There are many instances in my life where I doubted the point of being here, chained to a body and being at the mercy of unexpected events that challenge its survival. Many thought leaders are now touting the benefits of waking up and staying in human form. So I started to consider some of the perks of 3D material existence. Many metaphysical teachers claim that sensory experiences are unnecessary on the higher planes. Immediately I thought, no need for clothes, jewelry, shoes, food, etc.
So I created a blogging challenge ( a Sense-sational one, you might say), to invite people to really ponder the gifts of living in form. After all, we all know the limitations. Which of the 5 bodily senses are preferred and how do they enhance your life? This is what I was looking to uncover, in order to create a conversation about incarnation with a certain perspective.
Here is what I discovered about my preferences and delights:
If I was asked as a child to name my favorite sense, it would have been my sight. I have always been so fond of colors, patterns, and images and could not image functioning without use of my outer eyes or third eye. I am definitely a visual learner and will forget names, but never a face! As my readers know, art is therapy for me and it never lets me down. Like C said in her post, the thought of becoming blind is simply unthinkable. My eyesight has certainly declined with time, but glasses fill the gap most of the time. I went from having superior vision ( 20/10) to requiring progressive lenses for myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Yet I am grateful that these are usually a minor inconvenience. I am quite fortunate that I do not need to wear glasses all day, but mostly for reading or walking outside where distances are out of focus.
I have experienced many shifts in sensory acuity over the years. As a child and young adult, my sense of smell was impaired. I could not smell odors and fragrances that others took for granted. When someone suggested I smell a delicious flower, it was both disappointing and frustrating to notice nothing. Then one day my sense of smell improved dramatically. Not only can I smell a variety of wonderful fragrances, I am very sensitive to strong and unpleasant ones. It is a mixed blessing, as many seem to be.
My ability to hear has always been sub par, but it never prevented me from enjoying music. Music has always been my companion, especially during the darkest times. It is remarkable how the vibrations offer unlimited healing of body and spirit. But my left ear was always trouble and a few years ago I developed tinnitus. I was tested and have some hearing loss in the right ear. So sometimes I struggle to understand when someone is muttering or has a strong accent. But I have adjusted the best I can.
While it is important to have a sense of touch/sensation , it is not my favorite; particularly when confronted with chronic painful health conditions. However, I do not take anything for granted and value the pleasure that often accompanies the ability to feel bodily sensations. I would give anything to re-live the tactile sensation of a head bump from Dexter, or the calming warmth of Jasmine sleeping on the back of my legs. Hugging my nieces or petting my cat “babies” are treasured moments that make life rich with meaning.
Like the majority of the challenge writers, I enjoy having access to all of my senses. In fact, I am pleased that I often have access to intuition, clairvoyance, clairsentience, and a few others. But the sense that provides me the most joy is the sense of taste, in the form of food. Interestingly enough, my sense of taste was not important as a young child. I was a very picky eater with not much of an appetite. Breakfast before school each day was half a slice of toast. Exciting, right? But as I matured, I began to develop a sophisticated palate and became a foodie in training.
Enjoying food is more than taking pleasure in consumption of fuel for the body; it is a process that integrates all five senses. Sight, sound, smell, touch, along with taste, can play a role in the gustatory experience.
Here are a few examples:
The sizzle of meat and veggies cooking on the grill.
The crunch of popcorn coinciding with the sharpness of salt and the luxurious feel of creamy butter.
The intoxicating smell of freshly brewed coffee.
The deep burgundy hue of a glass of Merlot.
The neon pink cloud of cotton candy.
The brittle caramelized sugar layer on top of creme brulee.
The silky texture of frozen vanilla custard meeting the decisive crunch of the sugar cone.
The bittersweet taste and unctuous smoothness of dark chocolate mousse.
The comforting aroma of mom’s chicken soup simmering on the stove.
The complex, thick, savory – sweetness of chicken mole.
The vivid, maroon goodness of red velvet cake, complemented by sweet, velvety cream cheese icing.
The crackle of peking duck skin marrying the succulent meat and unami hoisin sauce with the crisp bite of scallions and soft mandarin pancakes. Peking duck is a dish that exemplifies holy matrimony of the delicious kind!
One of my dreams is to be the next Anthony Bourdain so I can incorporate my passion for food, travel, and writing together as a food/travel critic. In the meantime, though, I am happy to share with you my thoughts and feelings on all things yummy here at litebeing chronicles. Thank to all who participated in this challenge either directly or vicariously. I appreciate your patience with me in finishing my own offering. Time kinda got away from me.
Speaking of time, let me wish all of my readers the very best of 2018. Please love your Selves first so that more energy is available to you for all you wish to manifest. The journey really is within, after all.
Here are some blogs that feature my foodie spirit:
https://litebeing.com/2014/09/15/east-africa-in-west-philly-traversing-time-and-space/
https://litebeing.com/2014/08/18/returning-home-part-v-pendle-hill/
https://litebeing.com/2014/07/07/lucky-litebeing/
https://litebeing.com/2014/05/02/a-day-in-the-flow/
https://litebeing.com/2014/04/18/musings-herstory-poland-ukraine-and-ancestral-mysteries/
https://litebeing.com/2013/06/11/scenes-from-an-indian-restaurant-collisions-of-parallel-time/
https://litebeing.com/2013/06/10/111-global-party/
images courtesy of wikipedia.org, public domain