Why do people hug?

I was thinking about it today. Why DO people hug? Do people hug as a subconscious way to really feel the others energy? People hug for friendship and love but why?

I am speaking in terms of everyone in every faith. Why do people feel the physical need to hug when they see someone they haven't seen in a long time or to comfort a child or to say goodbye.

Kinda interesting when you think about it.

It is an expression of trust, acceptance, openness, and sharing - a shared moment of mutual appreciation and vulnerability.

Truly, a good hug is a beautiful thing.

[SpiritCarrier]

There have been many studies done on hugging and the response to the recipent. To a woman, a hug can transfer her perfume to the man she is with and gather his aftershave on her dress or skin. A man may like a hug to feel what is beneath the dress along the breast area. *blushes*

Most of the studies done about hugging have show that birds and other animals in the animal kingdom have similar ways of showing affection. The study that I read shows that a hug can reduce stress, increase blood flow which in turn increases oxygen and gives a person an overall feeling of wellbeing.

There are a number of reason a person may offer a hug to another but most of them include a way to show affection and comfort. Reassurance also.

So while there are so many reasons to hug in the context of energy exchange physical contact is not necessary to have energy exhanges.

I want to keep hugging in my mind and heart where it has always been, a honorable place, a sentiment I share with those I wish to share an affectionate moment with.

[Squatchit]

I love this question. Because of the synchronicity.

I watched QI yesterday and apparently there is a 3-second acceptance or allowance of a hug (generally speaking). More than 3 seconds and one becomes very embarrassed and moves away. Starts patting each other on the back and coughing politely.

Hugs are regenerative, healthy and a big show of love (ime).

I'm a huge hugger and will quite happily hug until the other person gets embarrassed. Luckily I have friends who hug for ages and enjoy it just as much.

The more I hug someone, the more I get into it and the more I feel and the more I give and the more I receive and the more I relax and the more it makes me smile and the more I send healing and the more I heal and so on. It's a massive two-way thing when you find a hugger who is into hugging as much as you are....

[BlueSky]

Did you ever have one of those hugs that cannot be matched....in a dream?
I have, a couple of times.
Hugs are awesome but dream hugs are out of this world!
An elderly woman I cared for as a volunteer at hospice came to me in a dream and gave me the most amazing dream hug to say goodbye (in waking life she could not speak or do much of anything except hold my hand and smile).
Later that morning I received a phone call saying that she had passed!
James

[ellespirit]

I had an inkling that someone would think it was a way of sucking in someone's postive energy.

I hug because i'm affectionate, I love it, it feels great and you can never hug enough! I'm only sorry my kids are to hold to have huge mummy hugs.

[Silver]

Bonding is the quickest answer......I can't imagine anyone who hasn't seen the 'scientific experiment' done ages ago with a baby monkey (or monkeys?) with the wire 'substitute mother' and the substitute wire mother with a cloth over it) ~ and of course the Romanian orphanage story ~ those young who had no access to physical affection/closenest failed to thrive, it does as much damage as too much attention (unwanted, sexual, physical abuses).

I love to hug my daughter and she knowes it because she will come to me ang give me a hug and at times it makes my whole day.

[daisy]

Maybe by hugging we are intermingling auras (this would explain why some folks just don't 'take' to physical hugging, like myself I feel 'intruded' on) and the 'huggers' spirits are closer ? Just musing aloud

[daisy]

Hugs are awesome but dream hugs are out of this world!

NOthing like it is there, imo because there's no 'body' to get in the way, it's a true spirit hug a merging of energies