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 Prof.
Möllmann |
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Non-seeing awareness
by Prof. Wilm-Peter Möllmann, Dipl.-Psych.
Non-seeing awareness: that means having one's eyes covered for shorter or longer periods as comfortably as possible with "Soft Eye-shades". This is intended not so much to create a situation of being "handicapped", as to make accessible potentials usually suppressed by the normal continuous "stream" of optical stimuli.
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The Soft Eye-shades are to ensure that seeing is no point at all - "turning off" the eyes without any problem, while otherwise there would remain a continuing "struggle" with light, against the impulse to see. A very good sleeping mask, i.e. one perfectly adjustable, that feels rather soft without any disagreeable or aversive sensations, is usually the best thing to be used, even though other blindfolds might block out light more effectively. Sleeping not being the point here the term "Soft Eye-shields" seems more appropriate. Feeling free of any pressure - not only in physical terms - is most important: So for some people - highly sensitive and/or anxious ones - special eye-shields made of silk letting through some light, but still excluding sight will be the best thing. Other people may prefer eye-shields outward-bulbed at the eyes these possibly to be kept open.
So all this is already part of the novel ideas about non-seeing as a way open to many people, that may be followed unless anxieties become a problem. Normally occasional initial feelings of anxiety in the "blind" situation will disappear, the eye-shields even being a way of dealing with anxiety. Should such feelings increase instead, maybe even change to panic, a slower approach if any will be appropriate, nothing to be forced anyway.
Apparently new is the discovery, how far and to how many different experiences this way can lead, enough care being taken as to feeling comfortable.
The first thing is relaxation often coming about spontaneously, maybe after some time. Relaxing ideas, possibly in the sense of Dr.BENSON's Relaxation Response, will add to this effect. "EASY - Relaxation" as conceived by this author employing appropiate audio-cassettes combined with the soft eye-shields is a highly effective "low-tec, low-cost" method to ensure relaxation states as deep as any, that will work with people and situations too tense for relaxation normally. This method proves effective for stress-management as well as for coping with difficult life-events and for all medical applications of relaxation.
Sensitization is a second feature. This includes sensual enhancement as to the other senses known to be a consequence of non-seeing. Special mention should be made here to the sense of touching underused and underdeveloped in modern life intensively to be (re-)developed using the Soft Eye shields. So simple small wooden touching elements of irregular shapes and surfaces the author uses with individuals and groups often evoke intensive emotional reactions and reminiscences.
What is more is greatly enhanced body perception. Along with the relaxation effect this gives access to individual parts, organs and processes of the body to an astonishing degree, which allows even some influence on them by way of intensified visualization etc. These effects can of course readily be used in medical contexts.
Body perception is one way opening emotional processes. These may be accessible by imagining as well. Of course these are established procedures for this, but non-seeing awareness has these effects often come about spontaneously or with minimal instructions. This also holds for the possibility of taking real-life situations or people into one's (mind's) eye, finding new aspects in them by (imagined) hearing, smelling and touching too.- Here connections with hypnosis become apparent: A special state of consciousness induced by non-seeing awareness could be called "relaxed concentration" as opposed to more sleep-like relaxation states.
This same state of "relaxed concentation" can lead to and serve for various experiences in the physical environment and with other people - even by doing everiday-life routines with the eye-shields.
The concept of space will change, only one's own personal space being "real" - the distances to be gone or to be felt, perhaps to be heard. Time will get one's own time in terms of personal rhythms, which is quite an experience these days. Communication with other people, verbal or nonverbal, must be much more direct, all the eye-related mechanisms of controle, manipulation, giving and receiving support being blocked, as are the effects of stereotypes or expectations based on outer appearance. He or she who does not speak or elsehow communicate will be risking "just not to be present". Communication will be specially rich, much more of it with much physical contact included being necessary for group activities that would be rather easy when seeing.- People may have roles and positions in groups quite different from the ones they usually are ascribed and accustomed to.
All this will provide access to new dimensions of experiences and personal potentials. Autonomy is usually one basic experience rather than feeling dependent or even weak. So this is in fact a good way to deal with many kinds of anxieties or feelings of depression. Generally a self-concept may be altered, newly discovered strengths or abilities added... or false perceptions based only on wishes or fears shattered, with good prospects for finding new solutions or at least directions in which to go.
Non-seeing awareness may thus be a good support to counselling and therapeutic processes. It can be used by the client additionally to gain more from the therapeutic process for the "back-home" situation or may even be integrated in that process shifting the client's attention still more to her or his own ideas and feelings, the counsellor-therapist just being an "escort" in this - a trained and sensitive one, as it should be .
The "means" of non-seeing awareness is thus to be used quite systematically as a method of its own initiating processes of relaxation, sensitization, easier access to body processes and/or to those of imagination, enhanced self-perception, enriched communication...
Non-seeing can be a method for individual experiences in private situations too, revealing new aspects in existing relationships: E.g. a day of 24 hours (or less) wearing the eye-shields may lead to an unknown restful state, "gliding" in one's body through space and time. Doing so has been proposed by others already. Special emphasis is given here to dealing with the crisis mostly arising after an hour or two, and maybe later on again ("What am I doing? Do I have to stand this? What for am I doing this?"). Getting through this crisis leads to more intensive experiences, but the limit should not be crossed forcedly. Stopping for the moment widening the limit gradually may be as good: This is a "soft" method, even it's "hardware" - the "soft eye-shields" - to be that.
The same "soft" approach holds for groups too as opposed to "marathon"-like appraches. Confrontation needs not to be forced unless sought for but will arise within the degrees tolerable for participants. So not even wearing the eye-shields at all times by all participants is to be enforced. Temporary "ways out" for single participants may diminish the intensity of an experience, but may be of help in copng with anxieties possibly becoming evident like that. This can be dealt with according to individual and group situations.
Of course the eye-shields and their effects can be used in other "methods" such as meditation, certain yoga-experiences, Tai-Chi &c. They all will gain intensification in this way, their central experiences being facilitated, maybe brought "over the threshold" for a first time.
Apart from that numerous activities in less "psychological" contexts may profit from non-seeing with the "soft eye-shields" - be it courses in dancing or ceramics or singing in a choir. The "soft eye-shields" should just be offered, the "soft" approach always to be followed with the clear recommendation at least to try the eye-shields, as their effects are hardly imaginable without having experienced them.
The "Soft Eye-shields" may be regarded as a "medium" too, not just as an anti-medium counterbalancing visual media to a degree. As a medium it "mediates" between oneself and the often overly stimulating and challenging surrounding world, transmitting intensive, slow and small-scale informations and experiences. It can be far more accessible and mobile than most other media, but it will enhance their effects apart from the visual ones - though "watching" tv with the eye-shields on may be quite revealing.
As to possible applications it has been said half-jokingly more than once, that it would be easier to name situations in which the eye-shields can't be applied than those in which they can - the latter including school- and special-pedagogic situations, groups with children, juveniles and adults &c. "Mental training" and intensification of learning situations with the eye-shields make them important especially in performance-oriented contexts, too.
Even if the ideas un(-blind?-)folded above might seem acceptable, there could be still some questions to be answered.
One. How about the real blind?
Blind people having accepted blindness as part of their life, as their way to live, will be eager to understand, that this is one more step toward an integration of their wold and the "seeing" world, the barriers between the two worlds thus being opened from the other side too. And what is to be gained by non-seeing awareness - relaxation and sensitization - is not automatically given by the handicap of being blind, awareness being a point here too.
Two. How scientifically sound are these ideas?
Surely there has not been the single experiment proving their valdidity - but which could? What there is is a host of observations in most different situations ranging from counselling to congress and trade fair events. Again these observations have not been documented as thoroughly as one might wish, but the main interest so far has been in trying new applications, following new ideas, developments and variations, and there have been plenty of them. The concept can be put to test by everybody - just for him-/herself or in working with other people. Everybody that is not being dependent on keeping everything strictly the way it is or always has been... things may change a lot with the eye-shields.
Three. If this is so easy - why hasn't it been discovered for long? Somehow it has been. But the time may just have come for broader application. The time of ever-present light, the time of unrest by day and by night, when anxieties other than those of darkness have become prevalent. Maybe it is a good thing to have eye-shields available when necessary - many people have one with them all the time to use it in the right moment. Getting addicted? What could be wrong about relaxing, being in touch with oneself regularly!
Non-seeing with the "soft eye-shields" will be eye-opening in many respects - as to oneself as well as to the environment. This text is not only intended to inform about it, but to encourage to use it. To find one's way with it. To find one's way in it. Maybe to find oneself (anew) through it. Therefore the most important idea about it is still to follow. Get a soft blindfold - a well adjustable, comfortable sleeping mask, maybe a silk bandanna -, sit or lie down in a relaxed way, let happen, let come about...Then do some of your daily routines, talk to people... Indulge in what concerns your body: Eating, bathing, jogging guided by a trustworthy person, maybe touching each other for massage or just to give and receive tenderness. Be careful when returning to the light after such a first experience - so this may lead even to aware seeing! |
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| adress |
Dr. Helmut Weidenmann
Diemershaldenstr. 19B
70184 Stuttgart
Germany |
| fon |
+49 711 242232 |
| fax |
+49 711 2486289 |
| email |
info@antilightmask.com |
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