Hold your hand out in front of you and move your thumb or index finger. How can you tell which finger to move? Is it because you can see your hand? Being able to see this in front of you definitely makes the tasks so much easier but it’s not why you know what part to move. Now without looking down place your right foot on top of your left foot. Easy right? The reason why you were able to achieve this without looking down to see where your left foot is because of a concept known as the “body schema”.
The concept is shared among many disciplines, including robotics, neuroscience, sport science and more. I find the neuroscientific approach the most relative and interesting. Defined by neurologist Sir Henry Head, he describes the “Body Schema” as a postural model of the body that takes in sensory information, organises (and sometimes even modifies it) it in such a way that a sensation of your body rises into consciousness. In other words, it’s how you’re able to keep a track of where your limbs are in space without looking at a particular body part.
Our ancestors took advantage of tools since the start of civilisation and perhaps even earlier. It is often said that it’s what has set us apart from other animals the most. Since 1918, the theoretical idea that external objects can be assimilated into the body schema has been entertained and recent research confirms the theory as a fact.
The experiment included a macaque monkey and a selection of tools. The monkey was trained to retrieve distant objects (including food) using a rake while neuronal activity was recorded in the part of the brain where somatosensory and visual signals converge. A close watch was kept on a cluster of neurons which appeared to code the schema of the hand. As the monkey begun using the tool, their visual receptive fields were altered to include the entire rake and to include the expanded accessible space. The monkey’s brain literally saw the rake as an extension of the arm and it quickly assimilated properties of this new “body part” such as; the weight, expanded accessible space and how the extra arm can be moved through space.
Popularised by pop-culture, we often hear about the close relationship between ancient warriors and their weapons. “Bullcrap” used to be the first thought that springed to mind when I heard references such as “becoming one with the sword”, but as I research the relationship between humans and tools I am beginning to understand the sacred bond. Could this be the explanation as to why we prefer using certain items over others? Why certain sport stars prefer using a specific racket or bat year in and year out? Why we prefer writing with certain pens over others? I’m a strong believer that the answer to all these questions is yes. I believe that as the body is mapping properties and characteristics of our tools it takes preference over qualities, and I believe those qualities are often found in quality products made with heart, mastery and soul.
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