Notes on the ATM Book by Adam Cole
p. 7 – Societal origins of dysfunction
p. 20-23 – A discussion of self-image, of the lack of awareness of parts of the body.
23 – “Systematic correction of the image is more useful than correction of single actions”
24 “The establishment of an initial more or less complete, although approximate, image will make it possible to improve the general dynamics instead of dealing with individual actions piecemeal.”
33-37 – Detailed discussion about why “Correction of movements is the best means of self-improvement.”
- The nervous system is occupied mainly with movement
- It is easier to distinguish the quality of movement
- We have a richer experience of movement
- The ability to move is important to self-value
- All muscular activity is movement. <Including seeing, talking and hearing>
- Movements reflect that state of the nervous system
- Movement is the basis of awareness
- Breathing is movement
- Through movement we can make a huge impact on intractable habits which are tied up with thinking and feeling, because of the “close proximity to the motor cortex of the brain structures dealing with thought and feeling, and the tendency of processes in brain tissue to diffuse and spread to neighboring issues.”
45 – “The delay between thought and action is the basis for awareness.”
46 – “Doing does not mean knowing.”
50 – Distinguishing between consciousness and awareness – a person, unlike other animals, may know whether he does or does not know something, or understand something he knows. “Awareness is consciousness together with a realization of what is happening within it…”
58 – “To the extent that ability increases, the need for conscious efforts of the will decreases.”
61 – “In the systems of teaching generally accepted today emphasis is placed on achieving a certain aim at any price, without regard for the amount of disorganized and diffused effort that has gone into it. So long as the organs of thought, feeling, and control are not organized for action that is coordinated, continuous, smooth and efficient – and therefore also pleasant – we are involving parts of the body indiscriminately, even if they are in no way required for this action or even interfere with it. One result is that we quite often perform an action and its opposite at the same time. Only mental effort can then make the part that is directed towards the goal overcome the other parts of the body operating to frustrate it. In this way, unfortunately, will power may tend to cover up an inability to carry out the action properly. The right way is to learn to eliminate the efforts opposing the goal and to employ will power only when superhuman effort is required.”
69 – “[There is] No awareness of action in antigravity muscles” i.e. – the lower jaw
71 – Man’s capacity to learn replaces the instinct of the animals.
72 – “Man learns mainly from experience, animals mainly from the experience of their species.”
74 – “Most of the theoretical and practical difficulties disappear when due consideration is paid to the fact that the voluntary muscles that respond to our intention will at the same time also react to orders from the other, unconscious parts of the nervous system. Under ordinary conditions, automatic control takes over, although the voluntary control can come in at any desired moment.” i.e. – I’m falling, body takes over.
75 – “Anything that tends to lessen the sensitivity of the power of discrimination will slow down response to stimuli. Posture will be adjusted only when its divergence from the stable position is already considerable…this reduces even more precise awareness of the change…ultimately there will be serious failure in control and even damage to the system…
“Pain that undermines confidence in the body and self is the main cause of deviations from the ideal posture.”
82 – “Performance is improved by the separation of the aim from the means.”
84 – “Lack of choice makes strain habitual.”
85 – “Reversability is the mark of voluntary movement.”
86 – “Avoiding difficulties establishes behavioral norms.” In other words, after about age 13 or 14 we are more inclined to avoid what is difficult and we then decide based on difficulty that something is impossible for us. We then do not grow.
96 – “Superfluous efforts shorten the body.”
103 – “A truly symmetrical spine does not exist.”
129 – An example of imagining the second side (in the “Carriage of the Head” lesson) in which recalling the movements and executing them in your mind may yield results which are superior to the ones you got when you actually did them.
135 – “One of the great disadvantages of the spoken language is the fact that it permits us to become estranged from our real selves to such an extent that we often have the mistaken belief that we have imagined something, or thought of something, where in reality we have only recalled the appropriate word.”
87, 136 – “There is no limit to improvement.”
137 – “Observing the self is better than mechanical repetition.”
148 – “The eyes are not only for seeing.”
151 – “Greater effort does not make better action.”