According to Barry Smith, a representative of the University of London, human perception is a complex multisensory process in which various sensory organs interact to shape our perception of taste, movement, and the surrounding world.
Neurobiologists are increasingly viewing perception as a distributed system, where numerous sensory channels are interconnected and form a holistic perception of reality. A change in one of the sensory signals—whether it be sound, smell, or movement—can subtly influence what we feel or perceive in taste.
Often, spending long periods in front of screens, we forget about other senses, such as touch or smell, even though they are always active. When we focus, we begin to notice details: the contrast between smooth and rough surfaces, tension in our muscles, or the softness of bread in our hands.
Every day we encounter such subtle signals: in the morning—the tingling from toothpaste, the sound of water in the shower, the aroma of shampoo, and later—the familiar smell of freshly brewed coffee.
Aristotle identified five primary senses; however, he also believed that the world consisted of five elements—this idea is now outdated. Modern science confirms that human perception encompasses much more than just five senses.
Our sensations are based on the interaction of multiple sensory organs.
Most of our experience is multisensory. Vision, hearing, smell, and touch do not function in isolation but act in unison, creating a comprehensive awareness of both the external world and our bodies.
What we feel influences our perception of visual information, and what we see can change what we hear. For example, different scents of shampoo can alter your perception of hair texture: the scent of rose can make it feel silkier.
The perception of flavors in low-fat yogurts can make them taste richer without adding extra ingredients. Additionally, the perception of flavors in the mouth changes depending on the consistency of the liquids consumed.
Human sensory organs are much more diverse than we think.
Professor Charles Spence from the University of Oxford, my long-time colleague, states that according to neurobiologists, humans may have between 22 and 33 sensory organs.
Proprioception, for example, helps us be aware of the position of our limbs without needing to look at them. Our balance depends on the vestibular system, hearing, and proprioception.
Interoception is another important example that allows us to feel changes in the body, such as a racing heartbeat or hunger. People who have had a stroke may not be aware of their limbs, sometimes feeling that they do not belong to them, even if they have retained sensitivity in them.
Taste, smell, and touch perception are interconnected.
Some traditional senses are a combination of several sensations. Touch, for instance, includes pain, temperature, itch, and tactile sensations. When we taste something, we are actually experiencing a combination of touch, smell, and taste, which together create the perception of food and drinks.
Taste sensations are determined by receptors on the tongue that help distinguish salt, sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and umami. But what about fruity flavors, such as raspberry or mango?
There are no specific receptors on the tongue for perceiving the taste of raspberry, and its flavor is not a simple combination of sweet, sour, and bitter. There is no mathematical formula for fruity flavors.
We perceive them through the combined work of smell and taste. Aromatic compounds are released during chewing or drinking, moving from the mouth to the nose through the nasopharynx.
Touch also plays an important role, linking tastes and smells and helping us form preferences for certain textures, such as the velvety or chewy texture of chocolate.
The vestibular system influences the perception of visual information. For example, if you are on an airplane and looking at the cabin, you may perceive the front of the cabin as higher when the plane begins to ascend.
In this case, your perception is the result of the interaction of vision and hearing, which informs you about the tilt.
Research shows how the senses influence behavior.
Research on the senses is becoming increasingly relevant, and philosophers, neurobiologists, and psychologists are collaborating at the Center for the Study of the Senses at the School of Advanced Study at the University of London.
In 2013, the "Rethinking the Senses" project was launched under the guidance of the late Professor K. Blakemore, which explored how changes in the sound of footsteps can alter the perception of the lightness or heaviness of the body.
It has also been found that audio guides at Tate Britain, which address visitors as models in portraits, help to better remember details of paintings. We also studied how airplane noise affects taste perception, explaining why tomato juice is preferred on planes.
While the perception of salt, sweetness, and acidity diminishes against a background of white noise, the taste of umami remains unchanged, making tomato juice particularly appealing in the noisy environment of an airplane.
Everyday illusions reveal the complexity of sensory perception. At the interactive exhibition "Senses Unwrapped" in King's Cross, London, visitors can explore how their senses work and why they do not function as they might seem at first glance.
Illusions of size and weight can be illustrated using a set of curling stones. People can lift each one and determine which is heavier, even though they all weigh the same.
There are always numerous examples around us demonstrating how complex the sensory system is if we stop and evaluate it. So the next time you go for a walk or enjoy a meal, take a moment to notice how your senses work together to create a holistic perception.
Adapted from an article originally published in The Conversation
Barry Smith received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for his research on multisensory experience, which formed the basis for this exhibition dedicated to the senses.
