Walking Blindfolded
Ryan, my hypnotherapist friend, suggested an experiment several weeks ago that we tried out this past Sunday. He'd tried this in one of his psychology classes on a limited basis and wanted to see if it could be expanded into a larger experience. The experiment is simply to be lead around blindfolded, in order to heighten and attune the other senses of hearing, smell, touch and taste. Purple mentioned he'd done this before and found it exhilarating.
Ryan showed up at my apartment around 12:15 and I was ready for the experiment. I had an idea for the first couple of hours, but beyond that I didn't really know what we would do specifically. I wore my sleeping mask (the one with blue flames that purple had given me years ago) and then tied a turquoise silk scarf over that so the only light that got to my eyes was just along my nose. Ryan lead me around Capitol Hill and downtown into the Pike Place Market for an incredible six hours of visual sensory deprivation.
At times it was very disorienting, but because I've been hanging around the Capitol Hill district for over ten years I was able to navigate pretty well. I surprised Ryan by calling out buildings and businesses as we passed. He took me through some very interesting and intentionally confusing territory. At one point he was describing walking along the alleyway of a trailor park while I knew we were in the Seattle University's Plaza. When we happened upon a graduate and their family taking pictures, it was as if we'd happened upon a barbeque picnic in the yard of a trailor. It was a very odd sensation being told one thing by Ryan and another thing by my active senses.
I've acquired more confidence in my senses other than sight. I realize I have a mental map of my environment that is very familiar and allows me to move from place to place with ease. When I find myself in unfamiliar surroundings now, my awareness of the new is acute and active. My mind absorbs the new sounds, smells and sensations with great alacrity and I find when I've returned the unfamiliar environment is very familiar.
Ryan showed up at my apartment around 12:15 and I was ready for the experiment. I had an idea for the first couple of hours, but beyond that I didn't really know what we would do specifically. I wore my sleeping mask (the one with blue flames that purple had given me years ago) and then tied a turquoise silk scarf over that so the only light that got to my eyes was just along my nose. Ryan lead me around Capitol Hill and downtown into the Pike Place Market for an incredible six hours of visual sensory deprivation.
At times it was very disorienting, but because I've been hanging around the Capitol Hill district for over ten years I was able to navigate pretty well. I surprised Ryan by calling out buildings and businesses as we passed. He took me through some very interesting and intentionally confusing territory. At one point he was describing walking along the alleyway of a trailor park while I knew we were in the Seattle University's Plaza. When we happened upon a graduate and their family taking pictures, it was as if we'd happened upon a barbeque picnic in the yard of a trailor. It was a very odd sensation being told one thing by Ryan and another thing by my active senses.
I've acquired more confidence in my senses other than sight. I realize I have a mental map of my environment that is very familiar and allows me to move from place to place with ease. When I find myself in unfamiliar surroundings now, my awareness of the new is acute and active. My mind absorbs the new sounds, smells and sensations with great alacrity and I find when I've returned the unfamiliar environment is very familiar.
posted by Nathan K @ 1:15 PM
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