Changes in consciousness alter skiing because it is through it that skiing is experienced. In this ‘fluctuating consciousness‘ we have a tendency not to be focused on the present moment since our consciousness oscillates between past experiences and the projection of what may present itself.
Thinking and being conscious are not equivalent. Thinking is a function of consciousness and depends on it. To be conscious is to be present and to become the observer of our own thoughts and emotions and the reactions they trigger. To be present does not mean to judge or evaluate the situation by comparing it with our past or with what might happen in the future, but to become a silent observer, a witness of what is happening.
Generally, conflict arises when we unconsciously focus exclusively on the problem and feel so oppressed that we lose the sense of skiing, when the only thing that would contribute to improving the situation is simply choosing to be better.
When the first signs of the present state of consciousness are experienced, a back and forth between presence and non-presence begins. In a first phase, we become aware that our attentional state fluctuates between the past and the future, between the mistake made and the anticipation of the situation to come.
Discovering this state is a great achievement. We are then inclined to focus our condition of consciousness on the present moment for a longer period of time. We realize that we were fluctuating between consciousness and unconsciousness, the latter referring to the identification with our mind (thinking about what has happened or what could happen).
Situational Awareness
Our skiing executions are based on dynamic processes dependent on multiple variables in the interaction with the environment such as, for example, controlling our own movements, observing others, perceiving risks, monitoring terrain conditions, or the urgency in making decisions based on the available information.
The concept of Situational Awareness is presented as a key element in the immediate perception and management of dynamic situations that manifest themselves in skiing, integrating both cognitive and motor systems.
In situation awareness, our main object is not the situation itself but our possible interaction with it. This awareness has two purposes: one is to become aware of what is happening in order to know how to act; and the other is the anticipatory function.
In dealing with situational awareness, we perceive the elements of the mountain environment in a spatio-temporal dimension and understand their meaning as well as the projection of these states in the immediate future. According to the evolution of the current situation, we process the new information presented, identifying in advance the potential problems and the necessary actions. To anticipate is to evaluate the future state of the situation and our own capabilities in order to decide on possible actions and, in extreme situations, to apply risk awareness.
An example of situational awareness can occur at a trail crossing where we must avoid other people by executing the following mental process:
- In our awareness focus emerges the trails’ intersection with the people crossing it in different directions and speeds, which constitute an imminent danger.
- In our marginal field of consciousness are those people who are moving in the same direction as we are and who do not constitute a danger.
- At the threshold of consciousness are the less salient factors such as knowledge of the rules of conduct.
- In the dominion of the subconscious arise previous experiences of similar situations stored dynamically in memory. If we are facing an imminent danger of collision, we will integrate these past experiences into our present situation.
- In the dominion of the unconscious rests everything that lies below our evocative capacity, i.e., what we don’t remember under normal conditions. Perhaps, in our beginner’s period we experienced an incident that we do not remember now, but nevertheless, the repetition of having to cross a crowded area causes us agitation. In this situation, we cannot explain the reason for our fear so we seek a simplistic answer by interpreting it as being due to ‘self-preservation instinct‘. In reality, there is no mystery: however much we may attribute it to a habit or a reflex mechanism, there is a psychic experience that presents itself in the form of strange reactions.
Self-awareness
When skiing, attention should not be oriented exclusively towards the external, but part of it could be transformed into inner awareness by observing how our states of consciousness or levels of bodily awareness change.
Self-awareness is consciousness about ourselves and consists of our own critical reflection on the situations that affect us. Self-awareness allows the perception of our senses, this being the origin that identifies it. In the self-conscious experience, the sense of our skier’s Self that feels and acts is the center of perception, while attention flows towards the different aspects of skiing.
Self-awareness is the way in which any behavioral modification is initiated. A few moments of attention to reflect on our own behavior will initiate a process of self-awareness, understood as the ability to think about our own behavioral processes. It only takes a few seconds to make the decision by which significant progress can be achieved by evaluating and learning from our own experiences as well as those of others.
Thanks to our self-awareness, decisions can be constantly made to regulate the actions that, together with intentionality make skiing happen. During most of the time, we are aware of the internal and external world (I think, I perceive) and thus intervenes by transforming ourselves intentionally (I want, I do).
Our own state of consciousness makes it possible to learn from an experience. In skiing, each one of us intends to achieve an integrated and efficient functioning. This is attained through the expansion of our consciousness, obtaining an appropriate balance between regression and progress.
One of the ways to be aware of the moment, although not recommended in highly performance situations, is directing attention to bodily sensations to avoid getting mentally lost in thoughts of past experiences, future projections, or arising emotions.
When skiing, we can become aware of only a limited number of stimuli that reach our senses. When being aware of a thing or a place, our attention is directed towards it but we are not aware of this process. Concentrating on something allows our mind to prioritize what is being focused on. When we are concentrated on something, we are immersed in a reality leaving aside the rest, but if our thoughts are directed towards the possibilities of making mistakes, we will surely make them.
The genesis of an action is not limited to execution alone, as stated by neurophysiologist Marc Jeannerod. As skiers, in addition to our role as simple ‘agents’ producing an effect, have intentions and reasons for acting. The feeling that emerges from being the executors of each action, of being the cause of them, gives us the possibility of reaching another level of self-awareness, crossing mental and bodily states that allow us to relate the ‘before’ and the ‘after’ of each execution.
During snow displacements, novelty is detected by our consciousness, while our unconscious is in charge of repetitions. Our consciousness itself personalizes our skiing, but when our unconscious takes control of our actions, the conscious level decreases and we enjoy skiing by accessing a State of Flow.
Skiing in the here and now makes this state possible, allowing us to concentrate on the “what” we do and not on the “how” we do it. According to psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihalyi, this state is reached when we are abstracted enjoying the experience. According to this author, in the case of skiing, we would reach a conscious balance between the perceived challenge of the performance and our own perceived abilities. It should be noted that excessive self-consciousness interferes with the flow state.
Several authors agree that in order to achieve self-awareness, language is necessary, specifically coming from our inner dialogue. This practice of talking to ourselves assists in the activation and maintenance of self-awareness by identifying, processing, and storing information about our past, present, and future mental and motor behavior.
Skiers who are frequently exposed to self-observation tend to engage in this practice more often, attaining higher levels of self-awareness. They are prone to describe themselves more quickly and accurately than those who do not.
