Experiencing Nature through Sensory Perception

By sight, sound, hearing, smell, touch, taste, emotions and intuition

Hi, I’m Sue and I write about the beauty and ingenuity of Nature, and how we can deepen our connection for our optimum health and wellbeing. Discover more Nature-inspired content on Spiral Leaf, Twitter and my video Nature Channel.

Expriencing Nature by sensory perception brings untold health benefits to our body, mind, spirit, soul and whole being. In a previous post I talked about ways we can connect more deeply with our inner selves by tuning into the natural world around us.

In this post I suggest ways we can connect with Nature through each of our senses including sight, sound, hearing, smell, touch, emotions and intuition.

Emotions and intuition are not generally included in the standard five senses even though they are essential components of sensory perception. They help us to make meaningful connections without having to use deliberate analytical thought.

I read an article about perception recently and this led me to look further. What I found is above the paywall and beyond that, I made a deeply relaxing video with a guide on how to enjoy Nature through each of your senses. This is for paid subscribers and new friends who have engaged with me and made me feel so welcome - thank you!

What is perception?

Perception involves the interpretation, organisation and conscious awareness of the sensations we experience in our everyday lives. Sensory perception informs our overall perception of life through the mechanism of sensory receptors in our body and mind which detect sensory stimuli in our environment.

Perception helps us to take in, understand and communicate effectively with the world around us. It helps us to identify the emotions of others, understand the perspective of others and regulate our emotions.

Perception enables us to connect with our fellow human beings, sentient beings and Nature in a meaningful way with care and concern. It makes us more sensitive and helps us to develop our knowledge, talent and skills in more profound ways.

Sensory perception involves all our senses including sight, sound, hearing, smell, touch, taste, emotions and intuition.The latter are not often included even though ‘emotions’ are cited in the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as phenomenologically salient responses to significant events capable of triggering distinctive bodily changes and behaviours and ‘intuition’ as a generally recognised sixth sense or extra-sensory perception responsible for gut feelings which we can feel physically with things like butterflies, nausea and clammy hands.

The perception process

At any given moment sensory perception is working for us without us necessarily being aware. This helps to inform our conscious experience so that we can better understand and interact with people, living things and objects. In simple terms, the process involves:

• Our human sense receptors are stimulated by sensory information

• Our brain translates sensory information into sensations such as taste, temperature, texture, sounds, images, etc

• Higher centers in our brain, heart and physiology recognise or ignore the sensations and their meanings

• Our brain and heart brain categorise and interpret what we are sensing, giving us the ability to understand and give meaning to things. This is called recognition

• Resulting actions take the form of motor activity in response to the perceived stimulus; major actions such as running toward a person in distress and subtle actions such as blinking our eyes in response to dust blowing through the air.

Heightening our perception

In a report published by the Mental Health Foundation in 2021, Nature: How connecting with nature benefits our mental health, findings suggest that the quality of our relationship with Nature is part of the reason for its positive impact on our wellbeing whereby the term connectedness reprents the ideal relationship.

Having a strong connection with Nature enables us to develop a close bond and emotional attachment to our natural surroundings. 

There are many ways we can develop our connectedness with activities that involve the senses such as noticing the beauty of Nature by listening intently to birdsong or touching the bark of trees. Smelling flowers or feeling the soil between our fingers whilst planting bulbs in the garden.

In addition, it was found that we don’t have to be in Nature to further our relationship. Reading a book about Nature, writing a poem about a favourite spot, drawing a picture of a leaf or reflecting on walks in beautiful areas, help us to tune in to imagine, consider and appreciate Nature on a deeper level.

There are lots of places we can find Nature, in our urban towns and cities (I will be writing about this soon) or in various places along the coast, in the coutryside, on top of the moorland, healthlands and plaines. Think about how, when and where you can make a date with Nature for your optimum health and wellbeing.

Nature through the senses

The next time you are out and about in Nature or spending time indoors with things like plants, flowers, pets, books or organic food, think about how you are making a connection with your heart and mind through all your senses

Appreciating how such experiences make us feel significantly increases our awareness, heightens our sensitivity, improves our memory and forms a lasting bond between our inner and outer worlds.

Sight - observing Nature

Take in the detail, character and beauty of the living things you see around you. This includes looking at things close-up and admiring vistas on the horizon. This is not only excellent exercise for our eyes but taking in and appreciating such beautiful images is known to be therapeutically beneficial to our health.

Sound - listening to Nature

Tune into the harmonious sounds and rhythmic vibrations of the natural world around you. This includes noises made by the breeze, leaves rustling in the trees, birds singing, waves ebbing and flowing, rivers flowing and insects buzzing. Such sounds are extremely soothing and have a deeply relaxing and healing effect on our brain.

Smell - breathing in Nature

Notice the subtle scents secreted by natural essential oils such as the scent of flowers, the resin expelled by trees, the earthy scent of the soil, damp grass on a rainy day or the waft of salty air from the sea. Such natural essential oils and airborne minerals serve to protect us, cleanse us and replenish us naturally by design.

Touch - feeling Nature

Trace your fingers over natural surfaces with different forms and texture. Feel the rough bark on trees, the sponginess of moss, the delicate silkiness of a petal, the crumbliness of soil or the fine grainy texture of sand. Using our fingertips in this way awakens receptors in our skin, lowers our heartbeat and piques our sensitivity.

Taste - savouring Nature

When you are preparing, cooking, eating and drinking natural food and drink, take your time to savour the process in taste, texture, natural flavours and consistency. When we pay attention to the things we consume in this way and take our time, it adds value by optimising the quality of nourishment needed for our mind, body and whole-being.

Emotion - perceiving Nature

When we think about how a leaf is formed, how a snail tucks itself under a flower for shelter, why a bird sings to attract a mate or defend its territory or how a landscape seems so beautiful to us, the sentiments enduced have a profound impact on us. Our feelings provide vital information about our surroundings and enhance our relationship and connection with the natural world we are intrinsically part of.

Intuition - knowing Nature

Engaging with Nature through all our senses helps to improve our focus, inform our perception about things, clear our mind and tune in more closely with our inner self. Consciously connecting through each of our senses creates a lasting impression, improves our understanding, heightens our awareness and strengthens the bond between our heart and mind, and our inner and outer worlds.

Thank you for reading and watching. I look forward to seeing you again next time.