Invisible Touch
Before we were able to open our eyes, before our mouths tasted or ears heard, we experienced TOUCH. From the first seconds of life in the womb we were enveloped in fleshy tissue, subsequently held, rocked, and carried for a majority of our early lives. As d
eveloping embryos, our nervous system was set up for receiving sensory information from our limbs long before we could taste pickles and ice cream through the umbilical chord. Why is the sense of touch developed so early? Even before we understand what it is. It’s almost as if the Invisible touch (as Phil Collins referred to a woman having the ability of reaching in and holding on) is so ingrained in us, it is a subconscious instinctual part of us. We may not even realize that we need it. Touch, that is, not Phil Collins.
Because touch is essentially our first used sense, it causes a larger reaction than other senses. Maybe because without attachment to our 
caregivers early on we would perish- so our life depends on this connection. We need only look at the emotionally damaged orphaned children that are almost unable to function in normal society, due to lack of touch and therefore lack of connection in their infantile years. That is a developmental period where our physical sense dominates our ability to explore and bond with our world. Another reason the reaction to touch is so great, is based on size alone, measuring in at 18 square feet for an average adult, our sensory system in the skin far surpasses the size of our eyeballs, or nasal passages.
So we move from this almost marsupial physical attachment in our early years to practically the opposite in our teenage and adult years. I know most of us are not getting daily massages or being rocked to sleep as adults...but are we even maintaining a minimum dose of , let's say a massage a month? A hug a day?
Pressure, pain, love, aggression and even frustration can be communicated by this kinetic sense, which involves not only physical but mental responses. 
Hormones, such as Oxytocin, are released to not only to bond with one another, but to decrease other stress hormones such as Cortisol, and to provide relaxation and a feeling of wellness. Dopamine production increases, which can cause pain to dissipate, and allow for the feeling of euphoria, love, empathy, regret that we waited so long since our last encounter. It can improve our energy, and also help improve sleep. No wonder children are so attached! I think we all might need some of the above, so reach out (to eachother, or your favorite body work expert ,wink wink) and re-awaken your more euphoric Phil Collins self.
