The first in the "Seeing & Being" series, The Powers of Suggestion is a brief delve into the concept of "resemblance"– specifically our culture's practice of creating objects that reference and represent other objects. In an era of plant-based meat and virtual reality, this film asks what purposes resemblance can serve within our contemporary culture. This phenomenon is explored through three different case studies, all of which are found along Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. Through each, the viewer is invited to take on a more active and critical means of perception toward their daily surroundings—an invaluable habit in an increasingly complex and stimulating world.