Our skin is constantly communicating with the brain about touch, pressure, and temperature. Using this baseline sensory noise, the brain builds a mental map of our physical form.
When we close our eyes, we can perceive it most clearly: a memory-like image in the shape of our body. It comes with a subtle tingling and a sense of presence—the feeling of being located somewhere, inhabiting an envelope of skin.
This enclosure establishes where we end and the world begins. It is the basis of our sense of self. Whatever is contained within this subjective field inherits a quality of mineness: sensations, thoughts, and feelings become ours simply by appearing to it.
Our boundary is not static. Its intensity can shift. The way we hold ourselves molds how separated we feel. As we see through this, what once seemed solid can soften, revealing a reality where we are bound by neither here nor there.