June 19, 2009
Throughout the years, I have consistently been documenting birth, death and everything in between- as the blog is named. This documentation has taken several forms. The most prevalent of which has been photography. In the the upcoming posts, I will be sharing some of these photos along with accompanying original thoughts on the variations themes.
Lori, theexperientist
November 13, 2007
Yesterday, I had the privilege of teaching some very engaged students, Branding and Marketing, as a part of a new style entrepreneurial semester course created by startupcompany.dk. During one of the breaks, I became engaged in a conversation on experience with two of the students. Things we discussed:
When do we experience experience? When we “feel” it such as the physical manifestation that follows as the rollercoaster undulates on its course or when we “reflect” upon it such as when the tickling in our stomach stimulates the attention of our minds?
Experience is continuous. We experience all the time. It’s just a question of which level. As we go through our days breathing with hearts pumping we experience life in a biological context of being alive. Usually this and other necessary life functions exist in the background but, at times it comes to the forefront of our focus and we become aware of the experience.
Aren’t unconscience experiences still experiences. The body constantly stores unconscience experience which later manifest themselves as good form, bad form, or illness. Life happens over time. We can’t always be focused on all the experiences we experience since that essential would render us overwhelmed. If we had to think about making our heart beat or breathing we would be able to do anything else. We would also be unable to meet the requirements of the task consistently at the level in which it would need to be maintained. But, that’s a completely different discussion.
Although I find it fascinating to discuss experience at a more philosophical levels I am much more of a pragmatist.
I believe that we experience all the time at different levels (macro and micro). I believe that we can have meaningful experiences even when we are unconscience or unfocused on these experiences. They become apart of our DNA so to speak – influencing our future perceptions, actions, behaviors and personalities. Experience happens consistently at varying levels. When we become focused or conscience of these experiences we can reflect upon them which brings them to another level. Sometimes it is first in the reflectory mode that the recalled experience gives meaning, joy or pain. Sometimes it is the continually unfocused experience that provides a meaningful foundation experience for our everyday life. Both are necessary. Both are gifts.
Lori
theexperientist
August 30, 2007
In my third entry I mentioned that I was interested in the questions listed below. After a couple of months of getting my feet wet with some professional but, primarily personal experiences….I am ready to get to the crux of the “experience” issue.
What is “experience”?
To begin with, I will set a collective base for understanding the word by citing one of the online dictionary definitions that I find appropriate. This one is from thefreedictionary. The key words being…..apprehension, participation, acquirement, involvement, accumulation and immersion. My emphasis is less on the apprehension, acquirement and accumulation elements of experience but, more the participation, involvement and immersion of experience.
1. The apprehension of an object, thought, or emotion through the senses or mind: a child’s first experience of snow.
2. a. Active participation in events or activities, leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill: a lesson taught by experience; a carpenter with experience in roof repair.
b. The knowledge or skill so derived.
3. a. An event or a series of events participated in or lived through.
b. The totality of such events in the past of an individual or group.
tr.v. ex·per·i·enced, ex·per·i·enc·ing, ex·per·i·enc·es
To participate in personally; undergo: experience a great adventure; experienced loneliness.
What kind of experiences are there?
The rationale for my blog name is that Experience is ever present from “birth, death and everything in between”. Experience like culture is everywhere. It is incorporated in everything. Experience means different things to different people at different times. This in part is what makes it so difficult to discuss at times because personal perspectives are rarely transparent and the multitude of varying interpretations sometimes can cloud discussions.
Where does it come from?
As mentioned earlier it is everywhere and has been since the begin of time whether we have be aware of it or not.
Who’s talking about it?
Actually, everyone to a more or lesser degree. However, those that are more focused on experience would include (and not necessarily in this order):
Psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, theologists, ethnographers, archaeologists, interpreters, performers, researchers, designers, writers, dancers, actors, teachers, architects, engineers, environmentalists, naturalists, marketers, salespeople, doctors, lawyers, hoteliers, receptionists, travel agents, pedagogs, directors, human resource managers, relocation specialists, travelers, parents, children, etc….
Who’s doing it?
Check out my link page for continually updated sources.
The rest of the questions I will continue to address in future threads.
How can we improve the quality of our experiences?
How can we strategically orchestrate meaningful experiences for others?
How can we objectively look at experience when it is inherently so subjective?
Well, until the next time.
Lori
the experientist
