notes on touch

http://www.in-mind.org/article/that-human-touch-that-means-so-much-exploring-the-tactile-dimension-of-social-life

mindful touch (as a sense similar to hearing, speaking)
--> Combine touch with individual meditation

Research to do: What are the modes of success and failure? We probably aren't the first group to explore this...

Reaction from a participant before we've even begun: too much analysis is causing a feeling of building up too much thought

Why touch is complicated

The channels for interaction that I'm aware of are intellectual, emotional, and physical. I'm interested in talking with people to connect intellectually, emotionally, and physically. I'm interested in touch for people who I want to interact with emotionally and physically.

I do not seek touch with people who I want to connect with intellectually. I do not seek to touch or talk with people who I do not find desirably intellectual emotional or physical.

Initial honest intent may change dynamically as the situation evolves.

Attendance

• need to participate in initial process
• need to not miss too many meetings in the sequence
• initial group will be hand-selected to minimize risk

Problem with this: causing feelings of exclusion.

Other participants will be less comfortable -- we are biasing the initial group towards people who are comfortable with touch and have thought more about the issue.

Boundaries

• participant may not know what their boundaries are
• participant may not alert others that their boundary is crossed in the moment
• jealousy: what is the role of participant's partner's (boyfriend's/girlfriend's) boundaries?

Build process of consent with exercise not focused on touch

Facilitator: explicitly talk about the role of trauma, boundaries

Goal: no surprises.
Explicit consent

Rather than interact with humans, start with animals

Activities/exercises

Activity that is about physical interaction and not touch:
Walk with eyes closed and forearms crossed over chest. Wander slowly until bump elbows, then pause and open eyes.

Guided forearm.  Walking person has eyes closed, one arm acts as both steering and head tilt. When hand is squeezed, then flash open eyes for a moment. Focus is visual, but touch is a component

Topic to discuss before starting: What's our baseline of touch experience?

Fingers only, not palms. Looking into eyes (or not). Fingers only is intentionally restrained -- you clearly could do more

Holding hands in a circle 

• religious connotations 
• group pressure 

Contact improv

Have a dyad in which the topic is touch (ie participant history)

• dyad with no knees touching
• dyad with one knee touching
• dyad with two knees touching

Sanitation: wash your hands

Sit back-to-back to feel other participants breathing

Explore touching back-of-hand to other person's back-of-hand
contrast with palm-to-palm

Do common touch (ie handshake, hug) but very mindfully (slowly)

Hugs

different types

• church hug
• bro hug
• friend hug
• long hug
• collapsing hug