Synthesis: Observation, Sensation, Perception by Anya Widyawati

O B S E R VAT I O N

S E N S AT I O N

PERCEPTION

SYNTHESIS \ synthuhsis \

The combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity

Senses empower limitations, senses expand vision within borders, senses promote understanding through pleasure.

Sensations

Section 1: Traditional Senses

Section 2:

Mixing Senses

Section 3:

Absence of Senses

Section 4:

I NTRODUC T I ON

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is what makes us experience the world and interact with the world. In this book, we are exploring in depth of this topic. Starting out with senses are, when it dates back to and myths. As you read along, Synthesis will go on more details about each senses and also theories and what it is like to live without senses.

INTRODUCTION

Synthesis is a combination of observation, sensation and perception of senses. Sensation

SYNTHESIS

\ synthuhsis \

07 >>

SE N SAT ION S

S E N S AT I ON S While each sensory system is unique, they share basic characteristics and similarities of structure and function. All are apparently active at birth, for example, although they may remain in a rudimentary state for weeks or months and continue to develop through childhood and adolescence. All are laid out along the same basic neural plan: a sense organ that turns physical phenomena like light, sound, or pressure into electrical impulses, and bundles of nerve fibers to carry these impulses to the brain. A schema that dates back to Aristotle, we traditionally have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Our senses allow us to experience the world we live in, and are one of the key components of consciousness. In fact, our senses are so important that whole industries have been built upon a single sense. For example, radio is associated with hearing, cooking with taste, fragrance with smell and television back then for vision - now improved for both vision and hearing. As you can see, without our senses the world would be a very different place as we would not be able to experience all the various things it has to offer. If we were not able to experience things then learning would also become impossible, since in order for us to learn something we must first be capable of experience. This is why the study of our senses, or sensation is considered to be such an important area in psychology, because it is one of the key components that make consciousness possible.

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SYNTHESIS

Each of our senses allow us to experience and interact with the world.

SENSATION

INTROCUTION

11 >>

Growth of a Baby’s Senses months < 1

Communicates through grunts, hiccups, sneezes and cries. Vision is between 8” to 12” Hearing is fully developed

Keeps hands tight in fists May respond to sound Tracks moving object with eyes

Begins to lift head May start sucking thumb or fist Mimics sounds, expressions and movements

Makes eye contact Recognizes familiar faces May begin teething

Rolls from stomach to back May push up to her elbows Learns how to reach with

both hands and grasp things with fingers Rolls in both directions, back

to front, front to back. Begins to learn to sit up Sees in full color Can support own weight with

his legs with the help of adults Babbles and imitates sounds Learns to sit up by herself

Begins to lean over

Has learned object permanence

Gearing up for crawling

Understands simple instructions 10

Remembers favorite toys Recognizes objects

May know how to stand, scoot and cruise Stand without support

Able to speak several words Understand simple commands

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Senses in Culture The word Sense’s known use dates back to1531. Late Middle English from a Latin word sensus which means faculty of feeling, thought and meaning, also from sentire which means ‘feel.’ Aytana is a

SENSATION

13 >>

Buddhist term that has been translated as a sense base, media or sphere. In Buddhism, sense is divided into two categories, internal sense base and external sense base. Each categories have six. Thus, there are six internal-external pairs of sense bases: pairing eye and visible objects, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and touch, lastly, mind and mental objects. In Buddhism, “mind” denotes

and perceptions. In Sanskrit and Pali, sense is frequently associated with Indriya, a term for physical strength and ability in general. In Buddism, the term refers to multiple intra psychic processes and in general translated to “Faculty” or as a spiritual faculty or controlling principle. The term literally means “belonging to Indra”, a chief deity in the Rig Beda and the lord of the Trayastrima heaven, also known Sakra or Sakka in Buddhism, hence connoting supremacy, dominance and control attested in the general meaning of power, strength from Rig Veda. Indriya traditionally refers to one of the following groups of faculties: 5 spiritual faculties, 5 or 6 sensory faculties, and 22 phenomenological faculties.

SYNTHESIS

an internal sense organ that interacts with senses objects that includes impressions, feelings, volition

MYTH There are only 5 senses. We can divide senses into two basic types:

The human senses include five primary senses of

External (Exteroceptive) and Internal (Interoceptive)

sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch which we are

External are senses that perceive the body’s position, motion, and state (proprioceptive senses). These are senses related to your perception of the world around you.

all familiar with. These senses can also be categorized as the traditional senses and belongs to the external type of senses. Although we also have other related senses of proprioception, which includes, but are not lim-

Internal (interoceptive senses) are senses that per-

ited to balance and acceleration (equilibrioception),

ceive sensations in internal organs. These are senses

temperature (thermoception), kinesthetic sense

related to your ability to sense what is going on in

(proprioception), vibration (mechanoreceptor), pain

your body.

(nociception), and time (chronoception). Most of these are also external senses. Balance and acceleration is the ability to sense an d p r o ce ss mo ve me n t r e l at e d t o d i r e ction, balance, and acceleration, including angular and linear momentum, gravity and changes in speed. Vibration i s t h e a b i l i t y t o s e n s e m e c h a n i c a l p r e s s u r e a n d changes in pressure. Temperature is the capacity t o s e n s e a n d p r o c e s s t e m p e r a t u r e ( i n t e r n a l a n d external). Kinesthetic is the ability to detect and handle movement relative to the rest of the body. For instance, it enables you to know your hand’s position relative to your trunk. Pain is the ability to feel and process physiological pain in the skin, joints, bones, and organs. Pain helps shape our critical biases like, “don’t touch fire, fire hurts”. Last but not least, time, is the ability to sense and process the passage of time. The sense of time is not related to any known organ. Instead, it is a highly distributed system using different parts of the brain and varies widely from one individual to another.

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Compared with other species, though, humans are missing out. Bats and dolphins use sonar to find prey; some birds and insects see ultraviolet light; snakes detect the heat of warmblooded prey; rats, cats, seals and other whiskered creatures use their “vibrissae” to judge spatial relations or detect movements; sharks sense electrical fields in the water; birds, turtles and even bacteria orient to the earth’s magnetic field lines.

but also respond to vasodilation in the skin such as

tioned are the internal senses. These senses are

blushing. The gag reflex sensor or ‘sensory recep-

known to be less noticeable, it includes but aren’t

tors in pharynx mucosa’ similar to touch receptors

limited to: Hunger sensor is a motivational state seen

in the skin, sense foreign objects such as food that

in all beings. In the past, it was sometimes seen as

may result in a gag reflex and corresponding gagging

an aspect of lust. This sense comes from three of the

sensation. The stomach gas sensor, stretch receptors

five classic senses: sight, smell, and taste. The high

in the gastrointestinal tract sense gas distension that

blood sugar sensor, chemoreceptors in the circulatory

may result in colic pain. The excretion sensor is the

system, also measure salt levels and prompt thirst if

stimulation of sensory receptors in the urinary blad-

they get too high. Carbon dioxide level sensor or the

der and rectum that can lead to feelings of fullness.

‘peripheral chemoreceptors’ in the brain monitor the

Not forgetting the headache sensor, stimulation of

carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations in the brain

stretch sensors that sense dilation of various blood

and give a warning feeling of suffocation if carbon

vessels may result in pain, for example, a headache

dioxide levels get too high. Respiratory rate sensor or

caused by vasodilation of brain arteries.

‘pulmonary stretch receptors’ are found in the lungs and control the respiratory rate. The nausea sensor or ‘the chemoreceptor trigger zone’ is an area of the medulla in the brain that receives inputs from bloo borne drugs or hormones, and communicates with the vomiting center. These sensors respond to the high glucose levels in diabetics. The blush sensor or also known as the ‘cutaneous receptors in the skin’, not only respond to touch, pressure, and temperature

SYNTHESIS

O t h e r h u m a n s e n s e s t h a t h a v e n ’t b e e n m e n -

SENSATION

MYTH

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1. 1

A U D I TO R Y

1. 2

G U S TATO R Y

1. 3

OPTICAL

1. 4

O L FAC TO R Y

1. 5

TAC T I L E

TR A DITIONA L SENSES Equipped with five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure of science. Edward Hubble

tactile.

tactation /

somatic /

skin /

touch /

tongue.

gustation /

gustatory /

taste /

mouth /

olfactory.

olfaction /

smell /

nose /

vision.

visual /

sight /

optical /

eye /

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TR ADITIONAL SENSES As humans, we have five tools that help us explore the world around us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, also known as the traditional senses. Our ears (auditory), mouth (gustatory), eyes (optical), nose (olfactory) and skin (tactile). Each of these external senses uses one or more organ, neurons and different parts of the brain to process sensory input and are used to gather a lot of information about the world.

TRADITIONAL SENSES SYNTHESIS

sound.

audiotory /

hearing /

audition /

ears /

INTROCUTION

21 >>

AU DI

TORY

FUNCTION OF HEARING SOUND

The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain. F. Scott Fitzgerald

AUDITORY

23 >>

Hearing is another important sense that allows us

just decorations or for holding earrings. They serve

to experience the world, without it we would live in

to channel sound efficiently into the ear canal and to

social isolation. A human with normal hearing can

the eardrum at its end. The pattern of folds captures

even tell the difference between 1500 sounds. Our

sounds in a way that helps us localize the origin of

brain is able to pick out really high sounds and really

sound in space, especially on the vertical axis. The

low sounds.

ear canal carries sound to the eardrum, and its lining

Sound is caused when objects vibrate. Vibration

produces ear wax to keep the eardrum and canal from

creates sound waves that can travel in all different

drying out and to trap dirt before it gets to the ea

directions through air, water and lots of other mate-

drum. When sound waves vibrate the eardrum, sound

rials. Hearing depends on the presence of sound

energy is transferred to the middle ear. The middle

waves, which travels much more slowly than light

ear is a small, air-filled pocket bounded by the ear-

waves. When sound waves are spread out, the

drum on one side and the oval window of the inner

wound we can hear is quiet. When they are clumped

ear on the other. This is also the pathway that allows

together, the sound is much louder. When sound

infections from the mouth and nose cavities to enter

waves go into your ear, they hit your eardrum and

the middle ear, causing the common ear infections of

make it vibrate. The tiny vibration move through your

childhood. The inner ear houses the three smallest

ear like a light shining through a long tunnel until they

bones in the body, the malleus, incus, and stapes,

get some nerves at the end of your ear. These nerves

it is only about nine millimeters across, well under

take them to your brain where they turn into the

one-half inch. It is where the ound wave energy is

sound that you hear. There are three main sensation

transmitted to fluid in the inner ear.

association with hearing: pitch (the ability to hear low

We n e e d t w o e ar s t o l o cat e a so u n d so u r ce ,

to high-pitched sounds), loudness (how loud it is) and

When a sound occurs at the extreme left of a sub-

timbre (how rich a sound is, quality of sound, similar

ject, the arrival of the sound at the left ear is about

to the saturation of color).

600 to 700 microseconds (millionths of a second) ear-

Sound activates divides the external, middle, and

lier than at the right ear. Further, the head acts as a

inner ear, the three sections that can be found in an

sound barrier, so the sound is a little louder in the

ear. The external ear, also known as pinna, are not

left ear.

SYNTHESIS

TRADITIONAL SENSES

\ hiring \

sound.

audiotory /

hearing /

audition /

ears /

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G U STAT O R Y S E N S AT I O N O F F L AVO R S

Gustation happens when chemicals stimulate receptors in the tongue and throat, on the inside of the cheeks and on the roof of the mouth. These receptors are inside taste buds, which in turn are inside little bumps on the skin called papillae. Taste buds are connected to nerves in the tongue and they pick up the signals that are sent to the brain so you can taste what you are eating. The inside of our mouth can also feel the food we are eating. So if you don’t like the food, it might not be the flavor, but the texture that “tastes” foul. Taste receptors have a short life span and are replaced about every ten days. For a long time, researches believed in the exis-

– \ tast \

tence of four tastes: salt, sweet, sour and bitter. Recently, researches have suggested this presence of a fifth taste called umami. The spice monosodium glutamate (MSG) has an umami taste, as do many protein-rich foods.

B ITTER

SOU R

SA LTY

SW EET

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Based on the information that is transported from the tongue to the brain, there are thought to be at least five basic qualities of taste. Many dishes are made up of a combination of different tastes. Some dishes taste sweet-sour, for example, while others are salty and savory. The basic tastes are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory. Sweet is what we perceive as sweetness is usually caused by sugar and

this can be explained by the many different bitter

its derivatives such as fructose or lactose. But other

species of plants, some of which were poisonous.

types of substances can also activate the sensory

Recognizing which ones were indeed poisonous was

cells that respond to sweetness. These include, for

a matter of survival. Savory is the “umami” taste,

example, some protein building blocks like amino

which is somewhat similar to the taste of a meat

acids, and also alcohols in fruit juices or alcoholic

broth, is usually caused by glutamic acid or aspar-

drinks. Sour is mostly acidic solutions like lemon

tic acid. These two amino acids are part of many

juice or organic acids that taste sour. This sensa-

different proteins found in food, and also in some

tion is caused by hydrogen ions, chemical symbol:

plants. Ripe tomatoes, meat and cheese all contain

H+, split off by an acid dissolved in a watery solu-

a lot of glutamic acid. Asparagus, for example, co

tion. Salty are food containing table salt is mainly

tains aspartic acid. Chinese cuisine uses glutamate,

what we taste as salty. The chemical basis of this

the glutamic acid salt, as flavor enhancers. This is

taste is salt crystal, which consists of sodium and

done to make the savory taste of foods more intense.

chloride. Mineral salts like the salts of potassium or

Researchers are looking for other sensory cells spe-

magnesium can also cause a sensation of saltiness.

cialized for sensations besides the five established

Bitter taste is brought about by many fundamentally

basic tastes. There are thought to be more like fatty,

different substances. In total there are about 35 dif-

alkaline, metallic and water-like tastes. he sensa-

ferent proteins in the sensory cells that respond to

tion of something as “hot” or “spicy” is quite often

bitter substances. From an evolutionary standpoint,

described as a taste. Technically, this is just a pain signal sent by the nerves that transmit touch and temperature sensations.

SYNTHESIS

TRADITIONAL SENSES

People constantly regenerate new taste buds every 3-10 days to replace the ones worn out by scalding soup, frozen yogurt, and the like.

GUSTATORY

tongue.

gustation /

gustatory /

taste /

mouth /

25 >>

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see things as they are, we see them as we are. Anais Nin

Our vision is the strongest sense. As soon as you open your eyes every morning, you can see the things around you. Our eye works by seeing color and movement because light enters our eyes and forms a pattern. Pupil, the little dark circle in the center of each of your eyes lets light in. If you are in a dark place where no lights at all are on, we wouldn’t be able to see because our eyes need light to be able to function. Once light goes in, it hits the part inside the back of your eye that is very sensitive to light. This part is called the retina. When the light hits the retina, it makes an upside-down picture of whatever you’re looking at. The picture then is sent to the brain

Of all the senses, sight must be delightful Hellen Keller

through our optic nerves.

you don’t really see with your eyes, you see with your brain as a result of it processing the visual input that it receives

Our visual systems allow us to resolve fine detail, track a moving object, perceive depth, and see colors. Somehow, all these components of a visual scene merge so that we have one visual experience; for example, when we see a cat playing with a string, we interpret the scene-paws striking the string, details of claws and whiskers, the cat’s paw in front of or

When the brain receives the picture from your

behind the string, the colors of the cat-as a unitary

eyes, it gets turned around very quickly so that you

visual event, even though we can attend to one or

can see it right away instead of upside-down. This

the other of these individually. Our brains deal with

happens automatically whenever your eyes are open.

such complex information by processing motion,

Seeing is like breathing, you don’t need to think

form and color. We rely on our vision perhaps most

about it. There are three main sensation associations

of all our senses. With it, we recognize shape, move-

with vision, proposed by Wilhelm Wundt: Hue (the

ment, distance and perspective, and color in our

ability to distinguish color from each other, to be able

environment. Color vision adds information and plea-

to see a range of color), brightness (the level of illu-

sure to what we would get if the world looked only

mination we see in a color, such as white and black),

black and white, but it can also distract us from cer-

Saturation (how rich a color appears to be)

tain features of a scene, such as shape and shades of

Adapting to light: Dark adaptation is the process

light and dark.

by which receptor cells sensitize to light, allowing

olfactory.

smell /

nose /

process by which receptor cells desensitize to light, allowing clearer vision in bright light.

olfation /

clearer vision in dim light. Light adaptation is the

L << 28 29 >>

P OW E R O F

SYNTHESIS

TRADITIONAL SENSES

OPTICAL

SEEING OBJECTS

\ sahyt \

OPTIC A

OLFAC TORY

PERCEIVING ODORS OF SCENT

We are a hundred percent more likely to remember something we smell than what we see, hear, touch or taste.

Vaporized odor molecules (chemicals) floating in the air reach the nostrils and dissolve in the mucus (which is on the roof of each nostril).

\ smel \

Underneath the mucus, in the olfactor y epithelium, specialized receptor cells called olfactor y receptor neurons detect the odor. These neurons are capable of detecting thousands of different odors.

The olfactor y receptor neurons transmit the information to the olfactor y bulbs, which are located at the back of the nose

These brain centers perceive odors and access memories to remind us about people, places, or events associated with these olfactor y sensations

olfactory.

olfaction /

smell /

nose /

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OLFACTORY

31 >>

nose. Our nose picks up the smell and signals are sent to the brain. The full flavor is tasted by the nose as well as your mouth. When people walk into a restaurant, they probably notice food smells right away. However, as they less noticeable. This phenomenon occurs because Sensations from our noses and mouths alert us to

of sensory adaptation. Sensory adaptation is the

pleasure, danger, food and drink in the environment.

decrease in sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus.

The complicated processes of smelling and tasting

The smells don’t disappear—the people just become

begin when molecules detach from substances and

less sensitive to them.

float into noses or are put into mouths. In both cases,

The sense of smell is also closely connected

the molecules must dissolve in watery mucous in

with memory. Most people have had the experience

order to bind to and stimulate special receptor cells.

of smelling something, maybe a certain perfume or

These cells transmit messages to brain areas where

spice, and suddenly experiencing a strong emotional

we perceive odors and tastes, and where we remem-

memory. Researchers don’t know exactly why this

ber people, places, or events associated with these

happens, but they theorize that smell and memory

olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) sensations.

trigger each other because they are processed in

Smell happens when chemicals in the air enters

TRADITIONAL SENSES

sit in the restaurant, the smells gradually become

neighboring regions of the brain.

the nose during the breathing process. The receptors lie in the top of the nasal passage; they send impulses along the olfactory nerve to the olfactory

although there is no firmly established number of smell sensations. Putrid (smell of something rotting or decomposing), Floral (smell of flowers), Pungent (smell of burning food) and Spicy (smell of cinnamon) are the four main smells agreed upon. Without our nose, we couldn’t enjoy the things like our favorite food or a bouquet of flowers. Our nose helps us know what we are eating. This happens because as we chew our food, air is flowing from our mouth to the back of our throat. When it reaches our throat, some air reaches the back of our

SYNTHESIS

bulb at the base of the brain. Researches theorize that there are many types of olfactory receptors,

tactile.

tactation /

somatic /

skin /

touch /

BECOME IN

C O N TAC T W I T H

\ tuhch \

TAC T I L E

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sense. Our skin is very sensitive to what is comes in contact with, there are tiny receptors that are connected to the nerves all over our skin. These receptors are spread all over our body, allowing us to feel, yet there are more receptors on our hands and face then anywhere else. Information from our skin allows us to identify several distinct types of senstions, such as tapping, vibration, pressure, pain, heat, and cold. Touch is divided into three different kinds: Pressure, light or deep touch: slight or gentle presure to the skin or heavy and abrupt pressure applied to the skin. Temperature, cold or hot: When heat is conducted to the skin, we feel a certain warmth in the area and when it is conducted away from the skin we feel cold. Pain, when our skin is damaged, for example a cut, the neurons in our skin detects this damage and we register it as pain. Our hands are able to act as a second pair of eyes, providing a detailed picture for the brain. Our sense of touch is important in many ways. One way it protects us by setting off reflexes. Your senses tells your body that something was hot when you

tried grabbing something at a high temperature a n d y o u r e a c t e d v e r y q u i c k l y. Yo u r t o u c h s e n s e reacted quickly, before your brain realized it felt hot Researches don’t completely understand the mechanics of pain, although they do know that the processes in the injured part of the body and processes in the brain both play a role. In 1960s, Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall proposed an important theory about pain called the Gate-Control theory of pain. it states that pain signals traveling from the body to the brain must go through a gate in the spinal cord. If the gate is closed, pain signals can’t reach the brain. The gate isn’t a physical structure like a fence gate but rather a pattern of neural activity that either stops pain signals or allows them to pass. Signals from the brain can open or shut the gate. For example, focusing on the pain tends to increases it, whereas ignoring the pain tends to decrease it. Other signals from the skin senses can also close the gate. The process explains why massage, ice and heat can relieve pain.

SYNTHESIS

Touch is more accurately defined in terms of a skin

If you don’t get touch right after you’re born, all kinds of terrible things happen; cognitive and emotional, and your immune system wont develop properly, your digestive system tends to have problem, there is a whole rack of health problems that can develop if you do not receive touch in early life.

TRADITIONAL SENSES

TACTILE

33 >>

Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth Margaret Atwood

MIXING SENSES

39 >>

INTROCUTION

MIXING SENSES

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Our five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste and s m e l l — s e e m t o o p e r a t e i n d e p e n d e n t l y, a s f i v e distinct modes of perceiving the world. Yet in reality, however, they collaborate closely to enable the mind to better understand its surroundings. We can become aware of this collaboration under special hearing to play double duty. Those who are both blind and deaf can make touch step in—to say, help

tion clashes with that from sound, sensory crosstalk

them interpret speech. For a few individuals with

can cause what we see to alter what we hear. When

a condition called synesthesia, the senses collide

one sense drops out, another can pick up the slack.

dramatically to form a kaleidoscope world in which

For instance, people who are blind can train their

chicken may taste like triangles, a symphony smells of baked bread or words bask in a halo of varying colors of red, green or purple. Our senses must also regularly meet and greet in the brain to provide accurate impressions of the world. Our ability to perceive the emotions of others relies on combinations of cues from sounds, sights and even smells. Perceptual systems, particularly smell, connect with memory and emotion centers to enable sensory cues to trigger feelings and recollections, and to be incorporated within them. But the cross wiring of the senses themselves provides some of the most fantastic fodder for illusions, inventions and is just simply plain art.

SYNTHESIS

In some cases, a sense may covertly influence the one we think is dominant. When visual informa-

MIXING SENSES

circumstances.

TA ST E , SM E L L & F L AV O R What is generally categorized as “taste” is basically a bundle of different sensations: it is not only the qualities of taste perceived by the tongue, but also the smell, texture and temperature of a meal that are important. The “coloring” of a taste happens through thenose. Only after taste is combined with smell

Most of what we call flavor actually comes from the odors that reach nerves via nasal passages at the back of our throat is a food’s flavor produced. If the sense of smell is impaired, by a stuffy nose for instance, perception of taste is usually dulled as well. Like taste, our sense of smell is also closely linked to our emotions. This is because both senses are connected to the involuntary nervous system. Thats why a bad taste or odor can cause vomiting or nausea. And flavors that are appetizing increase the production of saliva and gastric juices, making them truly mouthwatering.

SE E I NG W H AT YO U H E A R

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We can usually differentiate the sights we see and the sounds we hear, although in some cases, the two can be intertwined. During speech perception, our brain integrates information from our ears with that from our eyes. Because this integration happens early in the perceptual process, visual cues influence what we think we are hearing. That is, what we see can actually shape what we “hear”. This visual and auditory crosstalk that happens every time we perceive speech is a phenomenon known as the McGurk Effect. The McGurk effect is a compelling illusion in which humans perceive mismatched audiovisual speech as a completely different syllable. However, sion, reporting that the stimulus sounds the same with or without visual input. The visual information a person perceive from seeing a person speak changes the way they hear the sound. People who are used to watching dubbed movies may be among people who are not suscepti-

MIXING SENSES

some normal individuals do not experience the illu-

ble to the McGurk effect because they have, to some extent, learned to ignore the information they are getting from the mouths of the “speakers”. If a person is getting poor quality auditory information but good quality visual information, they may be more

SYNTHESIS

likely to experience the McGurk effect.

I see colors, when I hear your voice

BLENDING OF SENSES

SYNESTHESIA His name was purple. The song was full of shimmering green triangles. The paint smelled red. The sunset was salty.

People with synesthesia have a particularly curious

associated with particular colors. They might see

cross wiring of the senses, in which activating one

colors when they hear noises, associate particular

sense spontaneously triggers another. They might

personalities with days of the week, or hear sounds

associate particular personalities with days of the

when they see moving dots. Synesthesia is thought

week, see colors when they hear noises, or hear

to be genetic, and recent research even suggests

sounds when they see moving dots. Synesthesia

that it may confer an evolutionary advantage.

is thought to be genetic, and recent research even

Although synesthetic people are unlikely to share

suggests that it may also confer an evolutionary

the same associations, they do share some aspects

advantage. Most synesthetes do not notice anything

of their talentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;their particular quirks are involuntary,

strange about the way they perceive and see their

remain constant over their lifetimes (a certain name

environments until it is brought to their attention. In

or song is always a certain color), and they are abso-

this surreal world, music records smell like different

lutely convinced that what they perceive is reality,

colors, foods tastes like specific noises, and sound

not something in their mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye.

comes in all varieties of textures and shapes.

We do not know what causes and leads to the

To 1 in 500,000 of us, senses become unusually

phenomenon of synesthesia, although it does seem

associated in a little-understood condition called

to be inherited. The condition has been sheepishly

synesthesia. A sensation involving one sense is per-

reported to psychologists and physicians for at least

ceived in terms of another, so that, most commonly,

200 years. Various theories, have attributed that the

visions take on characteristic smells or sounds are

condition to an immature nervous system that cannot sort out sensory stimuli; altered brain circuitry; and simply an exaggerated use of metaphor--taking such descriptions as a sharp flavor, warm color, and sweet person too literally. Most synesthetes donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice anything strange about the way they perceive their environments until its brought to their attention.

synesthesia.

become associated with

1 in 500,000 of us usually

SYNTHESIS

MIXING SENSES

SYNESTHESIA

<< 44 45 >>

ABSENCE OF SENSES

I M P O R TA N C E OF SENSES

Sight

83%

Smell

3.5%

Taste

There is an old saying that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understandâ&#x20AC;?. Knowledge is crucial, it is said that we grasp information better through one sense than the other. This following chart conveys the percentage we learn through each sense.

Hearing

Taste

11 %

1. 5 %

% of population << 48

FIGURE ONE:

< 21

49 >>

Number of population having difficulty seeing

IMPORTANCE OF SENSES

22–44

45–54

55–64

65–79

80 >

hearing loss %

FIGURE TWO:

< 10

Percentage of hearing loss experienced with age 10 – 19

ABSENCE OF SENSES

Age

20–29

30–39

40–49

SYNTHESIS

50 >

Age

Figure one shows the percentage of the population who self-identified as having difficulty seeing words or letters. They show that from birth to about age 44 those reporting difficulty seeing words or letters constitute about 2% to 5% of the US population. In the 45–64 age range it rises to about 5%. At 65–79 it rises to about 10% and for people who are 80 or older it reaches 25%.

Figure two illustrates the trend for increased prevalence of

hearing loss with each advancing age decade. Especially notable that the prevalence of hearing loss increase for the three decades from 20 through 49.

A B S E N C E O F_ Not everyone is born with all of their senses. Some people are born blind, or without being able to hear. Usually they learn to use the senses they do have better than people who have all five senses, they learn to live and adapt living in the absence of a the sense. As an example, a person who is blind may have an extragood sense of hearing. In the course of life, some people also lose their sight or hearing, as they get older. Usually, what causes these disorders or absence of senses are caused by illness, accidents or genetic inheritance. This chapter mainly discusses about the absence of the traditional senses. Sight

Smell

Fifteen million people in the United States have seri-

The inability to smell is called “anosmia”, and it may

ous vision problems; over 500,000 people in the US

be general, or specific for one odor. Temporary gen-

are blind. Eye injuries account for 4% of the cases

eral anosmia or “hyposmia” can be a result from cold

of blindness. When most people wake up in the

or certain medicine. “Hyperosmia” is a heightened

morning, they get out of bed, brush their teeth, wash

sense of smell, usually a genetic trait. As mentioned

their face, and go to eat breakfast. Finally, they head

before, genetic differences account for most cases

out the door to start their day. A person with all five

of olfactory disoder, most are caused by illness or

senses, can complete these tasks with ease. For a

accidents. Like our sense of smell, a lot of factors

blind person, this would require the use of a guide

come into play with the problem of smelling, such

dog or cane. Blindness is lack or loss of ability to see.

like nasal cavities, dental problems, hormonal distur-

Legally, blindness is defined as less than 20/200

bance, sinus and cold. Patients who receive radiation

v i s i o n i n t h e b e t t e r e y e w i t h g l a s s e s . Vi s i o n o f

therapy for cancer of head or neck often develop

20/200 is the ability to see at 20 feet only what the

changes in their sense of smell. Smell alerts us, to

normal eye can see at 200 feet. Causes of blindness

fire, gas, spoiled food and etc. It stops us from enter-

vary from age-related macular degeneration, cataract,

ing dangerous area or putting something into our

glaucoma, diabetic and atrophy of the optic nerve.

mouths that can make us sick. Further, such disturbances can be a signal that some other disease is present, such as Parkinson’s disease, hypertension, or diabetes. By the age of 65, half of people experience a measurable reduction in their ability to smell. Reduce the risk by exercising our breathing, taking a deep breath and smelling natural scents like flowers, oranges or coffee beans. Avoid being around a stench, cover your nose and mouth to filter our the reek and eating enough

<< 50

Taste Although genetic differences account for some cases

I was in a car accident. A few days later...

of ageusia, the complete loss of taste, the inability or disorder to taste are mostly caused by illness. Small growths in the nasal cavities, dental problems, hormonal disturbances, sinus infections as well as cols may cause the inability to taste. Our sense of taste

I watched my father make homemade tomato sauce—

ABSENCE OF SENSES

ABSENCE OF_

51 >>

can warn us that something we put into our mouths may be dangerous, inedible or spoiled. Eating is a big part of our lives, it is more than just a food intake, but it is also an important part of our social lives and a source of one’s pleasure. Repeatedly assaulting our palates with too much salt, sugar, and synthetic flavorings can destroy our ability to discern and

I did not smell a thing.

enjoy subtle flavors. Cigarette smoking and alcohol

consuming anything too hot. Our taste buds usually regenerates itself but with the loss of taste, there might not be much of a solution but adapting to it. A lot of people learn to live with it and enjoy the pleasure of different textures in food.

Then I could not detect my mom’s familiar perfume.

SYNTHESIS

intake has also been found to deaden our taste buds. Reduce the risk by drinking a lot of water, avoid

I was born with a rare sensory illness that leaves me unable to feel pain, temperature, deep pressure, or vibrations in my arms, legs, and the majority of my chest and back.

I use vision to compensate as much as I canâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; when I stand, I always watch my feet so I do not lose my balance.

I watch others really enjoy it when someone kisses their arm or get tingly when someone hugs them,

but I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even feel anything.

<< 52 53 >>

hearing loss significant enough to interfere with understanding conversations, and about one third of people over the age of 75 have difficulty hearing. It may be because of the inability to transfer sound into the ear, or simply as a result of damaged that occurs

ABSENCE OF_

Sound About 28 million people in the United States have

in the inner ear. These problem causes deafness. Tumor or ear infection in the ear canal can also cause hearing loss. High blood pressure, diabetes can also lead hearing problem which begins at a very young age, exposing your ears to loud noises leads to sencan be restored or replacing the ear bones with tiny metal prostheses that can greatly improve hearing. Antibiotics and surgery cannot treat hearing loss. Touch Although genetic differences account for some cases of ageusia, the complete loss of taste, the inability or disorder to taste are mostly caused by illness. Small

ABSENCE OF SENSES

sorineural. Hearing loss can be treated and often

growths in the nasal cavities, dental problems, hormonal disturbances, sinus infections as well as cols may cause the inability to taste. Our sense of taste can warn us that something we put into our mouths may be dangerous, inedible or spoiled. Eating is a big part of our lives, it is more than just a food intake, but it is also an important part of our social lives and a source of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pleasure. Repeatedly assaulting flavorings can destroy our ability to discern and enjoy subtle flavors. Cigarette smoking and alcohol intake has also been found to deaden our taste buds. Reduce the risk by drinking a lot of water, avoid consuming anything too hot. Our taste buds usually regenerates itself but with the loss of taste, there might not be much of a solution but adapting to it. A lot of people learn to live with it and enjoy the pleasure of different textures in food.

SYNTHESIS

our palates with too much salt, sugar, and synthetic

L AU R A BRIDGMAN Born in 1829, it is thought that she had full use of all her senses at birth. However, at the age of two years old, she became sick with scarlet fever, which lasted several weeks before she began to get better. Once she did heal, it became apparent that she had lost her sight and hearing in the process. It was later discovered, after she was educated, that she had lost or never had a sense of smell and she also had nearly no sense of taste. The one sense she did have was touch. Amazingly, even with only this one sense and no real language, she was still pretty handy around the house as a child. She enjoyed mimicking actions demonstrated to her through touch, so her mother used this to teach her how to do certain household chores. She even learned to sew and knit. Beyond that, her only real methods of communication were a very simple form of tactile sign language. It was generally thought that a person that is deaf-blind would be unable to be taught even the most rudimentary things, beyond mimicking tasks, let alone be able to be taught to comprehend language. Luckily for Bridgman, though, there was a school for the blind which had been founded the same year as her birth, in 1829, and which opened in 1832 (Perkins School for the Blind). Laura, now 8 years old, was then sent to Perkins and began her education. The instructors there, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, learned Laura’s condition. He started by devising a way to teach her names of objects in English by giving her objects with their names attached to them in the form of labels with raised letters. Eventually, Laura was able to match labels to objects when the labels were detached. It was during these exercises that Bridgman finally grasped that objects have names and the labels were indicating the names. This was first indicated by the fact that she suddenly independently wanted to know what the names of objects around her were. Shortly thereafter, she began to fully grasp the concept of an alphabet and, from there, they were able to begin to teach her to use the alphabet and words in communicating. Further, it was now proven that deaf-blind people are capable of learning just as well as anyone. It was also through Howe’s methods of teaching Bridgman that later Hellen

June 1, 1968

June 27, 1880 –

Keller was taught.

December 21, 1829 –

May 24, 1889

<< 54

Helen Keller was born in 1880. She was a healthy child until an illness and a severe fever left her both blind and deaf. Helen’s childhood was turbulent, as she was quite intelligent but her handicaps made her unable to communicate, causing her to become frustrated and resulting in frequent tantrums. When Helen was seven, after many years and attempts to get help for Helen, help arrived in the form of Anne Sullivan, a young teacher who had herself been blind and attended Perkins Institute for the Blind, she became Helen’s teacher. Anne first taught Helen sign language, and when Helen realized the true meanings of words, her thirst for knowledge

it was now proven that deaf-blind people are capable of learning just as well as anyone.

ABSENCE OF SENSES

HELLEN KELLER

WOMEN IN HISTORY

55 >>

immediately accelerated. In 1890, Helen attended the Horace Mann School

her meeting famous people, including Mark Twain.

for the Deaf in Boston, Massachusetts, where she

A wealthy friend of Twain paid for Helen to attend

took speech classes. She continued her education,

Radcliffe College, where, with Ann Sullivan at her

studying both general academics and communica-

side to help interpret for her, she graduated with

tion, at a school for the deaf in New York City. She

honors in 1904.

went on to a college preparatory school, and her

During her time at Radcliffe, an editor and Anne’s

plight to learn despite her physical handicaps led to

future husband, John Macy, helped Helen write

to mentor her, Helen began lecturing and sharing the story of her life with others, with the hope of opening up more options for people with disabilities. She spoke about rights for others as well, including women. She founded or co-founded numerous foundations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and several foundations for the blind. Helen received numerous awards throughout her lifetime as a result of her tireless endeavors, including the Medal of Honor in 1965. Helen died at the age of 87 in 1968.

SYNTHESIS

her first book, which was a story of her life. After completing her education, with Anne continuing

BIBLIOGRAPHY Boersma, Paul. “A Constraint-based Explanation

Murray, Marjorie A., Ph.D. “Our Senses.” UW

of the McGurk Effect.” (2011): n. pag. Phonetic

Faculty Web Server. University of Washington, n.d.

Sciences. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

Web. 04 Mar. 2016. Nath, Audrey R., and Michael S. Beauchamp.

Dillon, Charles F., M.D., Ph.D, Qiuping Gu, M.D., Ph.D, Howard J. Hoffman, M.A., and Chia-Wen

“A Neural Basis for Interindividual Differences in the McGurk Effect, a Multisensory Speech Illusion.”

Ko, Ph.D. “Vision, Hearing, Balance, and Sensory Impairment 1999-2006.” National Center for

NeuroImage. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 20

Health Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and

July 2011. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

Prevention, 07 Apr. 2010. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. “Sensations and the Five Senses (Psychology).” “The Five Senses.” The Gateway to Discovery. Home

Erupting MIND. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2016.

Science Tools, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2016. Sincero, Sarah Mae. “Senses.” Explorable. N.p., Groeger, Lena. “Making Sense of the World,

6 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

Several Senses at a Time.” Scientific American. Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 01 Mar.

Vander, Arthur, Dorothy Luciano, and James Sherman. “Mixed-Up Senses - Synesthesia.”

2016.

Human Physiology: The Mechanism of Body “How Does Our Sense of Taste Work?” U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

Function. The McGraw Hill Comapnies, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

DESIGN

COURSE

TYPEFACE

Anya Rana Widyawati

GR 330 Typography 3:

UNIVERS

Graphic Design Student

Complex Hierarchy

by Adrian Frutiger in 1954

Academy of Art University

SPRING 2016

BAUER BODONI

San Francisco, CA

by John Nettleton

by Heinrich Jost in 1926

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