Let's Get Psychophysical - Newsletter #5
Program or be programmed.
Hello, it’s Kevin. Here is your weekly list of 5 things I’ve found that promote wholeness, integration and “waking up” - rather than fragmentation, dis-integration and falling asleep.
Program or be programmed.
You can learn to consciously program your own movements. You don’t have to be a slave to your subconscious habits and past programming.
The method? Structured self-speech. The “logos.” The power of the Word.
You can give yourself simple rules in advance that will produce complex behaviour in the future. It seems to be something built into the universe itself.
So you might as well learn how to use it constructively.
BOOK:
A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram
“This picture is our first example of the fundamental phenomenon that even with simple underlying rules and simple initial conditions, it is possible to produce behaviour of great complexity.”
Stephen Wolfram; A New Kind of Science
VIDEO:
Algorithms And The Human Psyche with Pierre Grimes
QUOTE:
You can consciously program your movement habits using verbal “orders.”
When real conscious control has been obtained, a "habit" need never become fixed. It is not truly a habit at all, but an order or series of orders given to the subordinate controls of the body, which orders will be carried out until countermanded.
F. Matthias Alexander; Man's Supreme Inheritance
VISUAL:
Program or be programmed.
EXPERIMENT:
“Mr Miyagi’s Fridge”
I recently watched the The Karate Kid for the first time in years. You remember when Mr Miyagi makes Daniel (Son!) clean his car, paint the fence, paint the house. He doesn’t just let Daniel perform these tasks in his habitual way.
Instead he gives him simple rules to follow:“Wax on, wax off.” “Up and down.” “Side to side.” The real purpose of this is so that Daniel will “run the program” and use these movements to defend himself from various punches and kicks.
A few simple rules program his future behaviour in more complex conditions (getting kicked in the head!)
The aim of the following simple experiment is to consciously “program” your own movements while performing a regular household task: opening the fridge door.
Record yourself standing side-on the camera & facing the fridge.
Take hold of the fridge door handle but don’t open it yet (hold the handle.)
Look at the position of your elbow. It just followed your hand didn’t it? Your elbow is now closer to the middle of your body than when it started isn’t it? You subconsciously programmed this “rule” before the age of reason.
But what effect does pulling the elbow inward like this have on your shoulders? Does it widen or narrow them?
Now consciously give yourself a simple rule: “When i take hold of the fridge door handle I will move the elbow OUTWARD away from my body.” Do this and look at your elbow position. Did this widen or narrow your shoulders?
Watch the video: see what other body movements you did (subconsciously) while focussing on your hand. e.g. What happened to your lower back? Did you pull your head down? Did you pull your shoulder up? Do you now need to change the position of your feet in order to open the fridge door?
Obviously this is extremely simple, and can get a lot more complex and dynamic. You will eventually learn how to program many movements all at the same time - and transform your posture, poise and presence.
But first you have to discover all the subconscious “programs” you are running, and once you can see them, then you can change them. This is the purpose of 1-1 lessons with me.
Have fun. Don’t let anyone know your are trying to deprogram yourself…
Thanks for reading,
Kevin
P.S. If you want to learn how to consciously program the movements that create your posture, then reply to this email, or message on Twitter.