Note: This post is a follow-up to my previous article, “Why Knowing Too Much About Psychology Kept Me Stuck in My Head.” If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, you can find it here.
Moving from Analysis to the Body
In my previous post, I shared how my knowledge of psychology actually kept me trapped in a cycle of analysis. I could explain my situation very clearly, but I wasn’t actually experiencing the emotions behind it. I had all the answers, but none of the relief.
Eventually, I realized that I couldn’t “think” my way toward healing. I needed a way to get out of my head and back into my body. This led me to a practice called Focusing, developed by psychologist Eugene Gendlin.
Gendlin spent years studying why some people in therapy get better while others stay stuck. He discovered that progress doesn’t necessarily happen for those who can explain their problems perfectly. Instead, it happens for people who can pause and check in with a physical sensation in their body—what he called the “Felt Sense.”
The “Felt Sense”: Beyond Logic
Based on what I have understood, a Felt Sense is like that very specific physical feeling you had as a child in the exact moments before your parents were about to scold you. It isn’t just a simple emotion like “I am scared.” It is a heavy, complex physical sensation in your chest or stomach that seems to contain a lot of information all at once, even if you can’t put words to it yet.
One thing I noticed is that this Felt Sense often doesn’t match the logic of the current situation. For example, I was out shopping recently and made a very minor, everyday mistake. It wasn’t a big deal, and there was no reason for anyone to be upset with me. But I suddenly felt that exact same physical sensation of being a child about to be scolded. Logically, it made no sense. There was no one there to scold me, and the situation didn’t call for that level of intensity. But my subconscious was reacting as if I were back in that childhood moment.
I’ve had many other moments where my physical feelings didn’t make any sense to my head. But that is the point. Intellectualizing is about trying to find a “correct” reason for everything, but the subconscious often holds onto feelings that don’t fit the present moment.
Following the Sensation: My Personal Process
In my experience, I didn’t just sit still; I naturally followed the physical sensation. When I caught a specific discomfort or tension, I simply paid attention to where it went.
As I followed it, the feeling would often spread to my entire body. I began to notice that the tension had a certain intention—it felt like my muscles were trying to take a specific posture. It was as if the tightness was a physical reaction trying to move my body in a certain way.
By following the feeling deeper toward its center, I could eventually sense the context. I would realize that this was a posture I used to take in a specific situation for a certain reason. My body was showing me the “when” and the “why” of that reaction through the physical position it was trying to form.
When I reached the center of that feeling—the core intention behind the tension—the tightness would often just melt away. It wasn’t because I figured something out or reached a logical conclusion. I just reached that spot, and after a moment, the tension simply released on its own.
For me, this was a major shift. Instead of using a psychological theory to explain my pain, I was just noticing the actual physical patterns in my body. It wasn’t about analyzing my mind; it was about following the physical sensations until I reached the point where the reaction started, and letting the tension release.
The Results of Shifting from Thinking to Feeling
Transitioning from analyzing my thoughts to actually noticing these physical sensations has changed how I view my progress. I have found that by simply noticing and following these “felt senses,” some things have actually started to resolve.
Of course, it wasn’t as if everything was fixed all at once. There are still many feelings and sensations that have not been resolved yet. However, when I look closely at the details, I can see different levels of change. For some things, they no longer feel as intense or “stimulating” as they used to. In other cases, things that I used to find very unpleasant have simply become less bothersome—I just don’t dislike them as much anymore. And for certain specific issues, the anxiety has completely disappeared. I didn’t have to talk myself out of the anxiety or use a theory to explain it away; it just wasn’t there anymore.
I am still learning how to do this, and I don’t know if I am always doing it correctly. But I have realized that the real progress in my therapy didn’t come from my psychological knowledge. It came from the moments when I followed the uncomfortable, wordless feelings in my body. Whether a feeling gets resolved or not, the act of following it has been more helpful than any amount of analysis.
Note: This post is based on my personal experience and perspective. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.