Have you ever felt “one” with your car or another piece of equipment such as a trusty hand tool, fishing pole, or clinical instrument? Often referred to as phenomenological osmosis or kinesthetic projection, this sense of extended embodiment can be developed and cultivated over time. Musicians can have this sense of unconscious union with their instrument. Expert heavy equipment operators are also able to demonstrate extremely delicate and adept control using an excavator for precision landscaping or gently dismantling a car. With training, the human brain has even demonstrated the ability to control an extra appendage or tail. This cognitive incorporation that almost seems unconscious in nature has also been termed intuitive or tacit control.
This same kinesthetic projection can be nurtured by prosthetists and therapists to help prosthesis users create a sense of embodiment through repeated use and user-specific activities. Although often identified with upper-limb manipulation of objects, it is also exhibited in the lower limb when users exhibit a very smooth gait that is integrated within the body image.
