Word of the Weak

This is my newest challenge, finally defined.

Proprioception

Proprioception is tested by American police officers using the field sobriety test where the subject is required to touch his or her nose with eyes closed. People with normal proprioception may make an error of no more than 2 cm. People suffering from impaired proprioception (a symptom of moderate to severe alcohol poisoning) fail this test due to difficulty locating their limbs in space relative to their noses.

Proprioception is what allows someone to learn to walk in complete darkness without losing balance. During the learning of any new skill, sport, or art, it is usually necessary to become familiar with some proprioceptive tasks specific to that activity.
Without the appropriate integration of proprioceptive input, an artist would not be able to brush paint onto a canvas without looking at the hand as it moved the brush over the canvas; it would be impossible to drive an automobile because a motorist would not be able to steer or use the foot pedals while looking at the road ahead; a person could not touch type or perform ballet; and people would not even be able to walk without watching where they put their feet.

The proprioceptive sense can be sharpened through study of many disciplines. The Alexander Technique uses the study of movement to enhance kinesthetic judgment of effort and location.
Juggling trains reaction time, spatial location, and efficient movement. Standing on a wobble board is often used to retrain or increase proprioception abilities, particularly as physical therapy for ankle or knee injuries.
Standing on one leg (stork standing) and various other body-position challenges are also used, in such disciplines as Yoga.
A large part of what is called the Fourth Way, developed by G. I. Gurdjieff, involves a substantial number of proprioceptive exercises, which are said to assist in spiritual development.
Several studies have shown that the efficacy of these types of training are challenged by closing the eyes, because the eyes give invaluable feedback to establishing the moment-to-moment information of balance.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception