Secret Senses

We have five senses in which we glory and which we recognize and celebrate, senses that constitute the sensible world for us. But there are other senses - secret senses, sixth senses, if you will - equally vital, but unrecognized, and unlauded.
Oliver Sacks

I come across this quote which seems sensible enough, and made me tick off five senses to be sure I remembered what they were. I had a problem when it continued, "..there are other senses - secret senses..". Sounds like an area of general interest to everyone:

What is a secret sense?

Well, I'd assume that a secret sense is another sense that you have on top of the other five, one you don't know about or are only partly aware of.
Something like the ability to see things before they happen or something like that.
That's what I think anyway. Others may have different ideas

A secret sense-nothing secret...neglected in the course of adaption sounds more reasonable to me ...if we all believe in human nature/if there is such thing than it should be grounded on common characteristics/if so...than when a performance of controlling your body temperature simply by your will or the stream of energies in you,takes place it should not be rejected wholeheartedly... because than this supposes that is in the nature of everyone ...Some of the hidden abilities of the human are due to these senses...they are obscure because of our primitive state of mind...of course there could be another explanation of all the phenomenons.../part of the standartized answers/-the tricks of all those eastern magicians ...this always ends the discussion and skepticism/in my way-primitivism/ prevails...

I think what I consider 'awareness' could be considered a secret sense.

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Originally Posted by jackyyyy

What is a secret sense?

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If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, would it?

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Following the Asian tsunami, scientists struggled to explain reports that primitive aboriginal tribesmen had somehow sensed the impending danger in time to join wild animals in a life-saving flight to higher ground. A new theory suggests that the anterior cingulate cortex, described by some scientists as part of the brain's "oops" center, may actually function as an early warning system -- one that works at a subconscious level to help us recognize and avoid high-risk situations.

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I agree, the word, 'secret' implies its been hidden, when 'not understood' might fit better. I grabbed this article which indicates to me the potential at least, of some 'awareness' outside of the 5 senses.

I usually think that 'awareness', is brought about by the use of the first five senses. I never really question the word 'intuition', just understand its some feeling or sense of something. Aren't intuition and awareness the same thing?

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Originally Posted by beer good

If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, would it?

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Thats right, so now I want to know what it is. :D

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Originally Posted by Bandini

I think what I consider 'awareness' could be considered a secret sense.

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I would call it 'Divine Awareness'. Some have called it the 'Third Eye', as well.

It is the sensing of divinity. Some may sense divinity when they look into the clouds. Others may sense it when they look inwardly to themselves, or into another person. Others still, specifically followers of the Eastern religions, will see souls in all things - both living and not. The elemental religions of the East see in all things a 'Thou', whereas monotheistic religions will limit divinity to a smaller group of the Triumverate, Man, and any other phenomenan attributed to 'God'.

I wrote an essay about a "sixth sense " for the soul. Feel free to read it Here

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Originally Posted by Bandini

I think what I consider 'awareness' could be considered a secret sense.

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Precisely, Bandini.
Along with acute awareness, I have also seen a 'sixth-sense' referred to as intuition, which, depending on who you ask, may go hand-in-hand with awareness. It consists of a sense of perceiving something (just like sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching), but devoid of all the other five senses.
Personally, I feel quite skeptical of their existence, but many so-called 'ghost-chasers' utilize this sense.

Jackyyyy, if we have only five senses, can you please explain to me what my sense of balance is? And how about my sense of heat, sense of pain and my sense of where my body is?

“More easily demonstrated than explained, proprioception is the "unconscious" awareness of where the various regions of the body are located at any one time. (This can be demonstrated by anyone's closing the eyes and waving the hand around. Assuming proper proprioceptive function, at no time will the person lose awareness of where the hand actually is, even though it is not being detected by any of the other senses).”

Why do you think senses are or have to be ‘secret’? Are these others not miraculous enough?

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Originally Posted by The Unnamable

Jackyyyy, if we have only five senses, can you please explain to me what my sense of balance is? And how about my sense of heat, sense of pain and my sense of where my body is?

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Though I do not intend on correcting such a bright mind, such as yours, unnamable, but the sense of balance actually originates from a mechanism in the ear, related to hearing, deep within the inner ear. This also explains why when one has an ear infection of any kind, he/she may feel dizzy, off-balance, or frequently fall.
The sense of heat comes from unique neurons in the skin calls thermoreceptors, and the sense of pain originates from nociceptors, thus traveling from the localized site, ascends the spinal cord, and into the brain, where it gets interpreted as pain.

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Originally Posted by The Unnamable

Jackyyyy, if we have only five senses, can you please explain to me what my sense of balance is? And how about my sense of heat, sense of pain and my sense of where my body is?

“More easily demonstrated than explained, proprioception is the "unconscious" awareness of where the various regions of the body are located at any one time. (This can be demonstrated by anyone's closing the eyes and waving the hand around. Assuming proper proprioceptive function, at no time will the person lose awareness of where the hand actually is, even though it is not being detected by any of the other senses).”

Why do you think senses are or have to be ‘secret’? Are these others not miraculous enough?

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Hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell. Sense of balance is my body telling my brain that I am or am not balanced (as on a tightrope). 'Sense of' or 'sense from' something would come from information that the brain uses to decide if something is balanced or not, or hot, cold, etc.

Yes, these five are miraculous enough, and they are evident. While I can understand why I may not know of or understand a sixth, I wonder why in the quote he says its a secret. Is it a secret because it was secreted (made into a secret), or is it a secret because I do not know what it is? The definition of the word seems okay as an adjective, but not as a noun. What do you think?

That was a well written, interesting piece of writing, but here's the rub: "...and more specifically, Christianity..." Why?

"...nothing more than other organisms seeking to get the same fix or bang the same *****..."

"...horrifying reality of rampant sexual immorality..."

"...my classmate on the other hand was quite bound to the meat of his being and obligated to sexual impulses and selfish needs..."

One word: ISSUES

Well - you can always take comfort in the fact that they'll all burn in hell. They might have their nasty girlfriends and their...their... filthy sexual relationships, and a desire to have a good sex life, but you'll be laughing when they're all burning and you're sat on a Deeee-luxe cloud huh?

Saying that, I hate that macho/jock/competitive attitude towards women that you might be alluding to.

Obviously it says Christianity because I am a Christian. The essay is one of opinion and was not presented as fact. The only reason I even linked it here was because of the discussion concerning the sixth sense: I thought it appropriate to discuss this "sense for the soul" as another possible sense along side other non-named senses such as balance etc. that have been brought up. If you would like to condescend on my views more or have a debate about my religion this isn't the thread to do it in. I won't be laughing and I don't think sexual relationships are filthy.

It came across a little like that.

You know, its still a secret yet. And, I guess until we know what it is all doors are wide open. I have to correct myself above, now I'm not sure what a secret is anymore:

se·cret (sē'krĭt)
adj.
Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed.
Dependably discreet.
Operating in a hidden or confidential manner: a secret agent.
Not expressed; inward: their secret thoughts.
Not frequented; secluded: wandered about the secret byways of Paris.
Known or shared only by the initiated: secret rites.
Beyond ordinary understanding; mysterious.
Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security.
n.
Something kept hidden from others or known only to oneself or to a few.
Something that remains beyond understanding or explanation; a mystery.
A method or formula on which success is based: The secret of this dish is in the sauce.
Secret A variable prayer said after the Offertory and before the Preface in the Mass.

http://www.answers.com/topic/secret

How about this, what if secret as in you are not physically/consiously aware of it until suddenly you are.
I maean look at cats and earthquakes ( mind you cats have n\more thatn 5 senses dont they, anyway?)
where was I oh yes earthquakes I assume never having been a cat that they are not constanly feeling no easryhquake no earthe qauke no earythquake and then oooohhh earthquake. but suddennly feel a need to hide/take shelter thus there earthquake sense is on and if they never lived through an earthquake the sense would always remain hidden "secret" from them.

Mind you even I can sensse an earthqauke a few seconds before the walls starts shaking so that was a rubbish example but you get my drift??

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Originally Posted by Nightshade

How about this, what if secret as in you are not physically/consiously aware of it until suddenly you are.
I maean look at cats and earthquakes ( mind you cats have n\more thatn 5 senses dont they, anyway?)
where was I oh yes earthquakes I assume never having been a cat that they are not constanly feeling no easryhquake no earthe qauke no earythquake and then oooohhh earthquake. but suddennly feel a need to hide/take shelter thus there earthquake sense is on and if they never lived through an earthquake the sense would always remain hidden "secret" from them.

Mind you even I can sensse an earthqauke a few seconds before the walls starts shaking so that was a rubbish example but you get my drift??

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You still thinking about those exotic cat pictures in that thread over there. :lol: Well, the scientists can at least be sure the animals ran to higher ground before the Tsunami, and possibly the aboriginals just followed the animals. So, maybe you are onto something here. And, that is whats in the back of my head here too; is there something akin to 'cats' that is hidden away somewhere?

huh?? what cat pictyures
no Jackyyy it might be the fact that both of us live in cheshire and are thus constantly being brought face to face with subliminal cat images ...and then there is the building socity, the kids libraray cards,not to mention mad catrs on the roof etc etc etc

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Originally Posted by Nightshade

huh?? what cat pictyures
no Jackyyy it might be the fact that both of us live in cheshire and are thus constantly being brought face to face with subliminal cat images ...and then there is the building socity, the kids libraray cards,not to mention mad catrs on the roof etc etc etc

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AND don't forget... CHESHIRE CATS :brow:

Obviously thats where the sublimable message comes from and then there are those smiling adverts ( cheshire cats Im sure) and the thompson directories.
yes we are haunted by cats.

Come to think of it, I have never seen a grin without a cat and there's a cat on the lawn doing this: :nod:

ao you have head banging cats? Ours like to dance to elvis...well one does anyway :lol:

Anyway back to secretr sense yes I think its like a secret agent as in works secretly.

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Originally Posted by mono

sense of balance actually originates from a mechanism in the ear, related to hearing, deep within the inner ear. This also explains why when one has an ear infection of any kind, he/she may feel dizzy, off-balance, or frequently fall.
The sense of heat comes from unique neurons in the skin calls thermoreceptors, and the sense of pain originates from nociceptors, thus traveling from the localized site, ascends the spinal cord, and into the brain, where it gets interpreted as pain.

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Sorry, mono – I don’t understand your point – but then perhaps you didn’t understand mine. Are you saying that balance is not a sense? I know the things you mention but I don’t know that it’s as simple as to say that we have only five senses. Yes, every child is taught this but these assumptions are now rightly challenged. Have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senses

What I find revealing is that people look for something beyond the human when the human itself is far more interesting.

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Originally Posted by The Unnamable

What I find revealing is that people look for something beyond the human when the human itself is far more interesting.

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I see what you're saying and agree wholeheartedly that the human is very interesting. To say it is more interesting than what is beyond human though can't really be supported because it depends upon the imagination of whoever you are talking to. I could imagine plenty of things that make the human dull in comparison;however, I also find that if I wasn't a human(some objective being) the human would be pretty high up there on the crazy things I imagine.

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The Twelve Senses

In the 1920s, at a time when conventional physiology only recognized five or six senses, Rudolf Steiner proposed that there were far more. He defined twelve senses; of these twelve, the first nine are now well-recognized: the equilibrioceptive (balance), proprioceptive (movement), nociceptive (sense of pain and wellness), tactile (touch), gustatory (taste), olfactory (smell), thermoceptive (warmth), visual and auditory senses. Steiner proposed three more senses as well: the sense of phoneme or language, the sense of thought and the sense of ego (the ability to recognize an ego outside of our own); he termed these three 'higher senses' that depended upon the healthy development of the foundational senses of balance, movement, pain/wellness and touch. Steiner's last three senses have not been confirmed by scientific research; in particular, sensory organs for them would have to be found.

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To me, the first 5 seem straightforward, we can more easily ID them. The next 4 appear to be 'sense of' or 'sense from', meaning they are derived from a a part or combination of the first 5. What about Language, Thought, Ego? Is it fair to call them 'senses', or are they also derived from the first 5? This makes me think of chemisty, where we have elements and compounds. Is language, for example, a compound of those first 5 (or 9)?

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Originally Posted by Nightshade

ao you have head banging cats? Ours like to dance to elvis...well one does anyway :lol:

Anyway back to secretr sense yes I think its like a secret agent as in works secretly.

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In my neck of the woods we do have cats that are into Status Quo, headbangers, and you are quite right about 'secret agent' too, as in agent that is empowered to act. Cats have nine lives and humans have one, must be good to have more senses.

Perhaps an "intuitional" sense about things. Intuitions, promptings, inspirations.

In "The Cherry Orchard" Petra Trofimov, while they are all philosophizing about death, says to the effect that maybe we wake up afterwards with 100 senses, and not just the 5 that we here so measure. He's in possession of an artistic sense or temperament, along with goofiness and ongoing intellectual pursuits. Arkadina calls him an "eternal student."

Another phrase in usage is "spiritual sense," as in "Spiritual sense is the discernment of spiritual good."

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Originally Posted by byquist

Perhaps an "intuitional" sense about things. Intuitions, promptings, inspirations.

In "The Cherry Orchard" Petra Trofimov, while they are all philosophizing about death, says to the effect that maybe we wake up afterwards with 100 senses, and not just the 5 that we here so measure. He's in possession of an artistic sense or temperament, along with goofiness and ongoing intellectual pursuits. Arkadina calls him an "eternal student."

Another phrase in usage is "spiritual sense," as in "Spiritual sense is the discernment of spiritual good."

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If there are 9 or 12, why couldn't there be 100. Indeed, there could be an infinite number. Reminds me of moments of heightened awareness, as in a moment of danger, everything is magnified, senses of things we do not relate to in everyday life suddenly exist - blue is more blue. All because at that moment we are more alert/aware. Then, all senses, and lets say, potential senses, sit in our DNA, and only the most needed senses develop from 'practice'. So, "spiritual sense" would grow with practice too. Intuition is like premonition.

Thanks, byquist.

Jackyyyy,

As Doyle Lonigan asks in "The Sting," "Ya' follow?" likewise I, with Redford, follow your drift which is appealing.

However, you bring up DNA -- chemicals; that existence is chemically based or indelibly linked.

Now, Chekhov, albeit schooled as a physician, also albeit dying young from a stong-minded disease, did seek at many times a distancing from the physiological sense of existence.

While DNA and genetics have become the current most popular and near-idolized assertions, they can be seen as antipathetic to the word, Spirit. Any senses originating and deriving from Spirit, must be non-material, non-matter; non-DNAish, non-chemical.

Cutting this link with DNA does not cut the link with our humanity, health, natural experience, etc., but rather disposes of the negative side of DNA (which are many -- for half or more of people DNA is not kind, but vicious), and enables a spiritual sense to harmonize the physical senses.

Of course, such talk is stuff that Darwinists don't like to hear, but there is a lot of fun that they miss out on by pushing his agenda into every sliver in society.

I'm sure you didn't want to open such debate, so consider the above to be blather if it doesn't register. I'm outa here.

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Originally Posted by The Unnamable

Sorry, mono – I don’t understand your point – but then perhaps you didn’t understand mine. Are you saying that balance is not a sense? I know the things you mention but I don’t know that it’s as simple as to say that we have only five senses. Yes, every child is taught this but these assumptions are now rightly challenged. Have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senses

What I find revealing is that people look for something beyond the human when the human itself is far more interesting.

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I do, indeed, agree that balance proves itself as a sense, only just as much connected to hearing, as seeing black-and-white or color seems connected to eyesight.
Quoted from the link you provided:

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Equilibrioception is the perception of balance and is related to cavities containing fluid in the inner ear. There is some disagreement as to whether this also includes the sense of "direction" or orientation. However, as with depth perception earlier, it is generally regarded that "direction" is a post-sensory cognitive awareness.

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In the 1999 motion picture The Matrix, the character of Neo experiences déjà vu (though the experience somewhat differs: Neo sees a black cat go past two times consecutively). Trinity explains to Neo that "the déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when [the Matrix] changes something."

Déjà vécu
Usually translated 'already seen' or 'already lived through,' déjà vécu is described in a quotation from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens:

We have all some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time - of our having been surrounded, dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and circumstances - of our knowing perfectly what will be said next, as if we suddenly remember it![1]

When most people speak of déjà vu, they are actually experiencing déjà vécu. Surveys have revealed that about one third of the population have had these experiences, more often (and perhaps more intense) in people between the ages of 15 and 25. The experience is usually related to a very banal event, but is so striking that it is remembered for years afterwards.

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While Intuition is better understood, 'Premonition', 'The Third Eye' and 'Déjà Vu' are senses that so far defy scientific proof. For 'most' of us, they are not under our conscious control, they simply happen. I don't think there can be any doubt they should be considered seriously, but wonder if they consitute part of this 'secret sense' notion - we just don't know what they are. What I am conjecturing is, even if we don't know what they are, can we still base assumptions of them and use them - I don't want to wait for the scientists to work it out, I want to pick the right race-horse now. For example, I do not know what present someone is going to bring me for Christmas, but its a safe bet they will and I have a rough idea of what it will be based on information I have under my control. Sometimes, if I think hard enough, I can make that guess more accurate, and sometimes I am right. Now, while that might be called simply 'deduction', in the case of these 'extra-senses' there appears no information to support a deduction. Is it possible this information doesn't just come out of thin air, and it is actually resident somewhere?

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Originally Posted by byquist

Jackyyyy,

As Doyle Lonigan asks in "The Sting," "Ya' follow?" likewise I, with Redford, follow your drift which is appealing.

However, you bring up DNA -- chemicals; that existence is chemically based or indelibly linked.

Now, Chekhov, albeit schooled as a physician, also albeit dying young from a stong-minded disease, did seek at many times a distancing from the physiological sense of existence.

While DNA and genetics have become the current most popular and near-idolized assertions, they can be seen as antipathetic to the word, Spirit. Any senses originating and deriving from Spirit, must be non-material, non-matter; non-DNAish, non-chemical.

Cutting this link with DNA does not cut the link with our humanity, health, natural experience, etc., but rather disposes of the negative side of DNA (which are many -- for half or more of people DNA is not kind, but vicious), and enables a spiritual sense to harmonize the physical senses.

Of course, such talk is stuff that Darwinists don't like to hear, but there is a lot of fun that they miss out on by pushing his agenda into every sliver in society.

I'm sure you didn't want to open such debate, so consider the above to be blather if it doesn't register. I'm outa here.

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Darwinists may or may not be right, Spiritualism might have an answer, I don't know. In any case, what is in common is, people want to know. I agree, the scientists can show chemicals can do x, but what they can't 'show' to general satisfaction is this 'extra' - so far. While I would not attempt to solve this and suddenly discover it, since smarter people than me haven't been able to put their finger on exactly what it is, I would like to know if we can tap into it somehow, and sufficiently, in order to increase that 'awareness'. Possibly, by increasing our awareness, we might be able to deduce what exactly it is. I think somtimes, the amount of energy we 'all' put into working out our existence should have solved this by now, but as we know, we don't know.

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Originally Posted by mono

Though I do not intend on correcting such a bright mind, such as yours, unnamable, but the sense of balance actually originates from a mechanism in the ear, related to hearing, deep within the inner ear. This also explains why when one has an ear infection of any kind, he/she may feel dizzy, off-balance, or frequently fall.
The sense of heat comes from unique neurons in the skin calls thermoreceptors, and the sense of pain originates from nociceptors, thus traveling from the localized site, ascends the spinal cord, and into the brain, where it gets interpreted as pain.

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I was also going to agree with Unnameable, but you beat me to it. :) You are emphasizing his point that there are more than five senses. Balance is not hearing, although the apparatus is located in the same area, and each different sort of physical sensation is distinct, although they use the same pathways for communication.

At some point I saw a discussion of several different senses in addition to the traditional five. I don't have time now to search for more details, but I'm sure that there is substantial information on the internet.

A related question is about how many modes of communication humans use. I have found six or seven (depending on whether two are counted separately or together.

a sixth sense. it can be intuition, or the ability to see those from the underworld, or the undead, the power to see the future or the power of the mind to do things beyond normal, like lifting objects and, well, kinda like the stuff they do in Star Wars with all the mind control. i believe such things exist in everyone. everyone has a sixth sense waiting to be activated or something.

tell me, is there anyone here with an opened sixth sense? or anyone who knows someone who has an opened sixth sense?

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Originally Posted by PeterL

A related question is about how many modes of communication humans use. I have found six or seven (depending on whether two are counted separately or together.

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good question, peter.

how can a blind man sense if another is present, aside from hearing?

i think this is because we all radiate an aura, and, a blind person has learned to 'see' without seeing. and so i wonder, is this also an adaptive mechanism for those who are born with incomplete 5 senses?

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Originally Posted by amanda_isabel

good question, peter.

how can a blind man sense if another is present, aside from hearing?

i think this is because we all radiate an aura, and, a blind person has learned to 'see' without seeing. and so i wonder, is this also an adaptive mechanism for those who are born with incomplete 5 senses?

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I agree that there is something that might be called an aura. That is among the modes of sessing and communication that humans use. I don't think that that is an adaptation for people without sight. Only a few kinds of communication are done consciously; the rest are expressed and understood by biological processes or the subconscious mind.