Have you heard about the concept of ‘Second Skin’? It’s quite an interesting phenomenon. Finding mention in the book ‘The Spaces Between Us’ by neuroscientist Michael Graziano, ‘Second Skin’ is a peripersonal space which is computed by the brain as a buffer zone around your body. And it is fairly flexible depending on where you are, whom you are with and what your state of mind at that moment just might be. This computation is largely unconscious. But, the repercussions are realtime.

It’s like you find some touches inappropriate while others invigorating. Some people appear to be invasive into your ‘personal’ space while some people you don’t mind shedding that Second Skin with entirely. This has real time and very real consequences. It hard wires your brain with learnings from the consequence. Famously heard of was President Kennedy’s 30 foot rule about personal space. He allowed very few people in his immediate 30 feet. As against the Indian Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi who is welcoming and warm enough to allow people into his immediate presence almost unknowingly. His world famous and popular hugs evident of this.

Now why am I talking about this?

Working from home for the last couple of weeks has made me realise that in the post-Covid 19 era, we would inherently become disoriented with the pre-2020 world. People will become attuned to this special social distance. The mind would create a layer of ‘Second Skin’ around us all. And this time, it would be more conscious and significantly vocal in its manifestations. “Too close for comfort” would likely be a common expression to watch out for. Individuals just might become incredibly undiplomatic towards the casual butt-brush in public places. Olfactory and sensory perceptions just might get too efficient and cause discomfort. After all, your brain is hardwiring itself to survive. Casual occurrences like someone’s hot breath into the back of your head inside an elevator would start bothering.

The thought itself is perplexing.

As I write this, my sensory stimulations are making me uneasy. The only shield I see from stressful stimuli and high level noise around me is Personal Space. I need my cocoon to stay focussed, reduce disturbances – just to be efficient the way I used to be without having to role play any of this.

Personal Space was a necessity. Now it is mandatory. Earlier on, this figured with partners and colleagues. Going forward there would be a strong sense of Personal Space with casual onlookers and strangers you may have never met before and may never meet again. This reminds me of the famous wall Trump wanted to erect against Mexico. I sense the individual walls are up. My constant physical availability is not desired. I echo the feelings towards other people. We are finding ways to work together, without having to be together. In the last few days, it has been recognised as a solution to curb the pandemic of Coronavirus.

Soon enough, we will recognise this as a problem.

Public areas, washroom, cinemas, recreation areas, hotels, smoking booths, airport lounges, coffee shops, restaurants and many similar such places that bring people together in mass gatherings, might get redesigned with a fresh set of guidelines to maintain distance from each other leading to formal and informal options for private space. The danger being, that this time around intrusion into personal space may not be perceived as an urgent request depending on the considerable reason. An intrusion would just be a cause of discomfort in everyone’s seemingly large rooms.

Normally we were not paying any attention to this. However, going by the price one has to pay for being negligent on the concept of Personal Space, the new normal would be governed by ‘I Need Space’.

PS: You are welcome into my space with inputs and observations.