I’ve always fancied myself an observant person, but the intent behind the BCI sessions makes for even richer observations. I used many of these sessions to go explore parts of the city that I knew were there but never really made the time to visit. Spending time in these areas with the single reason of observing them made for a different experience as I lingered in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise.

The first session I found myself almost disappointed with the spot I chose. I was still able to hear the sounds of the city and the river bank felt like any other that I have been on. However, sitting with my eyes closed allowed me to move past my reservations. I heard the traffic in the distance, acknowledged it, and was able to let it go so I could direct my attention to what else was happening around me. I remembered that change and the idea of acknowledging and letting go in the subsequent sessions which made it easier each time to settle into observing without seeing.

I had a similar experience with the next part of the exercise. I was familiar with many of the plants around me and found it difficult to move beyond what I knew. I asked myself, “why is this leaf shaped like this?” or “why are these anthills arranged this way?” cursing myself for not remembering more from biology. I found it a struggle at certain points with each session because there’s something about familiarity that conflates itself with real knowledge. However, this frustration ultimately became beneficial. If I had a hard time finding inspiration, I looked for other organisms and discovered things I had never noticed before. The Quaking Bog, in particular, revealed something new with each step, and I know there is a lot I would’ve missed had I not been so intent on uncovering something I had never seen before.

I appreciated the time to slow down that these sessions required, and I felt more in tune with the changing of the seasons than I have in the past as we moved from summer to fall and ultimately to our first snow in the span of these blog posts. I look forward to holding on to, perhaps not a full BCI session itself, but its methods of observation as I interact with the world in the future.

Location: My backyard

When: Mid-afternoon

Conditions: Very pretty and snow-covered, the sun is out and in the mid-30s