Living with embodied vibrations: Sensory experiences following a traumatic brain injury.
Nicole Gombay, Gavin J Andrews
Social science & medicine (1982) September 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114233 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People with traumatic brain injury |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Autoethnography Concussion Neurophenomenology Non-representational theory Senses Sleep Traumatic brain injury Vibration |
| Key findings | Sensory experiences following TBI, including pain, vision, hearing, and sleep-related somatic sensations, can be understood through embodied dynamics of vibration, oscillation, and stochastic resonance, enriching clinical concepts of sensitivity and sleep disturbance. |
Abstract
Based on autoethnography, this article adopts a (neuro)phenomenological lens to explore sensory experiences following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although focussing particularly on pain, vision, hearing, and somatic experiences connected with sleep, we also touch on how these are interwoven with other symptoms associated with TBIs. We use these experiences to enliven, and thereby enrich, clinical constructions and understandings of 'sensitivity' to light and to noise, as well as 'sleep disturbance'. We conclude with a discussion of how these sensory experiences can be understood in relation to embodied dynamics of vibration, oscillation, and (stochastic) resonance. The article closes with the suggestion that an embodied, sensorial, and phenomenologically informed analysis of the experiences of people with TBIs, particularly in relation, for example, to embodied sensations and perceptions of vibration, might provide novel insights for research and clinical practice.