To mitigate dangers in generalized touching, the Egyptians, for example, believed in the primacy of touch. They used aporphine from the Blue Lotus to place “eyes in their skin,” and "see" through their body’s interaction. Aporphine enhanced their psychological proprioception, enabling them to detect deception, deceit, distrust, and doubt during touch exchanges.
The Counterculture of the 1960s used psychedelics similarly to uncover the false narrative of the 'American Dream.' The Colorful Prince's collective follows suit with their use of psychedelics to witness and isolate duplicity and fraud during touch exchange.
Still, the benefits of indirect reciprocity far outweigh the negatives when considering its effect on unequal power dynamics in intimate social settings.
Indirect reciprocity reconfigures how participants, who are otherwise unequal in power, perceive each other. Haptic association is an equalizer. The negative effects of power and status inequality are canceled out, and participants are balanced through touch and generalized reciprocity, which will, over time, change the power structure itself. This is the power of the human touch, the change most feared.
The hope and promise of the Colorful Prince lie in a belief in the human touch. That touch can take many forms and promote physical and psychological well-being. And a warm, loving touch can lead to positive, regenerative families that transform our built environment.
