Pathway 1.

Warm-up / Sensory Activation

Purpose

Break the ice, sharpen perception

Time

15-20¨

Mode

Group
Solo

What is this pathway?

This is an introductory pathway that uses short, low-barrier exercises to help participants shift perception, become curious about alternative modes of sensing, and prepare to engage with non-human perspectives.

It works especially well as a prelude to longer workshops, speculative exercises, or interdisciplinary group work.

Objective

To activate sensory and imaginative attention while temporarily decentralising the human point of view. This pathway serves as a gentle and creative entry point into more-than-human thinking, suitable as a warm-up for collaborative sessions, workshops, or educational spaces.

Structure

1️⃣ Choose one of the short warm-up exercises below

2️⃣ Carry it out individually or in a small group

3️⃣ Share or record any insights, surprises, or sensations

4️⃣ Use as a transition into a deeper pathway, if desired

What you’ll get out of it

  • A quick shift in sensory or imaginative perspective

  • A more open, receptive mood for collective or creative work

  • A light introduction to more-than-human modes of attention

Materials & Tools

Optional extensions

  • Combine two exercises for a longer session

  • Use the same warm-up again later in the process and compare how your perception has shifted

  • Transition into Pathway 2: Exploring an Umwelt

EXERCISES

1: What does this non-human animal perceive?:

Goal: To imagine how a non-human animal might perceive a landscape using an their sensory capacities.

2: Noise to you, signal to someone else

Goal: To question what humans filter out as "noise" and consider what might be meaningful to another species.

3: Invent a sensory word

Goal: Warm up the imagination by inventing a new word for a sensation that doesn’t exist in human language.

4: Beyond the like — seeing differently

Goal:To gently develop critical awareness of how animal life is represented in viral media.