The Senses

All humans are sensory beings, as this is how we explore and process information within our world.

The 5 senses with which we are most familiar are:

• Sight [Visual]

Provides us with details about what we see and helps us to define boundaries as our brain processes colour, contrast, shape and movement.

• Sound [Auditory]

Provides us with details about the sounds we hear such as volume, pitch, rhythm, tone and sequence.

• Touch [Tactile]

Keeps us in contact with our surroundings. Touch is vital to our survival and is one of our modes of communication. From head to toe, our skin helps us feel temperature, light touch, deep pressure, vibration, pain and so much more.

• Taste [Gustatory]

Gives us feedback on the different types of tastes: sweet or sour, spicy, salty, bitter etc.

• Smell [Olfactory]

We use the sense of smell all the time. Flowery, pungent, must, acrid and putrid – we identify many things by their smells. Strong memories can also be tied to smells.

The 3 senses with which you may not be as familiar with are:

• Body Movements [Vestibular System]

This sense puts balance into our lives. It provides information about movement, gravity, and changing head positions. It tells whether we are moving or still, as well as the direction and speed of our movement. We may even tell whether we are vertically or horizontally positioned – even with our eyes closed.

• Body Awareness [Proprioception]

This senses processes information from our muscles, joints, and other body parts to provide us with an unconscious awareness of the position of our body parts in relation to each other – and their relation to other people and objects.

• Introception

This is the newest and most recent discovered sensation, as it comprises being aware of the basic primary functions such as hunger, toileting and breathing. When a person has Introception difficulties they may not be aware of when they are hungry, thirsty or need to go to the bathroom.

Theses 8 senses help us interpret the world around and help us organise how we respond to external stimuli.