What Heat, Movement, and Sensory Play Teach Us About Human Behavior

By Jules McVey

What happens to human behavior, connection, cognition, and leadership when you deliberately change the sensory environment people are operating in?

One of the things we intentionally play with at Wicked Rae's is heat because it shifts the conditions people are used to operating in.

Next, we layer in movement, sound, light, color, texture, unfamiliarity, play, and disruption to keep people slightly uncomfortable with "not knowing what comes next."

In my prior work, I learned you don’t actually see how people respond to change when everything around them is comfortable and predictable. And that gap challenges the sustainability of any change initiative.

When people step into our experiences, whether at our studio or at partner venues, here's what we've consistently observed as facilitators across organizations, retreats, and community programs:

You see, in real time:

→ who adapts

→ who becomes curious

→ who checks in on someone else

→ who tries something different

→ who tries to take control

→ who creates space

→ who becomes quieter

→ who helps others regulate

→ who becomes irritated

→ who disconnects

→ who leaves early

One of our core constructs is creating intentional disruption so people can experience themselves (and others) differently. When you change the environment, you change what becomes visible.

We’re currently partnering with organizations as their year‑round creative wellness and art‑integration partner through decompression experiences, creative movement and expression, team resilience work, critical period programs, small‑team workshops, and more.

If you're looking to see your people in a new way, we'd love to connect to learn how we can help bring your goals to life.

Learn more at www.wickedraes.org

Or schedule a chat: https://lnkd.in/gSXvwRgi

Jules McVey

Co‑founder, Wicked Rae’s