Challenge entry
This oneās been really difficult for me. While I have an interest in all of these senses, I havenāt actively engaged with any. Itās a bit like asking someone what itās like to see and hear things, isnāt it? Weāre all probably so used to them by now, that we donāt even gauge them.
Anyway, I very much like @georgiaās write up of 23 Senses, Not 5. Thatās where my interest started to grow greater in the first place. Itās like she opened up this whole new world of possibility that was inclusive of everyone. And when I saw that, I decided I did want to embrace it, because I saw I could do so alongside everyone else. I mean, I donāt have a problem with being different ā I tend to be the weirdo in a group, anyway. But even more wonderful than that is being able to share gifts with others.
I wanted to do something more in-depth and fun, but I havenāt had the time this past week. So, I will use her format to ramble a bit and then call it a day. Iām mentally crashing right now, so please excuse any incoherence. Anyway, let the stream of consciousness beginā¦
- Touch. Touch is at the core of my mindfulness activities. It keeps me centred and grounded. I prefer my mechanical keyboard over touchscreens, physical books over digital, etc. Iām also sensitive to vibrations, so when a car drives down the road or the wind changes direction, it drags my attention away.
- Taste. Iāve become a pretty good kitchen witch and cook, but I donāt taste my food while cooking like I should, becauseā¦
- Smell. My sense of smell covers that for me. Itās pretty sensitive, so many scents overwhelm me and I prefer lowkey earthy tones. for example, I love stick incense, but I have to burn it a good distance away.
- Sight. I spy with my little eye, something beginning withā¦
- Hearing. I can be good at picking out certain sounds. Iām not sure what itās based on. I used to be able to pick up my partner driving our old car when they were blocks away, in heavy traffic. But that might be related to a different sense.
- Space. I have good spatial awareness in general, so I can gauge distances and sizes pretty well. Iām also good at navigating without seeing or knowing, whether thatās making my way around a room, or knowing which way to turn to get somewhere. My friends are constantly perplexed by how quickly I can point in the right direction and not be able to explain why I know itās the right direction. I can be impatient, so waiting while they verify me is sometimes a bit tedious.
- Time. Iām pretty good at telling the time of day without looking at a clock. I can also feel the seasons change. The air becomes different, especially during the periods in between.
- Voyeurism. (Sorry, I named this myself.) But yeah, Iāve always been able to tell if someoneās looking and it used to make me feel very awkward going outside. I would be walking normally and then suddenly, it would feel as though I suddenly forgot how to walk. Iām much more secure these days, so it doesnāt cripple me so, but I can still tell.
- Heat/cold. The examples mentioned picking up on moods, but for me, rather than heat/cold, itās like a sense of gravity. When someone is angry, the gravity gets heavy around them and they are shrouded in darkness. Not quite the same, but a similar spectrum.
- Danger. I think my sense of danger needs a lot of healing still.
- Rightness/wrongness. See Claircognizance.
- Future. I see these images in dreams that I end up seeing in real life months later. When theyāre mundane scenarios, I usually see them 1 for 1 in the future. For example, I recently lived out a dream I had about working on a website ā I didnāt design it, but the one from the dream looked the exact same as what Iām working on now. Anyway, on the other hand, when the dreams are dramatic, itās usually the symbolism or imagery that comes true. For example, (TW dream violence) when I dreamt that my great grandfather was shot in the neck, the way he fell down was the same way he fell down not much later when he had a heart attack.)
- Spirits. This isnāt constantly on for me, but I have sensed them at times. I think I was a bit blocked because I intentionally tried to block this when I was a little kid. I didnāt want to see them so I would chant to myself that I couldnāt see them. I talked a bit about some spirit stuff here, What has haunted me this whole time? and @georgia helped me with the shadow here, How to Deal - Shadow Figure.
- Personality. I often know whoās going to call right before they do. Not sure if itās related, but I can also tell my partner where each cat is without checking. For example, āSheās on the sofa in the hangout room.ā I pick up on personalities well and quickly, which has saved my butt on a few occasions. But life experiences messing with my sense of normal have let some terrible ones fly under the radar, too.
- Soul. My soul is tired. And Iāve faced death numerous times in this life. I will have to return to this topic another time. It requires more soul searching (excuse the pun) than I have the energy for right now.
- Clairvoyance. This probably ties into many other things Iām talking about here.
- Clairaudience. Iāve heard things, from music to voices to random other sounds. But I havenāt done anything with them.
- Clairsentience. I feel like this encompasses a lot of other things here, so Iāll leave it.
- Clairgustance.
- Clairalience. I assume this one is tied to olfactory hallucinations? I havenāt been able to draw much of a useful connection between smells and outcomes, so itās just another thing that happens.
- Claircognizance. Probably one of the things I rely on the most. I have a tendency to know, and when I donāt follow this knowing, I tend to miss out. Sometimes, itās on something big. But then again, Iām not losing sleep over these missed opportunities. So my knowing is saying thereās something more on the horizon. Or Iāve just learnt to go with the flow really well. Whatever it is, I rely on knowing a lot in my life.
- Empathy. A tiring but incredibly useful tool for socialising. I asked for advice regarding it here, Questions for Empaths
- Energy. Iām very sensitive to storms coming, the changing of the seasons, and so on. When the air pressure drops quickly, I get a migraine. Like right now. It increased up until 9am and has been diving since. Thanks, air.
Looks like I have a lot I would like to work on! I mean this in a good way, because that means thereās yet more to explore. More discovery to be had. More skills to train.
In terms of other things not explicitly mentionedā¦
I rely on my intuition a lot. Itās implied in the above, but I just wanted to use the word itself.
Also, I didnāt realise until someone mentioned it, that I must be pretty good with visualisation. When I thought about some of my habits, it did make sense. Sometimes, I will play a movie, show, or song in my head, without actually listening to or watching it. More often, I will play out my own stories in a similarly mental visual fashion. And sometimes, I will just wander the world instead.
Lastly, Iāve been enjoying divination via tarot cards. Iām not sure what sense that uses ā itās probably many ā but I find that thereās something really enjoyable about shuffling and pulling cards based on how they feel, and to tap into all the symbolism and imagery. Iām thinking of finally getting or making a second deck, too!
Anyway, thanks for listening to my rambling. I need to go lay down and recover.