How important are our senses?

AUTUMN is now upon us, with the smell of decaying leaves, the feel of the damp, cool air on the skin, the sounds of birds and small mammals finding winter food in the undergrowth, the sight of the reds and browns in the trees. Some people may also be enjoying tasting harvested fruits, such as blackberries, or their home grown tomatoes and vegetables.
This is a time of year when we can fully experience the world with our senses if we are aware of these things around us. However, often people are too busy with their everyday lives to notice these things, and can become oblivious to the wonders of nature and the seasons, because of their stressful or busy lives.
As babies and young children we experienced life through our senses, which meant the right side of the brain was more active. As we developed physically, so did the two hemispheres of the brain, resulting in the left hemisphere function being activated, helping us to think rationally, and to analyze and process information. However, this side of the brain can become much more active as we reach adulthood, and can result in overriding of the senses, and in particular damping down of emotional responses, which ultimately limits the full experience of living in this world. So why does this happen? Many forms of study and occupations encourage analytical rather than intuitive thinking. Could that be a reason why so many children struggle in school? Perhaps, they are not able to learn as creatively as they need to, and therefore resist the mainstream curriculum. Brain development is very complex, and is affected by many factors. If, in our early years, we learn by our senses, and are constantly inundated with sensory information, then this can have a positive or negative influence upon us. For instance, if a person lived within a very critical household; they had difficult experiences around mealtimes; their parents didn’t have the money to take them far away from their immediate environment; and they were restricted in their play; then you can bet that their sensory learning was negatively affected. However, on the other end of the scale, if a person was brought up in a nurturing and supportive environment; they enjoyed family mealtimes; often had weekends and holidays away in the countryside or by the sea; and were encouraged to play creatively; then they would have had much more positive sensory experiences; which in adulthood would most likely have led them into a career path, a social life and relationships that utilized the senses as much or more than the rational part of the mind.
The good news is that things can change if you want them to. It is possible to work on enhancing the senses, so that you can learn new things and have more fulfilling life experiences and relationships. To find out more about different ways you can awaken your senses, whilst understanding why you may have learnt to ignore that creative part of yourself; please contact us to discuss this further during an Initial Consultation on: 01925 658322.