Friday, September 21, 2012
Sensory Perception
This is a random thought, but I think about it sometimes and just get weirded out by it. Why is it that most of our human senses - touch, hearing, sight - are pretty universal (for example, unless a disease heeds one's ability, everybody sees red as red, hears the same noises) but the sense of taste and smell vary so dramatically? I'm sure it's all about associations with memories or something, but some people simply like things or don't like things right off the bat. Why do I hate nuts, but my brother loves them, and we've been raised eating the same meals with very similar experiences? Why do I love the smell of gasoline, when my mom feels nauseous when she smells it? As a "way of knowing", sensory perception is strange in that it's largely universal to all people, but there are so many subtle differences that could make all the difference in perception of a certain situation!
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As a person who lists one of his unique traits as "olfactory-nostalgic", I find this topic interesting. I could argue that all senses perceive the same thing, but preferences are what makes the differences. Biologically, there are likely some differences in the way we sense things; did you ever do the test in biology in which everyone had to taste a piece of paper laced with a chemical that tasted very bitter but some couldn't taste it? All senses are affected to that end. Nostalgia/past experience also can change what we get out of a sensory experience as well.
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