 mh84@cornell.edu Ithaca NY
Our thinking, feeling, and sensing functions are deeply inter-related, despite our occasional beliefs to the contrary. Whether we like it or not, what we think determines what we will feel, and what we feel can qualify our interpretation of sensory data. Our thinking capacity can take on a life of its own, without referring to valuable information being received from the bodily senses. This artificial separation occurring in the psyche is a type of neurosis, or perhaps even the very root of neurosis. Our thinking becomes increasingly defensive as we pursue dreams and goals external to the self (?) and the present moment. However, our thinking exerts influence over our bodies. Hence, as we engage in defensive thoughts, our bodies become tense. Psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich referred to this process as "body armoring," and in his view, this was essentially a somatic expression (?) of classic Freudian "neurosis." Enhancing our wellness has much to do with
integrating thinking, feelings and sensory experience. Through energy
balancing, incessant thinking will be diminished, leaving us feeling
more relaxed, refreshed, centered and vital. CESI is a system of Qigong movement/meditation exercise aimed at managing chronic disintegration between thoughts, emotions and the sensing capacity. The body and energy are here important tools on the path to wellness and enlightenment. These traditional Chinese exercises, whether internal and external, assist at "gathering," "storing" and "circulating" precious "bioelectricity," or Qi.
* * * Afro Swing Gyrations Have you ever felt there were vastly more possibilities, ecstatic and healthful possibilities, for movement in your own body? Similarly, have you ever felt you were capable of thinking, perceiving, and sensing at more subtle levels? Being capable physically is related to being capable cognitively. We normally do not consider body and mind as being connected, let alone contiguous. Through an examination of African Dance/Rhythm motifs, we will come to an appreciation that finely tuned movement sensibilities imply finely tuned cognitive capacities and visa versa. This is particularly more likely when considering the cognitive faculty we refer to as "intuition." Intuition can be thought of as a sense of knowing without necessarily having direct experience of a phenomena. Have you ever come to a solution or an answer without proceeding through familiar sequence of logical steps? Many of us regularly experience intuitive insight; a sense of knowing without a "normal" basis for knowing, but few of us trust such insights, or choose to incorporate them into our daily perceptions, ruminations or decisions. People in artistic professions may use insight on a regular basis. It is not uncommon to hear artists speaking of spontaneity, improvisation or imagination. It is as if some operate driven by the unction to "fish" within the nature of consciousness, to "bring" up (to surface awareness) a "catch" (or new insight/creation). Whether it be an idea for a poem, a musical composition, a painting or a play, many of the ideas/conceptions/creations of some artists do not seem to originate within the matrix of daily cognitions or consensual reality, but from "deeper" layers of cognition. However, probing into more subtle levels of human thinking capacity is not a tendency exclusive to artists. Various well-known scientists, for example theoretical physicists, have demonstrated uncanny insight beyond conventional understanding. The details of the insights of Einstein, Bohm, Pribham and Heisenberg emanate from their training in the standard language of math and the relevant scientific language. However, the process of insight as described by some theoretical physicists/scientist themselves, may reveal less descript and even circuitous information processing capacities being engaged. Indeed, many scientists, particularly of the theoretical inclination, have also been, and are, artists (e.g., writers, musicians, etc.). This project/query is not about the specifics of what insight-based information processing is, in a given individual, but that such exists as a vital key to furthering human knowledge. Further, this is to be an offering of strategies/techniques for opening intuitive processes up to any person; affording anyone the capacity to probe beneath the surface of standard information processing tendencies to draw insights, solutions and directions from deep within the structure of human consciousness. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung, proposed the psychic realities of the "collective unconscious" and "archetypes" in human consciousness. He suggested that "knowledge data" exists on deeper layers of thinking. Across cultures, there seem to be similar, comparable images and symbols which have meaning to humans in general. Often dreams, art, metaphysical ruminations and myth provide avenues to cultivate such investigations. Physicist David Bohm, suggested that there are two planes of cognizing, the "explicate" and the "implicate." The explicate plane suggests that laws which appear to operate in the realm of sensed data, is likely "driven" by more subtle, underlying implicate plane of reality. There are likely laws within laws, and an important development for humans would be to more harmoniously integrate these planes of reality. Similar to Qigong, an energy based exercise method developed in China, African dance movements are both cathartic and energizing. Ancient movement and rhythmic notions are intimately connected to the human in interaction with surroundings, nature and others. Currently, with the help of modern technology, there is little need to build movement rituals, which remind us of various movement schemes necessary to survive from day to day. However, with fewer conveniences, traditional cultures depended more upon the body to negotiate life. Such movement possibilities exist with in the collective human psyche. African dance, as well as other dance forms, practiced regularly, help us to bring such ideas to the surface of human awareness or consensual reality. Even though such movements are currently
anachronistic, they continue to have tremendous energizing potential.
These movements stimulate spine, brain, energy centers and emotions.
Swing dance was an art form which emerged as an art form during the
years leading up to World War II. These movements were vital to helping
lift the American spirit during very challenging years. Swing Dance,
like many other American pop dances over the year, are strongly rooted
in African movement sensibilities, those sensibilities and core movements
having been transported from African by slaves. |
