Constance Classen, Foundations for an Anthropology of the Senses, 1997: 402
“When we examine the meanings associated with various sensory faculties and sensations in different associated cultures we find a cornucopia of potent sensory symbolism.
Sight may be linked to reason or to witchcraft, taste may be used as a metaphor for aesthetic discrimination or for sexual experience, an odour may signify sanctity or sin, political power or social exclusion.
Together, these sensory meanings and values form the sensory model espoused by a society, according to which the members of that society ‘make sense’ of the concepts into a particular ‘worldview’.
There will likely challenges to this model from within the society, persons and groups who differ on certain sensory values, yet this model will provide the basic perceptual paradigm to be followed or resisted”.
What are the senses?
Our interconnected sensory systems allow us to receive, process, understand, react to and interact with the world we inhabit.
They are embodied, unique to each of us, and are shaped by our culture and experiences.
Did you know we have more than ‘5’ senses?
While we have been taught and often think about ourselves as having ‘5 classical senses’ (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch), we actually have as many as 8, 21, 33 or even more distinct senses, depending on the units of ‘measurement’. Check out this blog post written for The Sensory Trust for more information.
We are using 10 ‘prominent sensory systems’, which can, and do, interact with one another to make the senses even more complex.
Table of The Sensational Museum’s 10 ‘prominent sensory systems’
Sensory processing differences
The way we receive and interpret sensory stimuli is called Sensory Processing.
The sensory systems receive this information and tell our brain how to react and interact with what we are sensing in our proprioceptive and interoceptive environments.
Sensory processing is also linked to our emotional state, regulation and stress.
The NHS has a very useful summary of the sensory processing pathway in their Kent Community Health literature:
Sensory processing is the way our brain sorts out sensory information so we understand the world and can manage our everyday life… We all have some sensory processing differences.
Some of us like very strong tastes and smells and others avoid them. Some people enjoy roller coaster rides whilst others would avoid even a merry-go-round. As long as we can manage to take part in the things we want and need to do these sensory processing differences don’t matter or need support.[1]
While there are ‘normative’ ways to process sensory stimuli, people can process them in a number of different ways.
These range across a spectrum of Sensory Processing Differences,[2] under 3 categories.
1. Discrimination
2. Modulation
3. Motor
1. Discrimination
Interpretation of sensory information
Discrimination allows you to compare various details and disregard ‘irrelevant’ information
Your ability to discriminate may be different, meaning you may have difficulty interpreting sensory stimuli information in the sensory system.
This can be applied to all sensory systems. For example:
Balance: Knowing in what direction you are turning
Interoceptive: Having a sense of hunger
Pain: Pain of standing on a piece of Lego
Proprioceptive: Holding a water glass in your hand without crushing/breaking it
Smell: Smelling a range of scents in a pungent, expensive perfume
Sound: Hearing if someone said cat, cap, or pack
Taste: Tasting the difference between sweet and sour
Temperature: Noticing how cold your hands are getting as you build a snowman
Touch: Feeling the difference between a 20p or a £1 coin in your pocket
Visual: Seeing the difference between different shades of green
2. Modulation
Responsivity to sensory stimuli
Sensory Over-Responsive
Responding too much, too soon, or for too long to sensory stimuli that others may find tolerable.
May lead to avoiding or minimising sensations (e.g. withdraw from being touched).
Hypersensitive to sensory stimulation.
May feel sensation too easily or too intensely.
Could feel overwhelmed by sensory information.
Heightened sensitivity may cause a “fight or flight” response to sensation, e.g. being touched unexpectedly or loud noise (sometimes called “sensory defensiveness”).
Sensory Under-Responsive
Less aware (or unaware) of sensory stimuli, having a delay before responding, muted responses, or low intensity responses.
Often quiet and passive, disregarding or unresponsive to stimuli of the “usual” intensity available in the sensory environment.
May appear withdrawn, difficult to engage or self-absorbed, from not detecting the sensory input of the environment.
Under-responsivity to tactile and deep pressure input may lead to poor body awareness, ‘clumsiness’, or movements that are not graded appropriately.
May not perceive objects that are too hot or cold, or may not notice pain in response to bumps, falls, cuts, or scrapes.
Sensory Craving
Actively seeking or craving sensory stimulation, and perceived to have an almost insatiable desire for sensory input.
Often moving, crashing, bumping, and/or jumping.
May “need” to touch everything and be overly affectionate, not understanding what is “your space” vs. “other’s space”.
Sensory seekers are often thought to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
When receiving more input, it does not help with regulation, instead causing disorganisation when introduced to additional stimulation.
3. Motor
Dyspraxia
Planning and coordinating motor tasks
Difficulty thinking of, planning and/or carrying out skilled movements especially novel movement patterns, and new motor actions.
Might be difficult to form a goal or idea, plan a sequence of actions, or perform new motor tasks.
May be considered ‘clumsy’, ‘awkward’, or ‘accident-prone’.
May break things easily, appear less proficient at hand-eye coordinated sports, and have trouble with fine motor activities.
Postural
Supporting the body during motor tasks.
Difficulty stabilising the body during movement or at rest, in order to meet the demands of the environment or of a motor task.
Less developed postural control that allows for comfortable reach, push, pull, etc. movements and good resistance against force.
Undeveloped movement patterns that depend on core stability, meaning it is difficult to maintain a good standing or sitting position.
Unregulated perception of the body’s position.
May appear weak and/or as having poor endurance.
Check out this video for more information or another way to understand Sensory Processing.
Differing Minds ‘What is Sensory Processing’ (live transcript available on YouTube)
[1] Kent Community Health, ‘Sensory processing pathway’, NHS Foundation Trust https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapies-the-pod/neurodivergence/sensory-processing-pathway/#Useful_websites_and_apps [accessed 19 July 2024]
[2] There are different ways of describing the spectrum of these differences, including Sensory Processing ‘Disorder’ (Miller LI et al., 2012), ‘Issues’, ‘Problems’ and ‘Dysregulation’. Because this language suggest there is an impairment, we have chosen to use this term.
