 
While we see, touch and hear the world around us, there is also the process locating ourselves from inside. This manifests primarily as a sense of our weight and perceived boundaries defined by where skin meets world. Sensations from the skin, from muscles and bones make up the “somatic self”, telling us where we are and where we end. Antonio Damasio theorizes that a large part of what allows us to feel like the same person from day to day is the sameness of these signals from the body day after day; “somatic markers” tell me that I am still “me”.
Most of us have only a vague sense for our physical selves on this level. Yet, as a key dimension of physical intelligence, proprioception can be cultivated. Furthering our work from Week 3, we will excavate these perceptions to gain an appreciation and awareness for our “inner” sense of a physical self.
Investigations and Activities:
| · Exploring a Sense of Weight |
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From a collection of materials (e.g., foamcore, wood dowels, inflatables) we will build wearable structures to alter our body’s sense of weight, relative position and scale. |
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