About Body Language Project

The website was formally launched in 2007 but my interest in body language first began at the University of Guelph. I began my studies in 1998 with a degree in zoology and psychology. I still use this framework to understand nonverbal communication today. I primarily use a sociobiological perspective and analyze human behaviour from an evolutionary perspective.

My aim is to take empirical research and turn it into a format that anyone can understand. I want readers to be able to not only read the hidden thoughts and emotions of other people, but I also want them to learn how to use and apply body language in daily life toward whatever result they may desire.

Within the field of nonverbal communication we cover everything from child education to learning disabilities, business, law, social relationships, and yes of course, dating. We aim to assist all people regardless of their specific demographic in order to achieve the results they desire.

We pride ourselves on this site as being the most comprehensive and most researched web source for body language worldwide. I challenge you to find one that is more complete!

I spend a significant amount of time reading and writing so you don’t have to! You’re getting all the good stuff without having to read 1,000+ journal articles (like I had to).

Click HERE to find instructions on how best to get started in this massive, dynamic, and growing field.

Is Body Language a Real Science?

Many people believe that body language is not a real science for the simple fact that they themselves have not taken the time to really study the subtle nuances that drive nonverbal communication. In other words, they are simply too lazy to get into any of the finer details that the craft requires in order to master the field. (For example, “Should you ‘Power Pose’ by placing your hands on your hips in arms akimbo?” Short Answer: “Yes, of course. It makes you look more powerful!” Long Answer: “It really depends…”

To really study the nuances of this one pose start by reading these articles: ONE, TWO and THREE, and then when you think you’ve got things mastered, dig into this one (FOUR) which refutes parts of the first few articles!

If you think you should always be dominant and can’t ever benefit from acting submissively, you have much to learn!

You’ll find that this website references primary research more than any other. This makes the information presented here powerfully predictive, tested, empirical, peer reviewed, and most importantly as all real science should be, replicable. However, unlike some other hard sciences like chemistry or physics, nonverbal communication and nonverbal behaviour have limitations and require the interpreter to be careful. This keeps the topic interesting and fascinating!

That said, the average reader who simply wants rules of thumb or heuristics, will still find this website highly informative and practical. We aim to balance real world application of body language with results from science in a way that is helpful and practical in an easy-to-digest package.

While studying the field, be sure to keep in mind that much like all forms of communication, including verbal communication, body language can not only be faked and exaggerated on purpose by others, it can also be misinterpreted by the end user. By looking into the finer details, you’ll be able to use the information to subtly decide and control the outcome of various situations.

Why Should I Bother to Learn Body Language?

You will see, like I did, that body language is something that once learned will stick with you for a lifetime. Most of us already have some sort of intuitive ability to read people but this website will help spell it all out for you in plain English with no need for interpretation or guesswork.

This website is a good start on your way to learning body language, but certainly not the finish line. You will still be required to advance a significant effort independent of this website to become proficient at both reading and delivering nonverbal messages, not the least of which will happen by seeing it in real life and in real time.

Who are the Contributors to BLP?

The website cites a wide array of researchers and to them I owe everything. Without their effort, this site would simply not exist. As the website grows, so too does the research it cites. Go HERE if you want an actual reference list of the studies used herein. I’m a nut for nonverbal communication. I read, study, and interpret…a lot!

I’m also in partnership with Chris Richmond who is the webmaster and marketing project manager. I rely on him for technical issues and especially when things go wrong. He handles the email lists, fixes the site bugs, sets up and runs the Word Press, and on and on and on. Because of him I can focus on what I’m good at. To contact him for services visit: http://netbuy.ca/ or LinkedIn.

The wonderful photographs were mostly shot by my brother or supplied by the generous people at Flickr.

I’m also indebted to various “interns” who have contributed articles – special mention to Jenny Galvao who has worked diligently to supply this website with quality content.

Why is This Site Free?

This site is mostly free because it gives me a chance to share my passion with super enthusiastic and appreciative readers like you. Yes, the site is a huge amount of work – it took me something like over 2 years of full time dedicated work to research, write, compose, post and organize the material (but I’m not really counting, so it’s probably even more than this). I’ve also never made what would amount to a decent income from the site – and I don’t really care. I do this for fun, to relax, to study and to grow my own mind. I also find the task of building something in a competitive niche like body language to be a great challenge and mystery. This keeps me motivated to continue to build a site that is the largest in the niche. I challenge you to find a site that is more comprehensive on nonverbal communication than this one is!

If you care to support the site and help us pay for our ongoing expenses like our hosting and my time, spread the word via social media, put up links, pay me a compliment, leave a comment, or pay for a video course which can be accessed HERE.

What People Say About BLP

“Hey I just wanted to say thanks so much for creating a site like this. It’s amazing! and comprehensive. My mind is racing with questions! Of course, I’m very appreciative, so I was wondering what the benefit is to you, except for the fact that you get to teach a whole lot of people at once about body language… I actually run a site too (has to do with film though) so I know how much work it is. The pics you put also look professional, it’s amazing that you went that extra step and added contextual pictures with good lighting and good settings (a bar). Thanks again!” ~ Curt Jaimungal

“I love what you are doing here. As a person that relies on body language to function in daily life, I find that it is a lost art. Many young people only want to text or surf the internet or have an App for everything. Old folks like me can read people all day long and have an edge. Keep teaching the meanings but do not give up the secrets to everyone or it will not be special anymore.” ~ Milanda

“Just wanted to say THANK YOU for putting up this site! I’m a hypnotherapist and have been fascinated by the work of Dr. Paul Ekman. And your site is absolutely top notch! I agree with the other posters, you really should package the info and sell it as some type of e-course. Personally, I’d love to see an option for an audio book. I’d gladly spend $30-$40 for such a product. In the mean time I’ll be here everyday, digesting and referencing the incredible amount of info you’ve put up for free. Thanks again!” ~ Dennis

“Chris, Thank you so much for the reply! I wasn’t actually expecting one but this is extremely helpful to me. Your website is now officially the most credible source on body language/nonverbal communication I have looked at, and I can’t even begin to count how many sources I’ve been through (most listed as not credible). I actually do have one last question if that’s okay. When was this website published and do you still update it? Thank you again!” ~ Mary

“Chris, this is the most comprehensive website that I have seen. I highly recommend your site. It is a great tool for anyone who is interested in body language. It provides a one stop source of references. Especially since nonverbal communication makes up anywhere from 60-93% of our communication. Your explanations and great illustrations make it very simple to understand and apply. Keep up the great work.” ~ Raynell

“Hello there, simply was aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. A lot of other people can be benefited from your writing. Cheers!” ~ Jenni

“I loved it, and I’m still in chapter 6! Congratulations for this excellent project! I’m just wondering if you have it compiled in just one PDF, free or for selling… or if I can buy this book on Amazon. Thanks.” ~ Lucas

“Hi! This is the greatest book on body language! Here’s some feedback:
– nice style of writing – objective and scientific point of view – I think you should add some visual material, like photos of gestures (emblems and so on…) or videos (or *.gif files) if the gesture is dynamic, because not all readers are common with them and one may not get it from description. Best regards.” ~ Mikhail

“Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to look it over. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Great blog and wonderful design and style.” ~ Dave

Who Reads this Website and How?

As of this writing, we serve about 12,000 unique readers every month – double from just one year ago! We attract a very diverse audience, nearly evenly split male and female, who are usually in their early adult years. Our readers most often drop in to cite a cue quickly, but we have another set of regular readers who want to really master body language and who will spend well over 60 minutes reading through the website to gain a comprehensive understanding of nonverbal communication. One of the more popular destinations is the free book located HERE.

Our nonverbal dictionary, launched in 2014, is expected to eclipse this in total hits only, (more will still spend the time reading one of our books or articles). You can find the nonverbal cue catalog HERE.

We also dish out articles regularly to keep on top of all the new research in the field. They are located HERE.

If you want to understand body language without investing the time, choose one of our video courses! These are meant to get the layman started as efficiently as possible. Find them HERE.

Kind regards,
Christopher Philip
ChristopherPhilip55 [at] gmail.com