Did you know that being exposed to particular words or senses can subconsciously affect you down the road? We go into life events primed to respond to whatever we may encounter. An obvious example of priming is the old trick where someone asks you to spell “folk,” “joke” and “poke,” quickly followed by asking what the white of an egg is called. There are plenty of studies on word priming, but some have gone on to look at sensory priming as well.
Psychology professor John Bargh designed a study where research assistants incidentally handed test subjects a cup of hot or cold beverage to hold briefly in an elevator while en route to the lab to participate in a faux study. Later in the masked “real” study, these subjects were asked about the demeanor of the assistant they initially interacted with in the elevator. This study showed a statistically significant correlation between assessing the assistant as warm or cold with the temperature of the beverage that they were asked to hold.
What is going on in our minds when a seemingly unrelated encounter colors our later impressions and responses to life events? Linguistic scholars suggest that our minds are constantly taking in and filtering information from our surroundings, but even filtered input stays with us and can influence our actions down the road.
That’s why the input we receive surrounding Ai Chi practice is important. The temperature of the water, the sounds, sights, sensations, the words we hear and the way they are presented all feed into our Ai Chi experience. This is key if your goal is inner balance and parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest/RELAX) activation.
So check the water temperature, find some relaxing music, enjoy natural sounds and sights, notice the fractals created as you move through the water and enhance your Ai Chi experience!
Do you want to know more? I will be presenting “Ai Chi Boosters” as a part of Ai Chi Innovations sessions at the ATRI International Symposium, June 19-22, 2018 at the Sanibel Harbor Marriott Resort and Spa. This conference is an invaluable resource for those interested in aquatic rehab and fitness. Please follow this link for more information~ I hope to see you there! http://www.atri.org/Symposium18.htm
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I’ve fallen for the old Yolk prank before! A lot to be said about priming, so much of life can be reframed by priming yourself or others to have a winning mindset going into an experience – excellent post!
Glad you enjoyed it!