Sensory Awareness Overview

I have gathered a lot of insight from the various sensory awareness exercises we have done in class. Some have meant more than others and some were more difficult than others. The first eye-opening experience was the "Roof" experiment, where we attempted to use all our senses at one time. This was one of the hardest to do because I think we are trained to use one or at the most two senses at one time. My favorite SAE was the "Blindfold" experiment where we blindfolded ourselves and walked up the stairs seven flights to class. It was the most fun but also one of the most insightful; for instance when I put the blindfold on I had an immediate sense of anxiety, this is what I expected, but when I just trusted my memory of where things were I found myself walking around rather comfortably and at my normal pace.
The most boring exercise but probably the most meaningful was "Standing". We were asked to stand for only six minutes, not to talk, close our eyes, and just 'notice'. This was nearly impossible for almost everyone in the room. It made us realize the extent of our inpatients, and that we need something to distract ourselves because we aren’t even comfortable enough in our own skin to stand still. I personally didn’t have to talk to anyone during those six minutes but did continuously shift my weight from side to side.

Politics of Experience-reaction 1st draft

I think it is extremely true that people are not in touch with their senses. I know for me personally it is too strenuous to attempt to 'experience' with out using the basic 5 senses. You would think it would be very hard to learn this new way to experience but Laing says that it is unlearning that must be done because society has conditioned us to sense things in the most basic and primitive ways, not to be in depth with our senses. When I attempt to experience things on a deeper level I find my self at best thinking phenomenological about the senses I am familiar with; Sight, Taste, Touch, Smell, and Taste.
Trying to use other senses to experience is like attempting to use a higher percentage of brainpower, you know you have the capability to do so but don't even know where to begin.
The little fragments that I remember from when I was very young do seem extremely vivid. As a young child you have reactions to almost everything and everybody, which relates to what Laing said; people are supposed to have a very real affect on each other. When you are a young child you are not yet completely conditioned to thinking alienation is 'normal'. I must admit that sometimes it just seems boring to try to have a deep ‘sensual experience’ with things you do and see everyday, although this impatience most likely springs from being taught to experience the minimal and not pay attention to deeper feelings that may arise.

The Politics of Experience

Laing's Article is about the lack of depth people have as far as understanding our experiences and sensations. People have been normalized by society to notice and experience the minimal as necessary for survival. Another important idea in this writing is that people by nature are 'interdependent' on each other, and that humans are supposed to have affects on one another, but now we are alienated from each other (as well as ourselves). Laing says that it is necessary to 'un-learn' the idea that alienation is normal "...before one can begin to experience the world afresh..."(1).
Laing mentions at the end of the piece that when a child is born they are a fresh start, free from the "...veils of mystification..."(2) that shroud our senses.