ABSTRACT
We are used to hearing of Homo sapiens’ five senses: vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Yet most neuropsychologists would argue that this list underestimates our true sensory capacities. Consider, for example, balance: As bipeds, humans, above most other animals, rely on their sense of balance to teeter around on two legs, sacrificing stability for the opportunity to use their hands and arms for other purposes. How about our sensitivity to temperature? Humans might be able to survive extremes of both high and low temperature, but they are exquisitely sensitive to temperature changes of very small increments. Next, consider pain. Humans (like other mammals) have a highly evolved pain sensitivity system, and are able to differentiate between many types of pain induced by a wide range of focal or diffuse stimuli, including heat, pressure, chemical irritant, and injury. Finally, what about the experience of sensory input when clearly there should be none? We need to have a model of sensory processing that can accommodate “phantom limb” experiences of amputees too.
