with cameras that track the positions of targets placed on gloves.

One fascinating thing about this technology is that by using hand gestures instead of a mouse, all the normal chirokinesics interpretations come into play. (Chirokinesics is the study of hand movements and gestures.) Will this gesture recognition technology use the index finger excessively like the mouse does (excessive ego)? Or will it include natural hand movements that indicate a more positive individual expression? Time will tell...