Association

From SenseThinkAct

ASSOCIATION

exercise

: On the Process of Association Make a random collection of small objects. (say 50) in a cake tin or small cardboard or wooden box. Pick out any object. What does it suggest to you? Keep that suggestion, preferably your first thought, in your mind. Look through the objects and connect this suggestion to another object. What new suggetion does this second object offer you? Connect suggestion with third object and go on like this until all the objects are connected. As you connect them take the objects out of the box and place them in line on a table top. Repeat 3 time with the same objects, but in different orders and making different connections..

exercise

: To Understand How Association Works in General: and how, in particular your personality makes connections Take a word, thing or process. The thing or process should be represented in a single word, symbol or even photograph. Write, draw or stick this in the centre of a large sheet of paper. Then using the word or picture as a focus, write around it as many associations as you can jot down in 5 minutes (see diagrams). This in itself may be revealing.

It is interesting to see someone else's associations and thoughts around a subject as a reference point from which to judge your own.

Another stage to which you can take this is to do another version in which you allow more structured thinking around the subject. Represent this thinking by key word notes which branch out to follow different sequences of thought.

This process may be found useful when entering upon a new subjec of study. The extensive associations give you a clear sense of what surrounds the subject in your mind.

exercise

: Collecting Collect a miscellany of about 200 small objects, (pencils, coins, cards, mechanical bits, containers, books etc) in a cardboard box. When you've got a lot, tip them out onto the floor and look them over, Decide on some way of arranging them according to some principle. Eg. according to shape and size, according to colour, frequency of use, value etc. Arrange them in at least 5 different ways. How many ways can you think of arranging the objects in a meaningful way? What preferences have you got? When is contrast preferable to graduation? When is dis-order more agreeable? How do the things you observe relate to bigger issues such as the arrangement of furniture in your room?

exercise

: How Association Links Casual Thoughts Sit and daydream. Allow your mind to wander. Have a notebook by your side and every half minute make a one-word note of the thought you are having. Jot this down in such a way as to disturb your reflections as little as possible. In this way you can keep track of your wandering thoughts.

After 10 or 15 minutes stop and look at your notes. See if you can identify the connections by which they lead one from the other. Often the link is not 'rational' but simply a quite arbitrary association.

Repeat this exercise daily for a week. This is a study of how your mind's uncontrolled action finds continuity. Similar mechanisms operate in dreams.

exercise

: Associating Real with Abstract It is worthwhile taking the time to make symbolic connections between material reality and abstract concepts, eg. The smell of freshly turned soil and the fertility of the earth and its potential bounty. In this way, a simple perception brings to mind the abstract idea. The experience as a whole is enriched by such consciously intended associations. A single flower can bring to mind the 'productive power of nature'. Smell seems to be a potent sense with which to make such associations.

1. An inspiring poem, thought or whatever is recited, or even memorised, in the presence of a strong, clear sense impression, until the association is imprinted on the mind.

2. Having come across an heady sensation, make the decision to give yourself with it. Do not rush on, but pause, absorb the experience and allow the mind to fall into reverie. Find the most worthy thought that comes to mind and explore it in this time.'

3. Create a ritual around the idea. (see .....link? )

exercise

: Sartorial Associations The clothes we choose to wear always communicate particular attitudes even if its 'I'm not caring about my appearance' or 'You can't label me'. They also identify us with our social groups You can tell a lot about a person by the way s/he dresses. The clothing conventions of particular groups are more rigid than most people are prepared to realise.

Try adopting a particular style of dress for a week and note the differences in the way people react to you. Then change to something different for a week. Continue this chameleon existence for a month. Even in this short time you will be able to make enough observations to considerably develop your sartorial skill.

You can try more subtle changes. Sometimes these can get just as dramatic a reaction as complete changes of costume. Odd socks can cause excited comment and laughter. An extra shirt button undone can make difference between casual and sexy.

exercise

: Associations in the Environment

a) Select about 10 objects normally in your room that you like. Note your own associations with each of the 0 b j e c t s Then arrange to present them one at a time to a 'panel' of friends. Each member of the panel is asked to write down the associations that occur to them and then their opinion of the objects.

b) Change the colour of your front door every month for a year, and keep a diary record of the different reactions you get.

c) What do people associate with you? Put a full-length photograph of yourself taken outside your home in the middle of a clear sheet of paper. Ask a variety of people who know and don't know you to spend 15 minutes writing down all their associations. Be brave, encourage people to be uninhibited.

What do you learn about how you appear to other people from this exercise?

exercise

: Drift Association can generate ideas. If we enter a fresh situation with an open ended direction in mind, the random connections provided by the environment will spark novel relationship and thoughts.

The 'rich situation,' can be an I Ching reading or a novel like Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce, but in my experience nothing can beat a real journey.

The journey should not be too tightly planned. Give your intuition the reins. Routing may arbitrary. Aimless drifting is good. make decisions as things colne up. Stop pre-empting. Be open to changes. Jump at opportunities as they arise.

Journeys of this aim less sort can be used at critical times in life as a major catalyst of creative re-orientation.

The anarchists holiday.