Bodily projection

Paul Connerton

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511984518.008

7 - Bodily projection

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012

Paul Connerton

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Paul Connerton: Affiliation:
University of Cambridge

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Summary

By speaking of bodily projection I mean to refer to the fact that buildings around us and other features of our habitat are not regarded as entirely external to and wholly separate from us, but that the body-subject ‘reads’ features of the human body onto the habitat around us and within which we conduct our lives. This reading, or projection, can be accomplished in a number of different ways. It might be done by projecting onto the features of the habitat aspects of human bodily states. It might be done by projecting onto features of the habitat particular bodily attributes. Or it might be done by projecting bodily features in a form of cognitive mapping onto elements of nature.

I shall speak of these three types of projection as, respectively, empathic, mimetic and cosmic. All of these different types of reading or projection entail different modes of emotional or affective memory being applied to the habitat.

Type: Chapter
Information: The Spirit of Mourning
History, Memory and the Body
, pp. 147 - 172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511984518.008 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2011

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7 - Bodily projection

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