What is Embodiment?
to embody (Merriam-Webster)
3 : to cause to become a body or part of a body : INCORPORATE
When we hold a hammer and hit a nail we feel asif the hammer is
part of our hand. This happens after we
learn how to use the hammer and we are easy using it.
A person who has a tooth prothes in his mouth feels it as if it is
his natural teeth.
A driver feels/behaves as if the car/ship/airplane is part of his
body and drives with easyness without problems of size.
“Prothestic devices stretch the boundaries of the body. They
create a continuity beyond the limits of the skin[1]”
“A body schema works on a subconscious level. It registers shape and posture of the
body(without coming to awareness). It makes a record of the momentary relative
disposition of one’s own body
parts”. “Prothestic devices can be
absorbed in the body schema. Just as a
hammer in the carpenter’s hand is incorporated into his body schema, any
virtual body part or interface(keyboard, mouse, joystick) can become part of
the schema in a temporary or longlasting way…”[1]
REFERENCES:
[1]Carolien HERMANS, 2002, Embodiment: the flesh and bones of my
body.
