Our brains have a map of our body that it uses to locate our body in space and generate effective action. Research has shown that the more we use tools, like hammers, tennis rackets, guitars, etc., the more our brain includes the tool itself within our body map. Neuroplasticity at work!
(See the weird creepy article in New Scientist about how our brains could adapt well to cyborg implants.)
What does this say about the nature of our body? Does our body, in a practical sense, really end at our skin? Well, our physiological/biological body does end at our skin. But is that all there is to our body? This research suggests that our brain wiring doesn't operate that way. Instead, our body map has extends to include the tools we use.
I'm a tennis fan and I love to watch Roger Federer play. He is so masterful at the game that his play is like a moving meditation ... grace ... beauty ... power ... touch. I have often thought that he uses his racquet as if it were an extension of his body. By my observations, I think the same can be said of the court itself. He moves so gracefully that it is also like an extension of his body. Could it be that his brain has a body map that includes the racquet, the court, and the net? I think so.
What implications does this understanding have for how we take care of our bodies? If our body doesn't stop at our skin ...
-Steve
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