Human, a species native to Homo sapiens, has spread over the entire surface of the globe in a few millenniums. He became this social animal that differs from all other living species. He is particularly distinguished by his power of expression which manifests itself through his thought. Thought, at the dawn of consciousness and consciousness within the mind. This is how he ties his deep motivations with the tool that will allow him to achieve his uniqueness in a society governed by beliefs. The thought is bringing up perceptions and ambitions to achieve. This achievement is possible with the intention behind an action. The power of his intention is guiding him to realizations which are a way to express himself through his material body. The body, as Maurice Merleau-Ponty said, is « The vehicle of being in the world, and having a body is for a living person to join a defined environment, to be confused with certain projects and to engage in it continuously. » 
His material vehicle uses systems of symbolic communication as a complex language to express themselves and exchange ideas. His power of expression through symbolism expands notably in the artistic fields. Body and art are interrelated and Homo sapiens have done arts since the dawn of time. Throughout handprints in the caves to religious, sacral, and shamanic dances. These sacral dances are still inherent within animist communities. Animists, from the Latin anima, « soul », believe in the spiritual dimension of the living things. « Animist beliefs were widespread. [...] the key dualistic concept, notably in Gnosis and Manichaeism, was the sharp distinction between body and soul, matter and spirit. For Gnostics and Manicheans, mind and soul are a creation of the good god. » 
The question of the soul within human life has always triggered the attention of religious and artistic spheres.
However, this spiritual dimension has been eclipsed in our occidental and capitalism belives. The tendency to discredit the things that can’t be proved scientifically through human knowledge. The tendency to discredit esoteric subjects that are not physically coherent with our sense of truth. But yet, the truth lies everywhere in life and our knowledge only depends on our perception, but we will visit this subject later on. It is a fact that the material proof of the soul is an aporia, a question that remains unanswered - except if we dare to talk about the 21 grams experiment in 1907, the soul’s weight. 
The spiritual and emotional education and this connection to our body are considerably missing in our society. Nevertheless, arts and certain somatic practices use this fundamental approach of the essence of embodiment within Western culture.

    Irrevocable proof of the manifested power of the intangible, spiritual body over the material embodiment of the body in movement through dance and various somatic techniques. I will often refer to the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty in his rational study of movement in their perceptual phenomenons – acknowledging the somatic, psychic, and spiritual bodies, in other words, the body, the mind, and soul. We will see what are the obvious manifestations of the expansion of consciousness in its psychic dimension intertwined with its physical and spiritual plan. I will bring further up the reasons why we must fundamentally develop our sensitive and intuitive ability to experiment the physical reality and why it is fundamental to raise our consciousness on a deep level.
 

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As previously mentioned, humans always used artistic methods in order to share and express their ideas. Each human being is ineluctably looking for the truth and wonders at least once in there lives « Who am I? Why am I here? » In response to that, we build an ensemble of knowledge on our life-time that will compile a sense of individual truth. This « truth » subjectively experimented by our individuality provides us « a truth » rather than « the truth ».

« The truth is objective, we call it science. Our interpretation of the truth is subjective, we call it art. »[1] as well as « Philosophy is not a reflection of a prior truth but like art the realization of a truth. »[2] Art and philosophy are discussing below different angles, mediums, and methodologies existential questions of the being, life and the universe.

However, art is a language that unit humankind by a deeper understanding of the created feeling inside of us: the emotion. Beyond any word and any explanation, art is self-sufficient to bring across a subjective interpretation of life. Besides that, a verbal approach through human language can complete artistic realization. Our emotions appear in the depths of our being. We notice it on the psychical level with awareness and consciousness.

« Art nourishes our sensoriality and makes us vibrate with emotions. There is no idea of art that is universally shared. The only thing that is universal and personal at the same time is the emotion felt. […] Art plays with borders, cultures, the socio-cultural level of people and makes all humans potentially equal, as long as they have this ability to be moved. »[3]

This notion of emotion is also present in the etymology of the word soul, which is a « spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence; life, living being. »[4]

Besides that, the word « emotion », which comes from the Latin word « motion », is to put in movement. In other words, the purity of the emotion felt is universal, but linked with unique experience and expressed through the subjectivity of our being creates all different kinds of realization that are called art.

 

            The motion of emotion is relevant in dance practices. The sensitivity becomes perceptible somatically because this artistic medium links art, movement, and, emotion. Maurice Merleau-Ponty liked to say that « The fusion of soul and body in action, the sublimation of biological existence into personal existence. »[5] or in other words that the subjective action produced by a living being is the addition of the spiritual and physical dimension. This union does not separate both as a subject and an object, a dominant and one which undergoes, but it is the harmonious physical accomplishment by the movement of existence in itself. « The body and the consciousness are not limited to each other, they can only be parallel. […] As long as the body is defined by existence in itself, it functions uniformly as a mechanism.»[6]

Merleau-Ponty wants to deepen this reflexivity of movement according to the study of its phenomenon - explanatory through conscientious corporeality. This physical life, in which the material body is given to me as such, should be deepened. In other words, it would allow any individual to own their entire existence. If the awareness of our complete corporeality, that is to say of the physical, psychic and spiritual body were an integral part of our lives, we would have complete awareness of our own relative, ephemeral and eternal incarnation. We could get the nectar from life.

Merleau-Ponty will seek the corporeality of the physical body as the basis of all experience and make our other bodies and the world of perfect reciprocities.

What the physical body has with the world is the very movement of existence. The one who thinks and has knowledge is not only an intellectual, it is also a conscious body because to be aware of oneself is to have knowledge of oneself and one's body, it is intuition self. This is why it is important to raise awareness in our body, in order to have complete possession of our existence.

 

            Bernard Sachsé, a professional french rider is well placed to know. At the age of 30, he became paraplegic from an accident. Since then he had to completely reinvestigate his physical mobility within restrictions in order to pursue his career.

During this short documentary, Bernard Sachsé explains with strong investment the primary importance of being harmoniously intertwined psychically and physically in order to share an homogenous energy with the horse. This cohesion goes beyond the materiality of the body and creates commitment on different levels. « You have to merge with the animal, you have to be in perception and in harmony. A horse or a musical instrument only starts to ring if the artist is physically and mentally involved. »[7] The relation with the horse transcends the physical practice. From behind – the self-consciousness and the awareness of the other, to the beyond – the intuitive and sensitive energy that spreads and manifests sensitive cohesion despite of physical disability. – It is common for people who have physical or sensorial restrictions to develop or reinforce even more there other abilities. This is how living beings, humans as well as other animals, are coping with there environment.

Through his profound awareness within his restricted physiognomy, he compares his methodology of embodiment with the barre of the dancers before the milieu. « I can adjust my relaxation, my alignment, my tone, my laterality. »[8] Yet, all of these statements have been acknowledged and repeated to be integrated somatically.

Bernard Saschés developed his own corporeality through physical exploration and adaptation within his inner physical and sensorial perceptions. He authentically experiences his actions in real-time through a physical practice and an expanded consciousness.

The notion of « ghost member » from Merleau-Ponty corroborates this procedure of raising awareness and traveling consciousness. « The consciousness of the phantom leg, therefore, remains, too, ambiguous. The amputee feels his leg as I can keenly feel the existence of a friend who is not yet before my eyes. »[9]

The living experience of Bernard Sachsé prooves here, above any theology and hypothesis, the power of the subtle, causal, spiritual body has an interaction with the somatic body. He accessed to an authentic sense of truth with self-devotion on different plans.

« The mental body serves intelligence for concrete ideas; the causal body is the organ of abstract thought. » - Arthur Edward Powell[10]

Thus, by opening the access to the causal body (subtle and spiritual body), we reinforce our intuitive and subtle ability to experience physical facts, differently and with authenticity.[11]

 

 

            This meticulous work of introspection and a deep awareness of inner perception can also be done in stillness. None as a meditation of control but with an active and open mind that travels through the body, raises vibrations and energies, awake the senses.

The non-dance and the presence in stillness are ways to be fully dedicated and highly aware of the quietness of the living body and of our environment. Awaking the consciousness in non-movement is still movement going on in the inner-self. It is a way of saying that the presence of a body in the space is already creating an event.

The presence in stillness is yet, manifesting multitudes of micro-actions: breathing, alignment of the body posture, eyes blinking. Also happening in the unseen, the mind, the consciousness, and the emotions are part of the presence. Here « being » is already a performance. In our life, we rarely take the time to observe for a long time a human non-moving or doing daily actions as walking, drinking, sit, brushing hair. We barely notice the way our throat is moving while we are swallowing liquid for instance. The life is put on « pause », it is a zoom-in of an instant time-lapse. I can use this approach of non-dance to serve the dancing act and support its physical engagement.

In my own work, non-dance demands an active presence. The mind is dedicated to the present moment of being in front of an audience who will recept and receive my presence. The performer and the audience come to the agreement to stop and to project their attention to their own task. They are sharing a moment, giving value to the time.

Being active (both performer and audience) is a way to say « thank you for your attention. » or « thank you for sharing your devotion. »

Being passive (as a performer and audience) is missing the real content. In this situation, we are not fully able to give and we are not fully able to receive.

In my performance « AnOther »[12], I am laying on the floor for 5 minutes before any physical engagement. I was non-doing but still active psychically with an acuity of senses and perceptions. It is a tool of inner-connection with consciousness to the essentials of the performance. In my preparation to perform, the non-dance performative act is already there before seeing what you expect to see according to the content of my performance. It can be a mental preparation and put me in a special mindset of full dedication with all my senses in high awareness. It is a very respectful way to not only live and act from the past to the future but to take a break between those and zooming-in. The body is the stage for the soul and life.

It honors the importance of the time and the usual imperceptible phenomenon becomes alive.

Being passive would be similar to « doing » the performance and not « being » the performance.

Stillness juxtaposed to movement provides a feeling of satisfaction by going inside of the movement sensation. It raises sensitive acuity.
 

            « Thus exteroceptivity requires the shaping of stimuli, the consciousness of the body invades the body, the soul spreads over all its parts. [...] One could answer that "this experience of the body" is itself a "representation", a "psychic fact", that as such it is at the end of a chain of physical and physiological events which can alone be attributed to the "real body". »[13]

In this way, stillness can provide me the potential to firstly possess consciously my own corporeality in time and space before engaging it through the space. My awareness which is traveling in different parts of my body gives me a specific sense of inner-truth by authentically being. I authentically experience my inner-actions in real-time through physical practice and an expanded consciousness.

 

            Here again, the omnipresence of the soul mentioned by Merleau-Ponty is an integrant immaterial body within the physical experience of the true inner-self interconnected with the psychic consciousness. The notion of third body is given my Merleau-Ponty « [...] Psychic and physical are so internally linked that one can no longer think of completing one of the functional domains with the other and that both must be assumed by a third. We must move from a knowledge of psychological and physiological facts to a recognition of the animal event as a vital process inherent in our existence. The union of soul and body is not saddled by an arbitrary decree between two external terms, one object, the other subject. It is accomplished at all times in the movement of existence. »[14]

This movement of existence is life in itself and the soul is the principle of life because « life manifests itself above all by knowledge and by movement »[15]

The soul would give us the natural keys to access a new state of being, or rather - a state of being authentic and not a state of being superficial. The soul would allow us to reach with awareness and intuition, our complete bodily incarnation, and therefore our corporeality.

The body informs the mind of its state and the soul is related to these vital functions and establishes the intimate relationship between the conscious and the unconscious - which is both hard science and esoteric science.

Our consciousness is consequent and antecedent. Precedent awareness is a question about what to do. Consequent awareness is a reflection of the action accomplished.

 

            However, the body is a source of distraction for the mind. The distracted body, therefore, leads us to think in a confused and partial manner. When we think, the body becomes an obstacle: it misleads us in the search for the truth and that is why the soul tries to emancipate itself from it, to really grasp things. We cannot put a word on the truth, because the truth Is, simply. Don Miguel-Ruiz reinforces this idea of authentic being as a way to find out a sense of inner-truth through our deep senses. « We ignore the truth. Once we have been domesticated, we accumulate a lot of knowledge that forms like a kind of fog that prevents us from seeing reality. Our belief system is like a mirror that only shows us what we believe. […] Truth is not expressed in words, the truth is silent. It’s just something you know; you can feel it without a word. »[16]

Here again, the quietness is evocated and this can be experiment through stillness.

Truth survives through time, as does the soul according to religions. Truth is transcendental, it cannot be defined, it must be grasped by immediate intuition.

In order to look for a sense of truth in our physical manifestation through the embodiment of movement, we do need to explore our inner-truth beforehand because the truth does not possess any kind of word of definition, but lies in the most intimate part of our being – the authentic being. For that, we must reinvestigation the movement through an inner work of exploration. This reinvestigation axes its methodology on traveling consciousness in the body, open mind and curiosity, exploration and playfulness and, intuitive awareness.

 

            Through Re-enactment, we can work towards a process of personal interpretation within the personal experience from a given material.

It is more than copying the visual representation of someone else’s body. It is a work of self-introspection, wondering what the movements mean to our body.

Re-enactment is the experience of integration and re-transposition of choreographic material of someone else, previously interpreted by another body. Having the freedom to feel and to be inside of those restricted movements.

            If the body is not understanding what it means for it, the identity or the authentic self will shallow. « A movement is learned when the body has understood it, that is to say when it has incorporated it into" its world ", and to move its body is to aim through it. »[17] How to make it personal, giving it personal texture without altering its nature. A process of reenactment is letting yourself getting impregnated by the artistry of the movement artwork, as a world apart. Sponging the atmosphere, the stylistic, the body vocabulary, the dynamic while staying faithful to our body. Being an interpret artist is being the subject you are working with. It is primordial to be actively dedicated to the experience of moving. « In the case of passive movement, the subject feels that there is movement without being able to say which movement and in which direction. »[18]

It is not a question of carrying out, of producing a movement but of being the movement, of integrating it into its essence. As a result, the distinction between the source of the movement and its arrival no longer forms a dualism between psyche and soma, but cohesively correlate to each other.

Art, etymologically the « technè »[19] by Plato, would not be conceivable without technique even if artistry cannot be reduced to mastering a technique. Consequently, beyond the technique, a mindful involvement towards exploration is necessary to soak movement material, gestual texture, and general atmosphere. The body must use emotional motivation and its vital energy. Otherwise, we are just doing for the matter of « doing » by the reproduction of the task and we lose the artistic presages, the essence of the action.

The dedication to the process manifests itself by the power of intention. This power of intention comes from the immaterial willingness for commitment.

« Between intention and effect. When I bring my hand to my knee, I experience every moment of the movement the realization of an intention. »[20]

Being aware of the fulfillment of an action from A to B enlight the value of the movement in clarity through dedication. Processing instead of « doing » is significant in terms of authentic experience in movement investigation. The action needs to be mastered through self-introspection. The verb « do » guide us to the methodology of « doing ». Doing for doing doesn’t make sense. The reproduction from the original version A is divided by A’. To pretend to come back as truly as possible to the original movement, coming back to the essence of it is essential. Seeing the physical representation and copying it is not enough to be « the same ».The emphasis on the process is the priority in order to tend to a result. We can not pretend to come to the result if we do not go through its process. It is essential to find the authentic paths in our bodies to tend to the result, our sense of truth.

 

            In order to fulfill the potential of an action, it is necessary to replace the unique action « doing » by the word « processing ». This word blurred the action singularity and uncovered the multiplicity of verbs behind a movement. That reconnected me to the range of possibilities there is to experience a given movement through my free will of exploration. « Do a plié » became « process a plié » in other words, « being the plié ».

The verbs elongating, expanding, pulling, and pushing are subordinated to the verb « doing », while « doing » does not subordinate from any of these verbs. I believe that it is the exploration behind the main action, through the power of intention, that will make an authentic and honest result. When the consciousness is traveling in the body, the embodiment is full and alive. The mind is aware, the skin and the flesh are listening. Honesty is hard to argue. It suddenly became atonomically possible to go beyond set habits by questioning the actions. Behind is the essence, the source that expanse from the subtle body; beyond represents the physical embodiment of this expansion.

« As long as I have a body and act through it in the world, space and time are not juxtaposed points for me; I am not in space and in time, I do not think of space and time; I am space and time, my body applies to them and embraces them. »[21]

Just as it is not a question of carrying out, of producing a movement but of being the movement, of integrating it into its essence. As a result, the distinction between the source of the movement and its arrival no longer forms dualism but correlates to each other with cohesion. This force of intention through the psychic body manifests itself in the very embodiment of the essence of movement through space-time. This space-time is habitable thanks to the awareness of the present moment. It makes the constant junction between the past and the future but is different from the already lived and the knowledge.

By being in the present moment, the awareness is fully engaged on the space-time continuum and the availability to adapt our moving body is constantly refreshed.

« [...] The repressed experience an ancient present that does not decide to become past. »[22]

 

            The technique constitutes the knowledge that we obtain through time. Years after years we fade into a certain automatism and forget to request the movements themselves through there phenomenology – the philosophy of « what we are doing ». Where does it come from, what is the motor and the essence of the action. This investigation brings a sense of self-truth that the techné itself is not able to provide.

I believe that the meeting of both, the « Behind and Beyond » and the Techné are the ingredient to come to a state of freedom and master, awareness and availability, natural flow, and momentum. It is firstly coming from the inner-perspective that guides us to a true devotion for what makes you move. I strongly believe than both the essence and the technicality are not separable from each other in order to be an artist. I believe that this way of processing for reconstruction and a reenactment can honor the value of the original work. « The truth is that all of our knowledge of 100% of what we know is nothing but the symbolism and the words that we have invented in order to understand and express what we perceive. »[23]- Don Miguel Ruiz

 

            Nevertheless, the physical dimension anesthesia us from the internal psychic power that fades into our bodies. With the ever-increasing external stimuli in our modern lives, we experience more and more technological distractions. We do not naturally transcend the sensorial experience to the movement and it is challenging to increase our inner-awareness in a very fast life. We move away from the very essence of things - from the truth.

The soul undergoes the body in its ephemeral experience. The body hindrance to spiritual fulfillment. The soul is not immediately available to pursue its own ends, towards its desire for truth and wisdom. For Merleau-Ponty and for Plato the «metaphysical divorce»[24]  

However, the physical body is a springboard for the subtle body. In the Western world, the notion of soul was formed slowly and does not go back to the dawn of time but somatic practices such as Klein Technique, Alexander Technique, Body-Mind Centering, and Feldenkrais emerged. These occidental methods based their principles on deep somatic knowledge intertwined with the psychical plan and do not link the spiritual dimension.

Moreover, yoga spread in the Western world these last decades. The majority of people are looking for well-being practices. Yoga became trendy because of the results of self-awareness and cohesion between the physical vehicle and the causal body through the mind provides authentic physical qualities.

Yoga, from the Eastworld, is a practice connected to the philosophy of Being, opening more towards the spiritual dimension in its meditative approach. The original Hindu yoga discipline, the fusion between physical, the astral, and the spiritual body. Through the power of intention and mindful embodiment, this practice works with opposed universal forces the yin and the yang towards the openness of the seven chakras. It allows the body to excel its limits by a metamorphosis of the vibration rate. Breathing with consciousness is a way to establish a connection between the body, the mind, and the soul.

The availability to Be in the present moment and my present embodiment, which will feel different tomorrow. Recognizing our vehicle, not as a machine, and accepting how it feels to be in this envelope with its own needs which must listen to. The physical and the energetic envelopes as one. This spiritual dimension has been always omnipresent in sacral dances longer before the age of yoga.

 

 

            The movement originates as a formal whole by its vital energy. Transcribed as an expressive substance, uses emotional motivation. Fugitive, elusive.

Created according to an internal, psychic, biological need, at the crossroads of breath, rhythm, and energies. It’s a return to the roots of being, a piece of divinity.

A tool of gravity, balance, form space-time, the body expresses total existence.

It communicates sensuality of being, cultivates the soul and its sensations. It is a physical limit to the expansion of energy. This life energy used by the whole body resonates in each member and that is what makes us feel alive. Our existence is as short as a flower that fades. Temporality diminishes us but subscribes to the acquisition of our full consciousness. We are the only directors of this nascent bud.

 « It is essential that man now find his origins. To believe that he is made only of material substance, that is to say palpable, one ends up only being nothing more than that. The human being has lost the measure of what it is or rather, it retained only the narrowest dimension. »[25]

 

 

 

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[1] Miguel Ruiz, Jose Ruiz – The fifth agreement: a practical guide to self-mastery (2010) p°37

[2] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952)

[3] Christelle Petitcollin – Je pense trop (2010) p°230

[4] Soul (n.1) old English sawol - https://www.etymonline.com/word/Soul

[5] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°114

[6] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°156

[7] Bernard Sachsé "en équilibre" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6bLg90RNrc

[8] Bernard Sachsé "en équilibre" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6bLg90RNrc

[9] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°101

[10] Le Corps causal et l'Ego, par le lieutenant-colonel Arthur E. Powell. Traduit de l'anglais (1932)

[11] La théorie du corps intangible – Epoch Times - https://fr.theepochtimes.com/lautre-corps-13607.html

[12] Tiffany Mc Swaker – AnOther (2020) https://tiffanymcswaker.wixsite.com/website/another

[13] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°104

[14] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°118

[15] Thomas d'Aquin – Somme théologique Ia Qu.75 art.1, trad. J. Wébert.

[16] Miguel Ruiz, Jose Ruiz – The fifth agreement : a practical guide to self-mastery (2010) p°82

[17] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°173

[18] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°137

[19] Technè https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techne

[20] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°180

[21] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°175

[22] Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of perception (1952) p°115

[23]  Miguel Ruiz, Jose Ruiz – The fifth agreement : a practical guide to self-mastery (2010)

[24] PHEDON: or, a dialogue of the immortality of the soul. from plato (2018)

[25] Daniel Meurois & Anne Givaudan – Récits d’un voyageur de l’astral (2016)