Pattern Recognition Specialists

One feature of a scientific breakthrough is often some kind of "instrument" that is able to organise observed phenomena in original, unforeseen ways. It can take many forms: a physical device such as a telescope, and/or an idea, such as "the earth is round"

(oh come on, really? I think I'll burn you alive for thinking like that)

One feature of this "device" is that it recognises patterns in phenomena that had not been previously identified.

And the holy grail of science - > it successfully predicts behaviour. EVERY TIME.

The movements of stars were known a long time before the "theory" of earth's relationship to them came out. Today, we have all seen photos of our planet and no longer think of this as a theory. Now it's just true.

But it started out as a theory.

As did Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" - aspects of which still defy verification. Seems like a multi-billion dollar, 22 mile long tunnel doesn't quite make the grade, yet.

What has all this to do with Alexander's discovery?

At the human posture lab at Kyoto University - in a story I have related elsewhere - I came across a group of scientists who had a sh*tload of data, and no way to make any sense of it.

I rode in on my high horse and declared:

"Gentleman, I have your instrument."

Of course, I risked being metaphorically burnt at the stake, and if truth be told, I did not make much headway.

Ideas ahead of their time rarely do.

Alexander's first "instrument" is his concept that our movement system has primacy on the functional efficacy of ALL other systems. An alternative way to think of that: moving came first, everything else developed in support of it.

As our other systems sprouted up to serve movement, it makes sense that movement profoundly regulates our ability to be healthy, functional sentient beings.

What's my life all about? Moving, stupid. Isn't that what you do all day?

Alexander further clarified that lying within the movement system itself is another regulator: head movements regulate vertebral co-ordination.

How does all this help the Kyoto scientists with their sh*tload of useless data?

Pattern recognition.

Once you start testing Alexander's theory, pattern recognition kicks in.

It's what every teacher of Alexander's theory is trained to do. When performance is compromised, by definition of Alexander's theory, your diminishing performance is measured by the diminishing functional efficacy of your head/spinal relationship.

And only 100% of the time.

This is why I declare it to be "Alexander's discovery".

It's 100%. Just like a round earth.

Yes, it is breathtakingly simple, yet to date there is only a miniscule and widely scattered body of hard science to verify it. I predict that it will take science longer to prove Alexander's "theory" as truth, than it took to prove Einstein's Theory of Relativity (which still has a few loose ends).

AND…

I confidently assert (without having a clue how) that if the Kyoto scientists (from the very beginning) had calibrated their vast reservoir of performance metrics against head/spinal performance, amazing insights into human behaviour would have resulted.

Pattern recognition.

The resolute and unflappable truth of Alexander's discovery is known to every effective teacher of this work. And every student too. Or it should be. But some people still believe the earth is flat.

I often ask my trainees - do you believe in Alexander's discovery 100%?

Most do not. Which doesn't surprise me, as they have confused the truth of the discovery with their own ability to communicate it.

The core issue then is communication.

And that, dear reader, is what I will tackle tomorrow.

Meanwhile, you can sign up for my "resolute and unflappable" BodyThinking Online course where I attempt to show how Alexander's discovery is present in every movement you make.

(The April discount ends in 3 days.)

BodyThinking Online.

Picture credit: Pixabay