One of my favourite movies of all times, has to be Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis and Toni Collette. Back in the day it was cover-your-eyes scary (to me) Today my kids would watch it and be slightly creeped out at best. After all, Five Nights At Freddy’s hardly compares.
It won’t surprise you to know that I am into the workings of the subconscious mind in a big way, and so I thought it would be fun to share a fun fact about your senses and to make you aware, if you’re not already, that you have more than the standard five and even more than the contested six.
We actually have 8 senses at our disposal EXCLUDING a sixth sense (telepathy, precognition, seeing ghosts etc.) all of which lack hard and provable scientific evidence by the way. But then again… science isn’t always an exact science.
For example, most of us will have experienced a gut feeling or an intuition, and while this is a real phenomenon, science likes to tell us it’s just our brain processing subtle cues (body language, tone, pattern recognition) below conscious awareness, but not actual extrasensory perception (ESP)
Doctors, poker players and police detectives for example, can develop uncannily accurate “hunches” this way. But this is most likely pattern recognition, not magic. Sadly.
Parapsychology however, is a science. Not a pseudo one either. It’s basically the science of spooky stuff, mind reading, future prediction, moving things with your mind, that sort of thing. Scientists have actually tried to test these powers in labs for decades, which is pretty cool but nothing concrete has been proven… yet. Unless of course it’s being suppressed. Hmmm… perhaps another blog for another day.
Ok, so we all know the first 5, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. But we have at least 3 more and they are:
- The Sense Balance – Helping Us Feel Steady ⚖️
Our balance sense, referred to as our vestibular sense. This helps us know whether we are upright, moving, turning or still. It supports everyday activities like walking, running, dancing or climbing stairs.
- Proprioception – The Body’s Built-In Awareness 🧍
This lesser-known sense helps you understand where your body is in space without needing to look at it. It’s what allows you to touch your nose with your eyes closed or know where your feet are as you walk.
- Interoception – Internal bodily state 🫀
This is your sense of what’s happening inside your body, feeling things like hunger, a racing heart, or needing the loo. Hunger, heartbeat, breath, etc.
And guess what else?
Your senses don’t switch off during sleep, although the brain processes and responds to input very differently than when you’re awake.
So here’s what still works:
Hearing stays the most active. It’s why alarm clocks work, why a baby’s cry wakes a parent instantly but street noise doesn’t, and why your own name is more likely to wake you than a stranger’s. The brain keeps filtering sound for relevance even in deep sleep.
Touch still registers. You’ll shift position if you’re uncomfortable and a firm nudge or tap can wake you. Pain signals can also break through sleep, which is why an injury or sudden change in temperature can wake you up.
Smell is an exception as it’s significantly dampened during sleep. This is why smoke detectors are critical! Many people don’t wake up from smell alone during a fire, which is a well-documented safety concern.
Interoception stays partly active. Your body still monitors things like breathing, heart rate and bladder fullness (if you’re like me and wake up needing the bathroom 27 times a night)
Vision is functionally offline since your eyes are closed, but light can still penetrate your eyelids and affect sleep via non-visual photoreceptors that regulate your circadian rhythm.
Proprioception and Balance stay active enough to keep you from rolling off the bed (almost always!)
Oh, that reminds me of another Fun Fact (unless you suffer from it and then it’s definitely not fun) Sleep Paralysis
When you dream during REM sleep, your brain hits the “mute” button on your muscles, a part of your brain blocks the signals that would normally let you move. This is so that you don’t physically act out what’s happening in the dream (like running or throwing punches) Your eyes, heart, and breathing are all still working, but your arms, legs, and the rest of your body go limp.
But occasionally the system glitches and your brain wakes up before your body “unmutes,” this is called sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is where you’re awake but you can’t move for a few seconds. From what I understand, this can be a terrifying experience.
Why All These Senses Matter
Our senses don’t work in isolation. They constantly communicate with the brain, helping us respond to the world, move through our surroundings and experience life.
Taking a moment to notice your senses can also be a simple way to become more present. What can you see? What can you hear? How does your body feel as you sit or stand? Sometimes, reconnecting with the present moment begins with something as simple as paying attention.
Your body is experiencing the world all the time. Why not take a moment to notice it?
If you’d like to explore the connection between your mind, body and everyday wellbeing, get in touch with Gail Marra Clinical Hypnotherapy to find out more.
