The Vitalism of Walter Carrington
Vitalism is the belief that living beings are endowed with a kind of "life force" or "energy" that sets them apart from non-living objects. This view was abandoned by science a hundred years ago but seems to be fairly common among Alexander Technique teachers.
Vitalism is a philosophy with implications for how we understand and explain the technique. But there has been little awareness of the role of vitalism in the history, development, and practice of the Alexander Technique. I'm writing a series of articles with the aim of increasing the awareness of vitalism among Alexander Technique teachers and contribute to a professional discussion.
In the first article in this series I looked at the signs of vitalism in the writings of F.M. Alexander. The clearest example is the use of "vital essence or life force" in his first book (Alexander 1996, 25; Alexander 2021, 59).). Throughout his writings, Alexander's concept of directing, conducting, or projecting energy is based on a vitalistic understanding of human physiology. In this second article I will discuss similar ideas expressed by Walter Carrington.
Walter Carrington (1915-2005)
Walter Carrington was for many years one of Alexander's assistant teachers, and one of the teachers who took over the running of the training course. In some respects he can be considered Alexander's successor. Carrington developed his own personal style of describing and explaining the Alexander Technique, clearly based on Alexander's ideas. Like Alexander, he uses language that can be interpreted as expressing vitalism. (1)
Vital Force and Force of Nature
In one of his published talks, Carrington uses the expression "vital force" when talking about fallen arches and flat feet:
… unless the whole working of what we call the primary control is taken into consideration then the vital force doesn't flow properly in the arch, … (Carrington 1999, 32).
This is a parallel to Alexander's "vital essence" and an indication that Carrington held similar views. It could be, however, that Carrington intends it to be metaphorical. On the preceding page, he defines "vital force" as "the upward working of the whole of the neuromuscular system" (ibid., 31).
In a later talk he uses the expression "force of Nature" which also could be interpreted as a vitalistic concept. It is the force of Nature that "takes us up":
… we have to rely on Nature to put things that are wrong, right. It's the force of Nature, the energy of Nature that takes us up, that mobilizes us, that enables us to do all the things that we have been speaking about (Carrington 2006, 181).
Upthrust and upward energy
"Upthrust" is another term with potentially vitalistic connotations used by Carrington to describe postural activity:
It's the whole of the body's musculature right the way through that is working in a way that generates an upthrust (Carrington 1999, 30).
But most frequently Carrington describes postural activity as a flow of upward energy:
… clearly it is desirable that you should go up as much as possible all the time. Because the more the upward energy flows, the lighter and freer you'll be … (Carrington 1999, 85).
[Our task] is to prevent what will hinder Nature from the natural flow of energy that takes us up and supports us (Carrington 2006, 182). (2)
Direction and energy
As I mentioned in the first article, vitalism is often revealed by the way a person uses the word "energy". 'We saw that Alexander's definition for "directions" may be interpreted as vitalism:
… projecting messages from the brain to the mechanisms and … conducting the energy necessary to the use of these mechanisms (Alexander 2018, 35).
Carrington refers to Alexander's definition, saying it is "one of the most important things he ever put on paper" (Carrington 1994, 23). Like Alexander, Carrington frequently describes giving directions as "directing energy":
Conscious direction we can speak of as a thinking process to direct energy, as an energetic process … (Carrington, 1994, 23).
If you realize that your body is shrinking, ...that instead of your shoulders going out as they should, they're hunching in, … then you've got to direct the energy for them to go out (Carrington 1994, 27). (3)
Carrington appears to go one step further than Alexander by suggesting that we not only direct energy but that the directions themselves may also produce or generate energy:
You see, the direction produces energy (Carrington 2006, 191).
People often forget that our simple wish is the prime source of all our energy (Carrington 2017, 146). (4)
In addition to talking about energy being directed, like Alexander did, Carrington also describes the energy as flowing:
So if the head is going to lead somewhere, then leading means, as far as vertebrates are concerned, that there has to be an energy, a direction, a flow of energy through the spine (Carrington 1999, 53).
Freedom of the neck is the keynote because it's only when you've got that freedom can the energy flow occur that is necessary for uprightness or counteraction of gravity (ibid., 88). (5)
Carrington compares directing to controlling the flow of water, another potentially vitalistic metaphor:
If you think of a stream of water flowing, you can direct the water this way or that way, you can, with a bit of care and luck, stop it from flowing where you don't want it to flow - although this is often pretty difficult, as people will know if they've ever tried to do it in a practical way, because when water is flowing there's no question it, so to speak, has a life of its own. So this metaphor of flowing water really does give you a picture of what inhibition and direction is all about, because the problem is not the flow of energy. The problem is how you deal with it and how you control it (Carrington 1999, 104-5). (6)
Alexander Technique teachers may use flow of energy as a metaphor for directions but without necessarily believing it to be objective reality (Carey/Nicholls 1991, p.120). Carrington, on the other hand, uses the flow of water as a metaphor for the flow of energy. This give the impression that Carrington believes the flow of energy to be real and not just a fitting description of a sensation.
Energy of life
Carrington associates energy with life itself and with living beings:
As life goes on, life flows, energy flows. You don't have to do anything to make the energy flow … (Carrington 1999, 104).
As a natural property of living things, we all do generate energy to counteract gravity (Carrington 1994, 30).
This energy is constantly operating in the body:
Energy is directed all the time in the body by processes that we often are not aware of, processes that operate below the level of consciousness. Even when we are asleep, energy is operating in the body (Carrington 1994, 23).
The energy can be directed, but also interfered with, misdirected, blocked off, or leaked:
… you can't make the energy flow, but you can interfere with it, you can prevent it, you can stop it and also you can direct it and redirect it (Carrington 1999, 104).
There are all sorts of ways in which you can block off and inhibit the natural flow of upward energy (Carrington 1994, 30)
… when there's masses of energy about the place, if it gets misdirected, disaster really can follow (Carrington 1999, 105).
If the body weight is not being supported efficiently, then there is a tremendous energy leak … (Carrington 1999, 105). (7)
These descriptions may indicate a vitalistic conception of energy.
Sources of energy
Carrington describes several sources of energy. Most important seems to be the source of energy associated with intentions and thinking directions:
… our simple wish is the prime source of all our energy (Carrington 2017, 146); … direction produces energy (Carrington 2006, 191).
This energy is organic; it is "generated" in the body.(Carrington 1994, 30). (8) But Carrington questions our knowledge about it:
Nobody really knows at the present time exactly how the whole neuromuscular mechanism, how the neurophysiology, works. How it is that throughout the whole organism the energy is generated to neutralize the gravitational effect? (Carrington 1999, 84).
We know perfectly well how energy is converted in the body to enable nervous or muscular activity. So what kind of energy is Carrington talking about? The impression is that Carrington's understanding of human physiology is influenced by vitalism.
Carrington also mentions external sources of energy:
Gravity is a tremendous source of energy and it's a tremendous help in our lives (Carrington 1999, 48).
Human beings are not physiologically capable of utilising gravity as an energy source. What Carrington is referring to is that we can "make use of weight, heaviness, the propensity of things to drop and fall" (Carrington 1994, 26), and we can make use of the related contact forces:
By lying down on the table, going into monkey, by putting our bodies into different attitudes, we are able to use this valuable source of external energy to assist us (ibid.).
To label these forces "energy" is inaccurate, and they are definitely not a source of energy. We never get as much back as we put in, something Carrington might seem to acknowledge:
This energy is a very valuable addition, but we do need to have our own conscious energy if we are going to succeed (ibid.).
Carrington also defines receiving hands-on guidance from an Alexander Technique teacher as a source of energy:
Then of course there is a third source of external energy, somebody else's hands. This, again is extremely valuable. It is a great deal of what teaching the Technique is all about. Helping each other by applying our energy to the benefit of the other person (ibid.).
It is tempting to associate energy in this last quote with hands on healing energy. But from the context it is clear that Carrington is referring to mechanical forces and kinetic energy when talking about the practical teaching situation. Carrington does not, as some Alexander Technique teachers do, ascribe the sensations experienced when receiving hands on work to vitalistic energy like "chi" (Farkas 2019, 202). Sometimes, Carrington may use energy only as a metaphor.
Energy as metaphor
Carrington seems sometimes to be equating energy with movement, muscle tension, or nerve signals:
The supporting reaction is a very positive process of generating movement, generating a flow of energy … (Carrington 1999, 78).
… if you overdo the counteraction of the downward force by generating more energy in the neck, that clearly will have the effect of tilting the head back … (Carrington 1999, 84).
… all the nerve pathways and all the inter-connections whereby energy flows from one nerve center to another are very largely habitual. … (Carrington 1999, 146).
He also defines energy as that which causes movement, a 'mechanistic' explanation:
Energy is that which enables us to mobilize our weight. It enables us to move (Carrington 1994, 22).
But in his explanation for why he chooses to use the word energy, Carrington says:
I am emphasizing energy because as soon as we start talking about movement, people are naturally inclined to start thinking about muscles. […] You see, if we stick just to using the term energy and thinking of energy […], then we are not committed to saying that it is just muscles that cause movement. We are not really committed to saying it is nerves. We don't even have to say it is nervous energy. There may be other sorts of energy (ibid).
The term "energy" is vague and indefinable. Carrington finds this useful. It allows for what might be seen as more "holisitic" or non-dualistic descriptions. Carrington uses energy to describe different aspects of human functioning. The word can have different meanings and be used as a metaphor. Carrington admits, however, that "There may be other sorts of energy". This suggest that even when used as metaphor there is potential for a vitalistic interpretation.
Legacy and influence
Carrington continued Alexander's use of language that can be interpreted as vitalistic. But his vitalism is more explicit. Alexander directs, projects or conducts energy. Carrington's energy is a property of living beings, always operating in the body. It can be generated by directions; it flows upwards, it flows along the spine.
It has to be considered that all but one of the quotes in the material (Carrington 1996, 225) are from published talks or interviews. It may not be how Carrington would have formulated himself if he had sat down to write. On the other hand, it can also be said to reveal his thinking unfiltered.
Carrington gave regular talks at his training course for teachers more or less on a daily basis (Carrington 1994, 9). These talks were unscripted improvisations over a theme, often a passage from Alexander's books. In his introduction to the first volume of published talks, John Nicholls, who was present at these talks over several years, sums it up like this:
The message repeated again and again is that we are responsible for how our energies are directed, whether we are conscious of it or not, that we can learn how to redirect those energies into more useful pathways … (Nicholls 1994, 13-14).
"Energy" is a recurring theme in Carrington's talks. (9)
Through his training of teachers, Walter Carrington's rhetoric has had the potential to influence generations of Alexander Technique teachers. The aim of this article has been to highlight an aspect of his teaching that has until now been very little discussed. I think it is time we did. As the practical skills of teaching the Alexander Technique are handed down to us, so are habits of thinking. We need to question those habits if we are going to evolve as a profession.
In the next article in this series, I'll present the ideas of other teachers trained by Alexander himself, "the first-generation teachers".
Related blog posts
Notes
(1) Information about Walter Carrington can be found on the Mouritz Companion website:
(2) List of references to related quotes.
Upward energy: Carrington 1992, 26; Carrington 1999, 16. Upward energy flow: Carrington 1994, 30; Carrington 1999, 85, 109, 112. Energizing upwards: Carrington 1999, 94. Energy counteracting gravity: Carrington 1994, 30; Carrington 1999, 88, 108. Energy counteracting downward pressures/forces: Carrington 1994, 31, 32; Carrington 1999, 78, 84, 116. Upward force: Carrington 1996, 225.
(3) References for directing energy: Carrington 1994, 19, 23-27, 53; Carrington 1999, 53, 104, 105. Conducting energy: Carrington 1994, 24.
(4) See also Carrington 1994, 83; Carrington 1999, 80; Carrington 2006, 194.
(5) References for flow of energy: Carrington 1994, 24, 30, 32, 83. Carrington 1999, 53, 78, 85, 88, 104, 105, 108, 109, 110, 112, 146. Carrington 2006, 182, 191. Carrington 2017, 73.
(6) The quote is from a talk given in October 1989. The same metaphor can be found in another talk from the same month (Carrington 1999, 146) and in a talk from March 1983 (Carrington 1994, 36). It seems to be a metaphor Carrington used on several occasions.
(7) References for misdirecting, blocking, interfering or leaking energy.
Misdirected: 1994, 25; 1999, 105. Block: Carrington 1994, 30. Prevent, interfere, stop: 1999, 104. Leak: 1999, 151.
(8) References for energy generated: Carrington 1994, 30; Carrington 1999, 16, 78, 80, 84. Energy generated by thinking directions: Carrington 1994, 83; Carrington 1999, 80; Carrington 2006, 191; Carrington 2017, 146.
(9) According to Nicholls, several hundreds of these talks were recorded. My first teacher in Oslo, who trained with Carrington, had at least one audio cassette. These recordings deserve further investigation. A closer analysis could reveal, for instance, whether the vitalistic tendency increases over time, as is my impression.
Literature
Alexander, F.M. (1996) Man's Supreme Inheritance. Mouritz.
Alexander, F.M. (2018) The Use of the Self. Orion Spring.
Alexander, F.M. (2021) Man’s Supreme Inheritance (1910), Addenda (1911), Conscious Control (1912): Facsimile of First Editions of Books on the F. M. Alexander Technique. Mouritz.
Carrington, W.; Carey, S. 1992. Explaining the Alexander Technique: The Writings of F. Matthias Alexander. The Sheildrake Press.
Carrington, Walter. 1994. Thinking Aloud: Talks on the Alexander Technique. Mornum Time Press.
Carrington, Walter. (1996). Beyond Words. In J. Sontag (ed.), Curiosity Recaptured (pp. 223-228). San Francisco: Mornum Time Press.
Carrington, Walter (1999) The Act of Living: Talks on the Alexander Technique. Mornum Time Press.
Carrington, W. (2006) Inhibition and Direction. In Langford (ed.), Remembering Walter Carrington (pp.171-185). Alexandertechniek Centrum vzw, Leuven.
Carrington, W. (2006) Checking the Compass. In Langford (ed.), Remembering Walter Carrington (pp. 187-197. Alexandertechniek Centrum vzw, Leuven.
Carrington, Walter and Dilys. 2017. An Evolution of the Alexander Technique: Selected Writings. The Sheildrake Press.
Farkas, Alexander (2019) Alexander Technique: Arising from Quiet. Hite Books.
Langford, Elisabeth, ed. (2006) Remembering Walter Carrington: Keystone of the Alexander Technique. Alexandertechniek Centrum vzw, Leuven.
Nicholls J. & Carey S. (1991) The Alexander Technique: In Conversation with John Nicholls and Sean Carey. Brighton Alexander Training Centre.
Nicholls, John (1991). The Annual Memorial Lecture 1986: The Alexander Technique in a Larger Context. In Nicholls & Carey, The Alexander Technique (pp. 103-122). Brighton Alexander Training Centre.
Nicholls, John (1994) Introduction. In Carrington, Thinking Aloud (pp. 9-14). Mornum Time Press.
Sontag, Jerry, ed. (1996) Curiosity Recaptured: Exploring Ways We Think and Move. Mornum Time Press.
