Sensing Type Writing (Childhood Memories) — Example and Analysis

Let's examine a text written by a SEI person: Childhood Memories. It is a vivid example of sensory narration.

1. Focus on details and physical sensations

The text is packed with sensory imagery:

Visual impressions: “The door closes behind my dad, mom sits on the bed and cries,” “A blizzard, dark, snowflakes hitting my face.”
Tactile sensations:* “I’m all wrapped up, sitting in the sled like a little bundle,” “Tiny squeaky lumps with carrot-like tails.”
Smells: “The kittens smelled of milk.”
Sounds: “The dog took out the trash — carrying the bucket in her teeth” (you can easily imagine the sound of the bucket scraping against the pavement).

Intuitive types usually skip such physical minutiae — their thinking is built on meanings and generalizations.

2. Concreteness instead of abstract metaphors or unnecessary abstractions

The author describes reality as it is, without any hidden meanings, abstract concepts, layered associations, or interpretations. Everything is described directly:

“The dog carried the bucket” (not “heroically bore the weight of responsibility”).
“My father pulls the sled by a rope” (not “like a guardian angel leading me into the unknown”).
“The kitten chases his brother full speed” (not “as a symbol of innocent joy”).

The author doesn’t just say “we had a dog and a cat” — she describes in detail their habits, what exactly they did, and how they interacted with their surroundings.

“The dog and the cat never fought — on the contrary, they loved to chase each other down the hallway, putting on a drift show.” There’s no philosophy here, no reflection on their characters.

“Every summer she went with me to our country house, living her best cat life — catching mice and birds, and roaming around with tomcats.” There’s no analysis of “why” or “what does it mean.”

An intuitive narrator might have said:
“The animals were part of my life, and I think their friendship reflected my inner world…” — a turn toward symbolism.

The author also shows emotions but doesn’t interpret them:

“I run up to her, hug her around the neck, and start crying too”.
“I was eight when the dog got sick and was euthanized. I knew, I worried, I cried.”
The narrator simply conveys the fact and her physical reaction.

An intuitive type might reflect:
“When I learned about the dog’s death, I first felt the inevitability of loss…”

3. Sensory linearity — no abrupt associative jumps

The story begins with one of the first memories (the father leaving).
Then it smoothly transitions to an even earlier one (a blizzard, the sled, kindergarten).
Next come the memories of the pets.
Then — their specific actions and interactions with the world.
Each fragment is connected to the previous one through concrete, sensory (observable) details.

Source: S. Ionkin