We would permissibly describe sense experience as a systematic physiological phenomenon by which the individual gathers relevant information through his response to stimuli. We appropriately reserve the physiological-neural dynamics of Man’s five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing) to those professionally qualified, such as neuroscientists or medical practitioners. The context and theme of the present writing are instead centered on their perceived varied and ubiquitous impact on Man’s memory and expectations, an empirical, as distinguished from a physiological or neural matter.
Sense experience observably, has vital utility as a warning against danger. A bitter or unpleasant taste may portend sickness or poisoning, a sudden or harsh sound, physical danger, a foul smell, sickness or destruction, the espying of a predator, danger, and the touch of hot coal, pain, and injury. It also serves as an inducement to pleasure, the smell of exotic cooking, attractive perfume, the feel of velvet or a pussy willow, the sound of music, the sight of a field of multi-colored Dutch tulips.
Nonetheless, our present interest is centered on the occasional, and random, spontaneous recall of past experiences, simultaneously triggered by a sudden reactive and contemplative, albeit fleeting, response to personally nuanced stimuli; specifically, the excitement of a personally nuanced stream of autobiographic consciousness. We have observed that the extent of response to presenting stimuli may range from an instantaneous one to a correlative series of recollected experiences, positive or otherwise. We find it fascinating that a mere, momentary response to an objective stimulus can range from being merely instantaneous to the incitement of a subjectively significant (poignant or dreaded) recollection. This experience is dynamically equivalent to spontaneously, flipping an electrical switch to “On,” or selecting a particular “App” on a handheld television “remote.”
Most often, there is only a momentary response to sensory stimulus, however, it is not uncommon that the experience triggers an enduring personally meaningful, and suddenly impactful recollection. A pragmatic, and possibly illustrative, analogous example of such a contextual phenomenon, is demonstrated by the unexpected discovery of a subjectively meaningful object or perhaps an old photograph, which has remained for a long time unseen. The sight and perhaps the touch, of the sentimental, emotionally significant, object sets in force assorted, relevant, memories of persons, events, or experiences, possibly nostalgically pleasant, or intimately painful and recriminating. The scent of fresh, salty air may evoke an instantaneous response or else invoke memories of long pleasant summer afternoons at the shore; it can also summon up unpleasant experiences such as a witnessed drowning or a plan for a picnic disappointed by a rainstorm. The far-off sound of a church bell may evoke happy countryside expeditions or personally tragic funerals. The outdoor taste of a grilled hamburger may be associated with thoughts of cruelty to animals or with the happy experience of a social family get-together.
It would appear that Man’s unique and versatile brain possesses the ability to dually comprehend the utility and responsibility of an extremely vital, full-time official repository of thought and, as well the occupation of a librarian of (mostly, accurate) experience. Nevertheless, in our pursuit of empirical accuracy, and candor, we are obliged to express the wise and necessary application of pragmatic caution as to the possibility of the existence of some subjectivity of “confident” recollection, whether the recollected experience is summoned up by the contextual reaction to presenting stimuli or to ordinarily occurring but possibly, subjective or dissembling memory.
*Thanks are extended to Ms. Jane Austin, for her gracious permission to use the name of her 19th-century, romantic novel.
-p.
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