Have You Given Your Senses a Tune-Up Lately?

In our society, we bombard and overwhelm our senses. There is so much information to process that we tend to block out more subtle sensations.

Because of TV, computers, school, and driving, we and our children are conditioned to concentrate on seeing, focusing straight ahead. Our other senses take a back seat. It shouldn't be so.

When our ancestors roamed this earth, they had to use all of their senses just to stay alive. Hearing, smell, touch, and taste were just as important as seeing, if not more so.

This society overwhelms our senses. Think about everything your mind is trying to process as you read this article. If you are like most people, your mind will block out most things except sight, leading to a kind of tunnel vision.

Can you read this and still be aware of sounds outside? Are you still aware of the feeling of the clothing (or lack thereof) on your body? What are you smelling or tasting as you read this? Can you put it all together and be aware of what you are reading plus all of your other senses, all at the same time?

Think about everything your mind is trying to process while driving around. Your brain, always looking out for your survival, blocks most information out and focuses your attention on just the road ahead, always watching for danger.

You have probably experienced, as have I, driving somewhere and not remembering the drive. Your body has gone into "automatic pilot" and has shut out everything except what it really needs, which is seeing the road ahead.

Overwhelmed with so much sensory input, your mind has retreated into itself, shutting down sensory information that is not vital to driving the car. Basically, your mind is on overload and has gone into "sleep" mode, ready at any moment to be booted up should you need to do so for your survival.

This sort of tunnel vision robs us of so much. We often miss the fox by the side of the road, the flocks of birds flying overhead, or the deer tracks freshly made. We miss the sound of the wind, the smell of the air.

With training and practice, though, we can overcome this tunnel vision. I have seen deer tracks on the side of the road while doing 60 miles an hour. Yes, it is possible and anyone can do it. It just takes practice and awareness, something that is developed over time.

Try sitting outside somewhere and simply be aware of all of your senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and your body's orientation in space. I sit outside on my porch a lot and just love doing this exercise. It is very relaxing and will make you feel happier and more at peace with yourself.

Because we concentrate so much on sight, it is best to do this exercise at night, which blocks out a lot of our seeing ability. With sight somewhat set aside, it is much easier to fully focus on another sense. If it is daytime, try closing your eyes and focus on your other senses.

Pick a sense and fully experience it. Try not to think in words about what you are feeling. Instead, just feel. Don't use qualifiers like "good", "bad", "pleasant", and so on. Don't let your mind qualify, categorize, and name everything. Again, just experience your senses.

For example, with touch, feel the breeze on your skin. Feel the weight of clothes on your body. Feel the beat of your heart. Feel your breath go in and out. Feel your hot drink sliding down your throat, warming your stomach and spreading that warmth throughout your core.

With hearing, see how many different sounds you can hear. There are layers upon layers of sound all around you. There are near sounds and far sounds, loud sounds and sounds so soft you can barely hear them. Listen to the crickets, the distant sound of traffic, the sound of leaves rustling, or the sound of blood pumping through your veins.

What is the subtlest sound you can hear? The subtler a sensation I can find and experience, the more gratifying the experience. If you think you have found the subtlest of sensations, such as experiencing the feel of clothing on your body, think again.

There are degrees of sensations beyond that. As yet, I have not found the subtlest sensation my body can experience. There always seems to be a deeper level awaiting discovery.

Notice, too, the absence or diminishment of certain senses. In very quiet woods, has the virtual absence of sound ever made your ears ring? How does the absence of certain articles of clothing feel on your skin?

We have learned to see in layers and have developed a sense of three-dimensional seeing. But what about hearing, touch, taste, and smell? Can they be experienced three-dimensionally also?

Choose one sense and notice the depth and breadth of it - how far, how close, how strong, how muted. Then bring all of that together. What you will end up with is a 3-dimensional sense.

Hearing is 3-dimensional. Feeling or touch is also 3-dimensional. When you eat food, try to taste it in layers, three-dimensionally, the stronger flavors as well as the subtler ones.

Try adding the additional dimensions of space and time to the standard three dimensions. If your mind isn't already a bit boggled, it will be then.

An interesting thing happens when all your senses are firing on all cylinders at the same time. Sound starts to take on color. You can almost "taste" with your touch. Even though you see something far away, you can "touch" it. The senses begin to overlay each other, creating a kaleidoscope of sensation.

You will not always be in this physical body. One day you will be pure spirit and unable to experience being in your physical body. One day you will no longer be able to physically see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

While you are here, enjoy the sensations of being in your own body, keeping in perspective the impermanence of these moments. Touch the face of someone you love. Lie on their chest and listen to their heartbeat. You can try to memorize the sensation, but believe me, you will never be able to recall it as well as when you first experienced it.

The ultimate goal is to be able to experience even the subtlest sense in each of the senses - all in the same breath, all at the same time. In the meantime, simply experience the subtleties of senses in your every day life.