Move, arm, move!

[Fiery Diamond]

Hey. So, I've often thought of this as a form of self-hypnosis, but I don't know what it would be considered officially. What am I referring to? Simply, the ability to move one part of your body in a predetermined way by mentally associating it with something else, such as a completely unrelated part of the body.

I've played around with this at night when I can't fall asleep and am very bored, as well as during the middle of the day when I'm bored. Example - mentally associating specific head, mouth, foot, or leg movements with specific arm movements. Detailed example: When I make my mouth form the "oo" shape, my arms move inward, pivoting on the elbow. When I make my mouth form the "ee" shape, they move outward, pivoting on the elbow. Another specific example: when I jerk sharply as if on an invisible cord attached to my left wrist with my right hand, my left wrist moves. Another: When I stretch my toes outward, my right hand moves in one direction, when I curl them, it moves in the opposite direction. And so forth.

I was wondering whether any of the other forumites ever played around with movement via mental association. If so, why? Do you find it interesting? Have you encountered people who refuse to believe that it works? (My mother doesn't believe me, for example.) Do tell!

[Wizard of the Coat]

Maybe you should refer your mother to Pavlov's experiment. Afterall regarding these kind of reflexes the human brain isn't that dissimilar to that of a dog.

[Winter_Wolf]

Do you not think that this train of activity will eventually lead to some unintended awkward situations in the future? If it truly became an automatic reflex, wouldn't you have to spend effort to NOT have it happen?

Also, and the main reason I post, is that I was slightly disappointed you didn't make a reference to the episode of Red Dwarf where Dave Lister loses his arm and gets a robotic replacement. Yes, that is the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title.

[Jølly]

Interesting...I'd like to try this. It could be fun!! :smallbiggrin:

[Rettu Skcollob]

Do you not think that this train of activity will eventually lead to some unintended awkward situations in the future? If it truly became an automatic reflex, wouldn't you have to spend effort to NOT have it happen?

Also, and the main reason I post, is that I was slightly disappointed you didn't make a reference to the episode of Red Dwarf where Dave Lister loses his arm and gets a robotic replacement. Yes, that is the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title.

PICK UP THE BALL

[Mando Knight]

I was wondering whether any of the other forumites ever played around with movement via mental association. If so, why? Do you find it interesting? Have you encountered people who refuse to believe that it works? (My mother doesn't believe me, for example.) Do tell!

People do it all the time. Walking, typing, driving, playing video games, it's all a subconscious process that becomes linked to an associated mental process.

[Fiery Diamond]

People do it all the time. Walking, typing, driving, playing video games, it's all a subconscious process that becomes linked to an associated mental process.

Yes, but the difference is that with the activities you stated, we move our various body parts through a clearly established norm mental process. For example, when I'm typing. I don't just think "letter F' when I want to type letter F, I have, however little attention I pay to it, an at least semi-conscious mental assertion to "move my index finger via the related tendons and muscle." There is a difference, {Scrubbed} between "moving my arm" via ordinary attempt to move my arm and "causing my arm to move" via association while I am "moving" something else entirely. It's not the same thing at all. I don't know whether you actually don't understand or whether you're just trying to be pedantic, but there is a difference.

Admittedly, typing or playing video games or (if you are sufficiently used to it) driving are areas where there is a good deal less conscious focus on the muscle movement, but we are still controlling the movement through the same direct means as if we were wiggling our fingers (in the first two instances), or turning our arms and changing the elevation of the tip of our feet (in driving).

[Flickerdart]

PICK UP THE BALL
NOW THROW IT IN THE TRASH

[Quincunx]

I do not know "now"
I do not know "it"
I do not know "the"
(flings keyboard through window)
(Text adventure parsers, or how to give yourself high blood pressure in five easy steps. . .you be the judge)

[Dirk Kris]

Move...your big...toe... [/Uma Thurman]