Ever wondered about the profound impact your five senses have on your life and relationships? How does a simple scent or sound transport you back to vivid memories? How can subtle changes in sight and touch reshape perception and foster connections? Dive into this fascinating exploration of the senses, and discover how they enrich our experiences, deepen relationships, and enhance creativity in ways you never imagined.

Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World

A few years ago, a simple trip to the eye doctor turned Gretchen Rubin's world upside down. One winter morning, she woke up with gummy, pink eyes, a classic case of pink eye. 

Reluctantly, Gretchen ended up at the eye doctor's office, where, after confirming her diagnosis, the doctor casually reminded her to schedule a regular checkup because she was at risk of a detached retina due to her nearsightedness. This revelation stunned Gretchen. Her sight! She had never given it much thought beyond updating her contact lens prescription.

As Gretchen walked home, everything around her came into sharp focus—the gray sky, the purple leaves, the city sounds, and even the smell of honey-roasted peanuts. She realized she had been taking her senses for granted, and that it was time to appreciate every moment. She greeted her family with new enthusiasm, noticing details she had overlooked for years.

Her pink-eye infection cleared up, but the experience left a lasting impact. Gretchen had been studying human nature and happiness, but now she realized she needed to connect with her five senses more deeply. She had been living in her head, disconnected from the world and the people around her.

Gretchen decided to explore her senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—more deliberately. Each sense, she learned, had its own way of connecting her to the world. For instance, she marveled at the sensation of eating raspberries, appreciating their color, smell, texture, and taste all at once.

Gretchen realized that our senses work together to create our experience of the world, and they are particularly attuned to information about other people. This realization made her want to engage more fully with her surroundings and the people she loved.

She planned to study her senses through various exercises and experiments, both playful and practical. She would immerse herself in each sense, deprive herself of it, indulge it, and use it to deepen her relationships. Gretchen even decided to visit the same place every day for a year to notice the changes over time.

By paying more attention to her senses, Gretchen hoped to transform her ordinary day and appreciate the moments of her life more fully. She wanted to be present in the moment, savoring each experience instead of letting it slip away unnoticed.

Ultimately, Gretchen aimed to connect more deeply with herself and others, using her senses to enrich her life. The days are long, but the years are short, and she didn't want to miss another minute.

Can Paying More Attention to Your Senses Transform Your Life?

After bringing her newborn, Eliza, home from the hospital, Gretchen was entranced by the tiny, fragile body nestled between Jamie and herself. The presence of the baby was overwhelming, a supreme moment of clarity that Gretchen had rarely experienced since. 

Gretchen's trip to the eye doctor was a revelation, making her realize how much she depended on her sight yet often overlooked the world around her. Andy Warhol once said, "Nobody really looks at anything; it's too hard." Gretchen decided it was time to truly see.

Her brain was crafty, constantly tinkering with her view of the world. It erased distractions, like her nose or the blood vessels in her eyes, and maintained illusions like color and size constancy. Gretchen learned about "inattentional blindness" from the Monkey Business Illusion video, where she missed a gorilla walking through the scene because she was focused on counting ball passes.

While tech innovations like smart canes help those with vision loss navigate the world, the rest of them often fail to appreciate the sensory world around them. Journalist Frank Bruni once highlighted how understanding others' challenges could foster empathy. Inspired, Gretchen set out to see what she'd been overlooking.

A simple peanut-butter-covered spoon revealed her husband's insomnia. This sparked Gretchen's curiosity about the unnoticed details of daily life. On walks, she began to truly see the cityscape and its inhabitants, noticing the color of coats and the antics of dogs.

Her journey to enhance her sight took her to the Met, where daily visits became a sensory exploration. Gretchen marveled at colors, from a scarlet jacket in a thrift store to a cardinal against snow. Immersive art experiences, like the Van Gogh exhibition, offered new ways to engage with art, while conversations with artist Sarah Sze taught her to see differently.

Through small adjustments, like cleaning her phone screen or rearranging her books, Gretchen found joy in shaping her sensory environment. Switching her phone to grayscale reduced its allure, making real-world colors more vivid. The true power of sight, Gretchen realized, lay in connecting with others. Quick exchanges of images with her daughter Eliza kept them close, even when apart.

The experiment reshaped Gretchen's perception, revealing that the true gift of sight is in fostering human connection and creativity. By truly seeing, Gretchen found beauty in the familiar and strengthened bonds with those she loves.

Rediscovering Sight: Lessons from Andy Warhol, Frank Bruni, and Van Gogh

One day, as Gretchen walked across a marble floor in high-heeled shoes, the sound triggered two vivid memories. First, she remembered being seven years old, trying on patent-leather shoes in a Kansas City department store. The tapping made her feel so grown-up. 

Years later, she was rushing around her New York apartment preparing for a surprise party, and her daughter Eliza softly remarked, “My mommy is having a flower party.” Hearing those clicks again, Gretchen felt a blend of nostalgia and realization that time had passed.

Her sense of hearing anchors her in the world, providing context and emotional shifts. It can wake her up or help her fall asleep. Human hearing is extraordinarily sensitive; it can detect a range of sounds and determine their direction. Ears process frequency and intensity, helping to navigate the auditory world.

One evening, the sound of yelling men made Gretchen pause in a subway station to assess the situation. They were just passionate Knicks fans. To explore her auditory world further, she tried the "Virtual Barber Shop" online, which created the illusion of being in a barbershop, and the Shepard tone, a sound that seemingly ascends endlessly.

Different people perceive sounds uniquely. Age, language, and even individual sensitivities play a role. For example, the famous “Laurel or Yanny” audio clip divides listeners. Our brains are wired to recognize human voices, providing us with emotional and social information.

Laughter, a universal sound, binds us together socially, signaling playfulness and connection. However, it can also be used for ridicule. On TV, laugh tracks are added to provoke audience laughter. Even emojis and text like “lol” help convey laughter in digital communication.

Listening to music can be transformative. It lowers heart rates during medical procedures, enhances exercise performance, and boosts mood. Despite its universal appeal, Gretchen realized her love for music was song-specific, not genre or artist-specific. Creating a playlist of songs that boosted her mood, she called it her "Audio Apothecary."

Music, like laughter, connects us deeply to our emotions and memories. At a Sondheim concert, Gretchen felt a range of emotions through the music's tender and revealing performances.

Sound baths, where participants listen to resonant tones, offered a calming experience. The pure engagement with sound was grounding, providing a break from digital distractions.

However, hearing can be vulnerable. Damage to our cochlear hair cells can lead to hearing loss. Gretchen's father, who started using hearing aids, noticed sounds he had been missing, like the rustling of newspapers.

Good listening is powerful. It involves showing attention, not rushing to fill silence, and respecting what others want to discuss. Listening helped Gretchen connect better with her family, understanding their needs and emotions.

Silence is also essential. During a self-imposed silent retreat, Gretchen found relaxation and a deeper understanding of her habits. She realized that she sought a human silence, free from constant conversation and digital noise.

By embracing her sense of hearing more fully, Gretchen discovered new pleasures in music, conversation, and silence. This awareness made her more connected with the world around her and the people she loves.

How Does the Sound of Laughter and Music Shape Our Lives and Memories?

Imagine walking into an office building and suddenly being transported back to your childhood by a familiar scent. This happened to Gretchen, not because of how the lobby looked, but because of how it smelled. The aroma of water and dirt from a dated water sculpture reminded her of her childhood library visits.

Smell has always fascinated Gretchen. It's a sense that can tether us to the present yet whisk us away to the past. Like when eucalyptus reminds her of her time in San Francisco. It's a free pleasure, requiring no time or energy.

Our sense of smell is rooted in sensory receptor cells in our nose, which send signals to the brain. Surprisingly, smells reach these receptors from both the nose and mouth, combining with taste to create flavor. Without smell, food tastes flat, as Gretchen discovered by eating a jelly bean with her nose plugged.

Smell alerts us to danger and opportunity. Yet, our reactions are learned, not innate. Parmesan cheese might smell delicious or like vomit, depending on context. Preferences differ across cultures; Americans find lavender relaxing, Brazilians invigorating.

One night, Gretchen was jolted awake by the smell of smoke, which turned out to be from a distant fire. Smell doesn't wake us, so she was lucky her trip to the bathroom alerted her. Our sense of smell fades with age, and COVID-19 made people realize its importance.

Intrigued by scent, Gretchen took a perfumery class. She learned that smell perception is sophisticated, with each nostril providing different information. They explored the olfactory pyramid of notes, and Gretchen discovered her inability to detect musk, a common fragrance component.

Smell connects us to memories, like how tea rose perfume reminds Gretchen of college. At the Met museum, she explored how scent enriched her experience, from the aroma of flowers to the smells of different galleries.

Smell is intimate, influencing our connections with others. We use fragrances to enhance our "diplomatic" odor. Scent evokes powerful emotions and memories. Home smells comfort us, while unfamiliar scents can unsettle.

The park in spring was full of smells Gretchen hadn't noticed before, like the clove-oil weed killer. Paying attention to smells made her more present, experiencing life in a richer way. Smells can't be stored or replayed, making them unique markers of time and place.

Through her five-senses exploration, Gretchen learned to appreciate and enjoy more. Smells of the city, from fishy grocers to fragrant florists, became familiar joys. It's amazing how a simple scent can bring a whole world to life.

Unlocking Memories with Every Scent: A Journey of Nostalgia and Discovery

On a sweltering summer day, Gretchen was walking to the subway when she felt parched. She ducked into a corner store and spotted a Snapple Diet Peach Tea, a beverage she hadn't tasted since law school. As she took a gulp, the flavor transported her back to those intense, cloistered days. Jamie, her law school buddy, also loved this tea, so Gretchen saved some to share with him. This experience reminded her of how powerful taste can be in evoking memories.

Taste is an incredibly popular sense, shaping empires and connecting us to our identity and culture. While Gretchen enjoys many foods, she’s never been adventurous in exploring tastes, often sticking to the same meals. Despite this, she realized that taste gives immense happiness to many, and she wanted to appreciate it more.

Humans are hardwired to respond to certain tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. For instance, they're born craving sweetness. Salt is essential for life and enhances other flavors. Bitter often signals poison, but they learn to love it in foods like coffee. Sourness indicates acidity, adding zest to their dishes. Umami, discovered by chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, gives a savory, meaty quality to foods like broths and aged cheese.

Exploring taste, Gretchen noticed how cultures and experiences shape their food preferences. For example, texture is crucial in East Asian cuisines, with a wider range of textures than Western cooking. Sharing food is a universal custom that builds relationships and memories, as seen in her family’s tradition of eating Winstead’s burgers in Kansas City.

Gretchen decided to dive deeper into familiar yet magnificent flavors: ketchup and vanilla. Ketchup, originally a Chinese fish sauce, hits all five tastes and is a staple in American kitchens. Its complexity often goes unnoticed. Vanilla, on the other hand, is a powerful flavor used in both sweet and savory foods. Despite its association with sweetness in the West, vanilla itself isn’t sweet but enhances other flavors.

To broaden her taste horizons, Gretchen attended tasting classes and even organized a taste party with friends. They compared potato chips, milk chocolate, and apples, which sparked lively discussions and memories. This experience underscored how tastes can evoke powerful recollections and deepen connections.

For a more meaningful exploration, Gretchen took her mother-in-law, Judy, on a taste tour of New York City’s Lower East Side, revisiting the flavors of her childhood. They enjoyed knishes, smoked fish sandwiches, and pickles, which brought back vivid memories for Judy and enriched their family’s history.

Through these experiments, Gretchen learned to appreciate individual ingredients and flavors more deeply. Even a "Dinner in the Dark" experience heightened her awareness of taste and texture, though she found she enjoyed knowing what she was eating.

Ultimately, taste connects us to the present moment and our past. It deepens relationships and preserves traditions, making life richer and more meaningful. As Marcel Proust famously noted, taste and smell can evoke intense, emotional memories, a phenomenon Gretchen has come to cherish in her own life.

Can Taste Really Unlock Powerful Memories Like Marcel Proust Suggested?

Hope Jahren once said, "My lab is the place where I put my brain out on my fingers and I do things." This sentiment resonates deeply as Gretchen explores the importance of touch in our lives. Touch isn't just a background sense; it’s integral to our experience of the world.

Jamie, for instance, suffers from severe nightmares. One morning, seeking comfort, he stood in the doorway, arms outstretched. Embracing him, Gretchen reassured him, and they stood silently, finding solace in touch.

Touch is fundamental. From stroking velvet pillows to pressing hands against moss, our sense of touch helps us connect with reality. Catholic tradition tells of Apostle Thomas, who only believed in Jesus’s resurrection after touching his wounds. This underscores touch as an encounter with truth.

Our skin, weighing between eight to fifteen pounds, is a marvel of design, sensitive yet resilient. It's packed with touch receptors that help us feel textures, temperatures, and vibrations. Areas like fingertips and lips are particularly sensitive, making our hands essential tools for exploration.

Touch can replace other senses, as seen in haptics technology. Gretchen's smartwatch’s gentle buzz reminds her of appointments, and video game controllers vibrate to enhance realism. The tactile sensation of a favorite mug can even elevate a simple cup of coffee.

Touch also strengthens bonds. Babies who receive skin-to-skin contact thrive, and adults benefit from touch through reduced stress and improved health. Jamie and Gretchen, through deliberate touches like holding hands during walks or giving real hugs, have found deeper connection and comfort.

Even their dog Barnaby’s presence adds to this tactile comfort. His cuddles and the sensation of him sleeping at the foot of their bed provide a unique warmth.

Touch also helps manage anxiety. Weighted blankets, despite limited research, provide comfort for many. Sensory tools like Calm Strips and fidget toys aid focus and soothe nerves. Physical props, like Andrew McCarthy’s bongo drums during a stressful scene, can ground and calm us.

Our tactile preferences shape our experiences. Gretchen favors velvet and plush textures, while others might prefer silky or rough textures. These preferences add richness to our daily lives, from the clothes we wear to the soap we use.

Touch also connects us to transcendent ideas. Physical objects, like Gretchen's family's blue lapis cube, embody abstract concepts like luck. Traditions involving touch, like their Christmas wish papers, add meaning to rituals.

Even in a museum, touch can enhance understanding. Handling postcards of artworks deepened Gretchen's appreciation of their details and compositions. This hands-on engagement made the art feel more personal.

The power of touch extends to the mundane. Simple actions like holding a pen or a small statue can anchor us in the moment and provide calm. Luxurious experiences, like heated bathroom floors, bring joy through touch.

Playfulness through touch, such as with kinetic sand, boosts creativity and happiness. This tactile exploration can lead to unexpected insights, making life richer and more connected.

Ultimately, touch brings us closer to others. Jamie’s affectionate gestures remind Gretchen of the importance of being present and connected. Through touch, they find comfort, joy, and a deeper connection to the world and those they love.

Hope Jahren's Wisdom: The Profound Power of Touch in Our Lives

Recently, as Gretchen enjoyed a lively dinner with friends, she marveled at how our senses can create such joy. The cozy atmosphere, the smell of flowers, and the taste of her salmon all combined to make the evening delightful. This awareness came from her ongoing exploration of the five senses and their impact on happiness and mindfulness.

In her quest for self-knowledge and mindful action, Gretchen engaged in numerous five-senses experiments. From talking to a ballet dancer about the feel of the floor to trying ayahuasca, these experiences highlighted how much our senses shape our world. They taught her to notice and appreciate the ordinary moments, like the smell of jasmine or the feel of velvet.

A particularly memorable experiment was creating a Five-Senses Journal. Each day, Gretchen noted the most vivid sensations she encountered, which helped her stay present and grateful. This practice deepened her appreciation for everyday experiences and made her more attuned to the world around her.

She also discovered the power of sensory gifts to connect with others. A thoughtful sensorium box with items like a music box and a soft blanket can bring comfort and joy. It showed her that our senses can be a refuge and a source of vitality.

Unexpectedly, her senses also fueled her creativity. Regular visits to the Metropolitan Museum became her playground, sparking her imagination and giving her a sense of awe. This recess from daily life helped her see beauty in the mundane and inspired her writing.

Finally, she learned that our senses link us to memories and help us appreciate the present. Creating an "Album of Now" with photos of ordinary life reminded her that today's familiar sights and sounds will one day be cherished memories. Embracing her five senses allowed her to experience life more deeply, connecting her to the people and moments that matter most. 

In one powerful moment, a simple traffic cone on a rainy street became a symbol of pure sensation and connection, reminding her of the beauty in the everyday. This journey through her senses taught her to look, listen, and appreciate the world around her, enriching her life in ways she never imagined.

How Can Embracing Your Five Senses Transform Everyday Life into Extraordinary Moments?

A few years ago, Gretchen Rubin's life took an unexpected turn during a routine trip to the eye doctor. Diagnosed with pink eye, she was also warned about her risk of a detached retina due to her nearsightedness. This revelation made her realize how much she had been taking her senses for granted. Walking home, she began to appreciate every detail—the gray sky, the purple leaves, the city sounds, and even the smell of honey-roasted peanuts.

This experience ignited a profound journey for Gretchen, who decided to explore her senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—more deliberately. She discovered that our senses work together to shape our experiences and connect us deeply to the world and the people around us. From the sensation of eating raspberries to noticing the color of coats and the antics of dogs on the street, Gretchen's newfound awareness brought her closer to the present moment.

At the Met museum, daily visits became a sensory exploration, enhancing her appreciation for art and colors. Conversations with artist Sarah Sze and immersive experiences like the Van Gogh exhibition offered new ways to engage with the world visually. Small adjustments, like cleaning her phone screen or switching it to grayscale, helped Gretchen find joy in her sensory environment and fostered connections with loved ones through shared images.

Sound also played a crucial role in Gretchen's journey. From the nostalgic click of high-heeled shoes to exploring auditory illusions like the "Virtual Barber Shop," Gretchen learned about the power of hearing in shaping memories and emotions. Listening to music, laughter, and even silence brought relaxation and deeper connections with her family.

Smell, another fascinating sense, transported Gretchen back to her childhood library visits through the aroma of a dated water sculpture. She discovered the intimate connection between smell and memory, taking a perfumery class and exploring scents at the Met museum. Paying attention to smells enriched her experiences and made her more present in the moment.

Taste proved to be a powerful connector to the past and present. A sip of Snapple Diet Peach Tea took Gretchen back to her intense law school days, reminding her of the significance of taste in evoking memories. She delved into familiar flavors like ketchup and vanilla, organized taste parties, and explored New York City's culinary history with her mother-in-law, Judy, deepening their family bonds.

Touch, a fundamental sense, provided comfort and connection. From embracing her husband Jamie during a rough morning to enjoying the tactile sensation of velvet pillows and moss, Gretchen realized the importance of touch. Weighted blankets, sensory tools, and deliberate touches with loved ones enhanced her sense of calm and connection.

Through her exploration of the five senses, Gretchen learned to appreciate and enjoy life more fully. Creating a Five-Senses Journal helped her stay present and grateful, while sensory gifts and regular visits to the Met sparked creativity and awe. Embracing her senses allowed her to experience life deeply, connecting her to the people and moments that matter most.

In a powerful moment, a simple traffic cone on a rainy street symbolized pure sensation and connection, reminding Gretchen of the beauty in everyday life. Her journey through the senses taught her to look, listen, and appreciate the world around her, enriching her life in ways she never imagined.

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Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World

Gretchen Rubin

8 Key ideas

25 MINS

4.4 (767)

Ever wondered about the profound impact your five senses have on your life and relationships?

How does a simple scent or sound transport you back to vivid memories?

How can subtle changes in sight and touch reshape perception and foster connections?

Dive into this fascinating exploration of the senses, and discover how they enrich our experiences, deepen relationships, and enhance creativity in ways you never imagined.

Key Ideas

#1