What’s In A Word…
“Experience”
What does it mean to “experience”?
How are experiences gained?
Dictionary definitions all cite “practical exposure” to an event which leaves an impression and triggers an emotional response.
I opine that the only way to experience the physical world around us is through our senses…that which we see, smell, taste, hear and feel (tactile and metaphysical).
It thus stands to reason that the fullness of our practical exposure is directly proportional to sensory primacy…the wilful/deliberate and acute engagement of the relevant senses.
Mindfully gathering as much sensory information as we can muster is critical to extracting optimal value from any experience.
Hearing
Listening and hearing are exactly the same…just totally different.
The Antarctic has always piqued my interest.
Wondering what the experience was like on one of these Antarctic Expedition tours, I surfed Youtube. After viewing only two tourist-made videos taken from the deck of a large vessel I was wholly convinced that it, as portrayed there, was definitely not for me!
The very moment a glacier calved and shed an apartment-block sized chunk of ice to crash into the turquoise depths...invariably there were (involuntarily or not) exclamatory whooping, shouting or wowing at the tops of voices...obliterating any chance of actually hearing that which might never ever again be!
Equally when lions start roaring, there seems to be an inability to keep absolutely quiet to not only hear…but also FEEL the reverberations of the 114dB vocalisation of Africa’s apex predator…opportunity lost!
The subtle crunching of dry leaves underfoot, fluttering of wings, slapping of an elephant ear, rumbling thunder, deafening dawn-chorus, splashing of water, rushing wind…every single one of these, an invitation.
Each and every living-space automatically comes with its own soundscape.
Have you thoroughly explored yours?
Feeling
Touching and feeling are exactly the same…just totally different. The one is external and the other internal.
It is known that I may occasionally go sans footwear…and there are probably a dozen reasons for doing so. Questions I am always asked is whether my soles are so tough that I don’t feel anything or conversely if I’m not afraid of stepping in thorns. To be honest I guess my feet have toughened through exposure BUT I do feel every single stone and thorn as they meet my soles. I too bleed. I have however recalibrated my tolerance for this discomfort and embrace it as evidence that I am still alive. The coarseness of river-sand, the angular edges of stones and the searing heat of dolerite-dust baking in the sun all contributes to a smorgasbord of sensations. There is something healing in barefoot contact with the earth, an intimacy which engender a deeper connection and familiarity…a real relationship.
We experience touch via numerous avenues. The tip of our tongue is extremely sensitive and easily detect the finest of hair on a leaf. The hair on our skin sensing the direction of a slight breeze which could potentially betray our presence. Our naked skin can discern various textures of rock, bark, mud or clay, moistness in misty morning air, the sweat beading on our brow or the gust of a hot wind…the chill of frost or warmth of a campfire.
Feeling is informed by a sense of awe sitting under a starry expanse, exhilaration of tumbling down a dune, anticipation of a rising moon, trepidation when bogged down in the mud, being dwarfed by epic landscapes, connection when communing with wildlife…belonging in this world.
With judicious care, exploring your world with renewed attention will reveal so much hidden in plain sight.
Seeing
Looking and seeing are exactly the same…just totally different.
Looking reveals the transition from blue-hour pastels to subtle dawn hues and finally vibrant sunrise. Fine textured details on butterfly wings or leaves, the silky blackness of night, the variety of greens on different trees or bold colours of a lilac-breasted roller, a pallet of colour and texture which far exceeds my ability to describe.
Seeing via shapes and shadows will reveal the more abstract, the numinous.
Smelling
Inhaling steam from a freshly brewed cup of pre-dawn coffee around a smokey fire is an invite to a day filled with adventure, communion and gratitude. Little compares with the subtle but sharp terpentiny aroma emanating from a dense stand of Mopane or fragrance of budding blossoms. The powdery, almost spicy fragrance of doleritic dust wafting up from a parched earth carried on 42C air or unmistakable aroma of petrichor and geosmin with the approach of spring rains. A slightly soury and heavy scent of fresh elephant dung on a cool winter morning filling ones nostrils, brings an indescribable excitement and anticipation…like the very recognisable scent of buffalo on the wind.
Tasting
The astringent taste of a sour-plum or mangosteen fruit and gentle sulphur from a basaltic spring. The rounded acridity of a strong cuppa, tingling bitter bubbles of a frosty beer at the end of a hot and physically active day. The nourishing flavours of a hearty meal cooked on an open fire! Tastes can be very subtle.
If life is boring…it’s because you’re not paying fierce enough attention…join me in deliberate mindfulness.
Yours in embracing life,