The Exuberant Animal author Frank Forencich argues that we live in a hyper-visual world in which our other senses are deprived, especially touch. When young children don’t have physical contact with caretakers they wither and die. Although the effects for adults are less severe, by wearing clothes and shoes, and being inside in a comfortable plastic world all day, our health suffers. We simply don’t feel the sand, brush, and stones anymore. He argues that touch maintains a sense of direct contact with the physical world around us, and positive and negative tactile sensations stimulate movement, and are health promoting. His advice is that we should engage in tactile intensive activities, such as backpacking, gardening, and home remodeling. He also thinks that experiencing the smells and tastes of nature improve our health.
We certainly don’t use our other senses to the extent we’re capable. I previously blogged about safe-cracking, and here’s an example of a man who has developed a remarkable sense of touch for opening safes. (How to Crack a Safe: World Safecracking Champion Takes Down Bank Vault in 5 Minutes 19 Seconds (video))
Blind people can use echolocation to navigate. This is when people use sound as sonar to interpret the nature and distance of objects around them. Ben Underwood was a blind 14 year old who could use echolocation to play basketball, run, and skateboard. Dr. Lawrence Scadden could use it to ride a bicycle in traffic.
Besides sound and touch, it turns out that people can follow sent trails across a field like a dog. (Unleash your inner bloodhound – start sniffing)
