"The Body Has A Mind Of Its Own"

[Cat Bradford]

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing science writing team (a mother-son team as well) Sandra Blakesless and Matthew Blakeslee, who co authored, "The Body Has A Mind Of Its Own" (www.thebodyhasamindofitsown.com). This extraordinary book brings us into the scientific exploration of how our minds work to create a sense of self. It is well understood, by the scientific community, that our peripersonal space actually extends beyond the physics of our bodies, encompassing the space around us usually as far out as the tips of our fingers with outstretched arms. In fact, when you attach yourself to anything (i.e. your car, a rack, an umbrella, a paintbrush, a music instrument) this object to which you are attached also become part of your personal space and your perception of the world extends out to the edges of these objects. Together, connected, you both are 'one' with the world. It is because of this that we find ourselves ducking our heads when we drive into an underground garage with low ceilings. The top of our cars roof is actually a part of our peripersonal space.
Another fascinating fact revealed in this book is the reality of our ability to morph to accomodate experiences in which we find ourselves. Our ability to empathize, or relate to what another person is feeling or doing, or even being, actually moves us closer to the belief that we truly are all one; that in its most absolute form, our 'being' separated from one another is just an illusion.

Sound fascinating? It really is. Take a moment to go to my archives and look for this interview with Sandra and Matthew Blakesless (Oct. 8th, 2008).
You'll find it quite amazing at how incredible we really are!