The Reality Illusion: How You Make the World You Experience by Strauch Ralph

Author:Strauch, Ralph [Strauch, Ralph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Somatic Options
Published: 2011-02-10T22:00:00+00:00

The same thing happens with our tactile and kinesthetic senses. From touching or being touched we get a pattern of tactile contact on the surface of the skin — a slight depression over the area of contact. We translate that sensory pattern into the perception of an external object with mass and solidity. We create this perception by contracting, becoming rigid, and impeding our own ability to move. We then attribute the impediment to the “solidity” of the “object” we are in contact with.

You’ve seen that process at work in some of the experiential exercises. Let’s try another one and see if we can make it a little clearer. This exercise will put you in a situation where you seem physically restrained and unable to move. It will then show you that you are doing things that wouldn’t accomplish your purpose even if there were no restraint, then blaming the restraint for your inability to act. This exercise works best with the help of two friends, one to provide restraint and the other to help you remember how to move in spite of it. The one who provides the restraint should be reasonably matched to you in strength.

Sit in the chair (a straight-back chair is best, or a stool) with your feet on the floor. Notice how that feels. Notice the feeling of weight and solidity in your feet and buttocks. Stand up, and notice the shift of weight as you do so. Your weight shifts out of your buttocks and onto your feet, and there is a feeling of “up” in your body as a whole as it rises. Sit down and stand up several times, observing what goes on when you do. Minimize the effort you expend and maximize the feeling of “up” as you rise.

Now, sit down. Your friend should stand behind you with hands on your shoulders to keep you from getting up, holding you firmly and evenly (not maliciously and not trying to make it a contest to see who is stronger). Try to get up. Notice the restraint and your reaction to it. In response to feeling stuck, you push your buttocks into the chair so you can push back against your friend. You probably pick your feet up slightly off the floor in order to push your buttocks harder into the chair.

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