Secret Senses

[jackyyyy]

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?

[Bluebiird]

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

[Eagleheart]

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...

[Bandini]

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

[beer good]

What is a secret sense?

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

[jackyyyy]

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.

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?

[jackyyyy]

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

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

[Gawaine]

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

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'.

[Gallantry]

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

[mono]

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

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.

[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?

[mono]

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?

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.

[jackyyyy]

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?

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?

[Bandini]

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

[Bandini]

"...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