Human Limitations Chapter 7

Anatomy – Perceptions(Vision, Hearing, Balance, Smell, Taste, Touch)

When is the last time you gave a second thought about your perceptions?

Can you still be sure that you exist if you are completely sensory deprived?

Human senses provide constant acknowledgments of individual presence.

Every individuals perceptual capabilities vary drastically. Some folks have lost, or were born without certain senses. Missing or impaired senses will hinder the ability to experience the world and communicate with one another. With inadequate perceptions, a person may lack crucial information to utilize their intelligence and wisdom. On the contrary, an individual with keen senses may be able fathom intricacies of God’s creations to a greater extent, but are not without limits.

All information that we are able to perceive have prerequisites and bounds. Reflection of light enables us to see, thus we are incapable of seeing anything that light is unable to interact with. Certain frequencies of vibration in the air is what we hear. Anything beyond our receptive spectrum, we cannot hear. Our sense touch requires a certain level of particle density, thus particles that are too far apart can not be felt. Without gravity, distortion in spacetime, our vestibular system becomes confused, therefore we loose our balance. Smell only functions when gaseous particles flows in our nostril, even then, there are still particles that are odorless to us. Outside of spectrum of saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and savoriness, we can not taste. Not to mention there are countless factors that can cause distortions to our sense. Our perceptions are sophisticated systems, any minor deviation in the reception chain can alter our interpretation.

Human technology serves a single purpose, to enhance our capabilities. Human scientific advancement has always been heavily dependent on vision. The advent of telescope and microscope has propelled our science leaps and bounds since they vastly increase our visual capabilities. Now, we have encountered another scientific quandary, light’s limit became the throttle. The star that we see at night are actually just residual images, ranging from seconds to millions of years ago depends on the distance, due to the speed limit of light. On the other spectrum, quantum particles are so microscopic that light is incapable of reflecting off of it. Even though scientists are continuing to innovate solutions to what I mentioned above, ultimately, whatever apparatus that is invented must inevitably produce humanly perceivable results.

A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

– Proverbs 17:24(NIV)

Humans constantly advance technology to supplement our perceptual inadequacies, but at what point do we cease to be human? Let me know your thoughts down below!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *