SME: Feeling Sensation Oriented

People with this style are deep feelers, commonly known as highly sensitive people or those with sensory processing sensitivity. They have a much more complex inner life than most and are often perceived by others as sensitive or shy. Even when they focus externally, their awareness is oriented more to their internal sensations and thoughts that arise in response to external stimuli rather than to the stimuli itself. Their internal feelings can often overwhelm them when dissonant (in an unhealthy, out-of-balance state).

Principle Characteristics

When in tune (in a healthy, low-stress state), these individuals are often imaginative, creative, empathetic, highly intuitive, caring, loyal, value-oriented, sensitive, shy, and practical. When dissonant (in an unhealthy, out-of-balance state), they are emotional, easily rattled or overwhelmed, withdrawn, socially awkward, and possibly prone to self-destructive behaviors.

Communication Style

When someone expresses an SME style, they may struggle to communicate with words. They may stumble on their words, use the wrong words, or start talking only to appear confused and then stop. Their internal experience can sometimes be overwhelming, causing them to struggle to put words to their feelings. If this happens habitually, it can make it difficult for the individual to access words in any situation. As a result, they may struggle to express themselves clearly to others. They likely feel misunderstood and resort to a passive-aggressive communication style or close up altogether. Others may feel like they have to mind-read and often miss the mark of what an individual wants when expressing this style.

Boundaries

SME typically leads to struggles with boundaries. Individuals expressing SME often feel like sights, sounds, smells, and sensations are boundary violations when they are dissonant. Sensations and sensory experiences that would be tolerable with other styles feel like violations that elicit intense emotional responses. This type of hypersensitivity to boundaries makes it difficult to communicate boundaries to others in an effective way. They may struggle to tell if someone is crossing their boundaries or if they themselves are crossing someone else's boundaries. Simply put, their boundaries seem so close and consuming that they may struggle to know where appropriate boundaries should be placed.

How Constructed Awareness Benefits the SME Style

Constructed Awareness (CA) enhances the experience of individuals with an SME orientation by supporting their ability to engage more fully with external and mental building blocks. People with an SME style tend to rely heavily on sensation, often becoming overwhelmed by their emotions or physical sensations. CA helps them balance this by bringing awareness to their thoughts and external surroundings, providing new ways to regulate and connect. By integrating all three building blocks, CA enables those with an SME style to better manage their internal experience and maintain a healthy, grounded relationship with the world around them.