a5Item Practice

Duration: 1.5 minutes / phase

Objective: Blending the sense of touch with sense of sight. For some this will be effective in creating more of a “mental platform” on which to build imagery. For others, the exercise serves as just a good practice (it can also set you up for future hyperphantasia specific practices).

Instructions:
Phase 1: Eyes open. Select an item from around your house. This should be something that you can easily hold in one hand. Also, the item should have a fair amount of detail to it (for instance, a candle stick would not work well for this exercise, since it’s so simple, and there’s not much to describe on it… But a little figurine would work great!). For a minute and a half, hold the item in one hand, and with the other hand trace along the features of the item with your fingers. As you do this, also observe the spot your fingers are at and visually describe the item. You can also describe the textures / feel of the item as you go. Describe color, shape, size, etc...
Phase 2: Eyes closed. With that same item in hand, close your eyes, and describe the item the same way you did before, by feeling the spot with your hand as you describe it. This time since your eyes are closed, describe the visual components as if your eyes were open. To keep things fresh, start from the opposite side of the item from where you started the first time (so if you started from the top the first time, now start from the bottom).

Post-Exercise Inquiries:
What about this exercise (specifically phase 2) stands out to me?
Was there anything in my thought processes which felt different than my normal form of thought?

Notes: It’s rare that someone will get breakthrough from doing this exercise, though it has happened. Nonetheless, I still find it a solid practice for bridging the sense of touch and sight in the mind.