Sensation

All our sense organs are, in some very basic ways, much alike. All the sense organs transform
physical stimulation such as light waves or sound waves into the neural impulses that give us
sensations such as the experience of light or sound. Sensation is the process by which our
sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our
environment. Each of the senses provide us with lot of value information. Sensation is possible
through our five senses that we have namely; vision, auditory, smell, taste and touch.
Vision is the main source of our information and knowledge. Our memory mostly works through
the visual images that we see in day to day life. Movement in a desired direction is possible
because of vision. Our eyes are the source of vision to us. The eyes absorb the light radiation
from outside and we are able to see. We can enjoy the best and latest music through our ears.
Ears are the source of auditory sensation to us. Ear is most complex and carefully designed to
absorb sound. It is the sense through which we are able to understand others. It gives us a
significant part of our knowledge that we hold on to. By the use of these sense we are able to
listen to discourses given by various persons. Smell is a unique sense. It gives us various kinds of
smell or odor. There are five million olfactory receptors cells with their 1000 different receptor
proteins recognize individual odor molecules. Some odors trigger a combination of receptors.
Like other stimuli odors can spontaneously evoke memories and feeling. Taste is a compound
sense, it is composite of five basic sensations - sweet, sour, salty, bitter and unnamed and of the
aromas that interact with the information from the taste buds. There is a influence on taste by the
sense of smell. Touch is another sense that we have it is also called as skin sense. It has several
different types of sensory receptors just below the surface of the skin. It can recognize heat, cold,
light touch, heavy pressure, pain etc.
These are the various senses that we have and we are able to sense the world through this. These
senses are God's gift to each one of us. I believe that sensation is caused by God in this world
and it is my duty to respondent to it. They are the sources God's of inspiration to me. I should
always try to make best use of them. I have seen so many people born handicap. As a child of
God it is my responsibility to see to the welfare of others. Through my vision I see the world and
its problems. I should try to make these earth a better place by making use of my senses.

Perception
We transform sensation into perception. Plato rightly said that we perceive objects through the
senses. We are able to construct the outer world in our brain. Perception refers to Selection,
organization, and interpretation of sensory input. Perception comes to us moment by moment,
one perception vanishing as the next appears. It is a selective attention to a particular sensation.
By one estimate, our five senses take in 11,000,000 bits of information per second, of which we
consciously process about 40. Yet we intuitively make a greater use of the other 10, 999,960 bits.
Perception is a mental process that elaborates and assigns meaning to the incoming sensory
patterns. Thus, perception creates an interpretation of sensation. Perception gives answers to
such questions as: What do I seea tomato? Is the sound I hear a church bell or a doorbell?
Does the face belong to someone I know?. Perception is influenced by various factors. Contrast,
the more different is the stimuli we are more likely to attend to it. For example I remember the
mistakes and jokes that were cracked in the class of Fr. Allan than the scientific process he spoke
about. Size also affects our perception the bigger the object the more easy it is to remember. I
vividly remember the Mysore Palace I saw in the month of may because of its huge structure and
Place. Motion is another factor which affects the way we perceive things. A moving object is
more likely for further processing than a static object. I remember the Gandhi museum I saw at
Aurangabad Because of its motion picture presentation of the life of Gandhi than any other
museum I have seen. Culture also plays an important role in the way we perceive the objects.
The culture in which we are brought up or the physical environment. Since I spent my early life
in a village I like nature that surrounds me, I also like getting wet in the rain, I also enjoy places
which are cool and serene, I like the soft music than the rock one. These are things which affect
my perception.
Perception is the immediate knowledge of things through senses. Perception helps us to be grow
in our knowledge and love of God. George Berkeley philosopher on whom I am writing my
scientific paper says esse est percepi which means to perceive is to exist. All our knowledge
comes to us through perception. Unless we perceive we can know nothing. Perception forms the
very basis of our existence.
Sensation and Perception are the two most important things according to me. It is through them
we are able to experience the world around us and make a significant contribution to the society
in which we live.

Agustinho Barretto