One of the lines of enquiry in my objects making I’m beginning to explore in more detail are the senses. Based on my conversation with Dr Adam’s I learned about the effectiveness of sensory distraction and grounding techniques which help people during a mental health crisis or suffering dissociation recover. .  

He spoke about 5 questions he would ask patients 

What can you see?

What can you hear? 

What can you touch? 

What can you smell?

What can you taste? 

Pre luded by guided box breathing techniques ( a timed excercise which bring the breath back to the pattern when we sleep).  

These help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, and soothe the sympathetic nervous system which is where our flight or fight instinct is triggered. Used in emergencies these techniques can help diffuse crisis, however practicing techniques such as these regularly also helps build muscle memory and reroutes neuropathways (known as brain plasticity) so that resilience builds and crisis might happen less or be easier to manage. 

in my next line of making enquiry... 

I want to understand how my objects might begin to answers these 5 questions?  And offer hints/  encourage habits that can build resilience. 

The more I’m learning about clinical, modern and ancient eastern approaches the more I’m beginning to see over laps and common themes emerging between them. I’m really interested in these meeting points and how in this next object enquiry I can learn from the intersect between the rich the history of eastern practices,  the contemporary tech approaches, led by the science based techniques and theories. 

A few I’m starting to notice - 

a regulating of breath, 

use of routine and pattern, 

grounding in the body, 

observing oneself / learning consciousness, 

participating in community, 

moving the body, 

use of soothing / transitional objects, 

stimulating the senses. 

Understanding oneself in relation to the world,   

Mindfulness, 

creative expression. 

Dr Adam’s spoke about the mounting  evidence for polyvagal theory,  which shows a potential neurological connection between the emotions, trauma and the body. This is in opposition ( or ‘in progression’ he explained )  to more traditional dualistic psycho-dynamic approaches,  where  emotions and the body are seen as very distinct and are be treated therapeutically that way.  It is something I need to investigate a little bit further, but definitely intrigues me due to its physicality which might lend itself to form making.