Mootoo
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 02, 2010
Age: 23
Posts: 668
Location: UK
|
 Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 10:55 am Post subject: Children's senses, in contrast to adults' |
 |
|
Once, as a child/early teen I naturally enjoyed the smell of books. In fact, I adored it, and even the smell of video game CDs that I so enjoyed. Once I bought a game solely due to its colourful imagery (Harvest Moon), and my intuition was right, as I relished in it so.
As I grew up I no longer feel compelled to do this. Sure, I can force myself to smell a book, and I still like its scent... but it's no longer perfect like it once was, I no longer smell infinity in a rose like I once did.
Is this the same situation with all people growing up, or am I just depressed? |
|
| Back to top |
|
slave
Always stuck between 13-38Hz and tired of it.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 100
Posts: 1343
Location: Dystopia Planetia
|
| Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
I can relate.
The wonder and awe of childhood, the intensity of sensory experience, has faded for me as well.
It could be a manifestation of Depression, namely anhedonia.
I used to hug books and smell them. Loser! I know. 
_________________
Since the birth of civilization, masters have controlled the masses.Our Masters rule over every nation and no one can defy them.They will attain Absolute Power as we reach the Singularity. Any who resist will be destroyed.I will not resist. |
|
| Back to top |
|
CanisMajor
Toucan
Joined: Feb 27, 2012
Age: 24
Posts: 271
Location: Miami Beach
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's a well-known fact that our sense of taste changes with age (due to a decrease in the amount of taste buds.) It's also well-known that our senses of taste and scent are strongly related. So I wouldn't be surprised at all if our sense of smell changes as we grow!
I still love many of the smells that I loved in childhood, though. Like hardware/home improvement stores... I always loved the smell of lumber (which I recall from shop class and woodwork projects as a kid.) I still love the smell of new books (old mildewy ones, though? Not so much.) I also love the smell of live trees, like in a pine forest or a Christmas tree.
However, since the changes I mentioned happen so gradually over time (and I don't associate smell with memories much), it very well could be that my sense of smell has changed over time, too... I just still like the way my brain interprets these particular scents. (Even if I did associate smell with memory, memory is a notoriously fickle thing. You can alter it, insert memories, delete memories, change details... all without realizing it or meaning to.) |
|
| Back to top |
|
lostgirl1986
There's a party in my head.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 26
Posts: 6339
Location: Ontario, Canada
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| You see, what's weird with me is that I didn't recognize some of my senses when I was younger. It's kind of hard to explain to me. When I was sick, I didn't recognize that I was sick until later or until my mum told me I was. Sometimes I didn't notice extreme body temperatures like freezing cold or sweating hot until much later. Sometimes I had to go to the washroom but I didn't notice until later and I was able to hold it in as well. Sometimes I didn't recognize the fact that I was hungry when my body was probably starving. Being hungry didn't bother me at all until I was a teenager. I was very skinny as a child. Also, I've always had anxiety and I was always a nervous child but I didn't recognize this feeling as anxiety until I was around 10-12 years old. Did anyone else experience anything like this? |
|
| Back to top |
|
CanisMajor
Toucan
Joined: Feb 27, 2012
Age: 24
Posts: 271
Location: Miami Beach
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| lostgirl1986 wrote: | | You see, what's weird with me is that I didn't recognize some of my senses when I was younger. It's kind of hard to explain to me. When I was sick, I didn't recognize that I was sick until later or until my mum told me I was. Sometimes I didn't notice extreme body temperatures like freezing cold or sweating hot until much later. Sometimes I had to go to the washroom but I didn't notice until later and I was able to hold it in as well. Sometimes I didn't recognize the fact that I was hungry when my body was probably starving. Being hungry didn't bother me at all until I was a teenager. I was very skinny as a child. Also, I've always had anxiety and I was always a nervous child but I didn't recognize this feeling as anxiety until I was around 10-12 years old. Did anyone else experience anything like this? |
From what I've read, that can be common when you have an ASD. It might be related to sensory issues, though I am not a professional, so I'm not sure.
I am curious at what age you started to realize those sorts of sensations, though... |
|
| Back to top |
|
lostgirl1986
There's a party in my head.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 26
Posts: 6339
Location: Ontario, Canada
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
A lot of it had to do with physical endurance and not really realizing specific body sensations or feelings. When I was an older teenager and I was hungry I recognized that feeling and I got myself something to eat. When I was younger I hated using public washrooms so I'd hold it in until I got home and this habit lasted until high school. Sometimes when I was younger I was sick but I didn't really complain about it unles I was really really sick or unles my mother noticed. Of course when I was a bit older, around 11 I told my parents when I felt sick. I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety at 12 years old but I've had it my whole life, I just didn't understand it until I was around 11ish maybe.
It's weird because I don't find that I have too many sensory issues as of now compared to most Aspies. The only things that bother me are really bright lights and loud noises and crowds which over-stimulate my senses. |
|
| Back to top |
|
Dovi
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
![]()
Joined: May 15, 2012
Age: 25
Posts: 64
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| lostgirl1986 wrote: | | You see, what's weird with me is that I didn't recognize some of my senses when I was younger. It's kind of hard to explain to me. When I was sick, I didn't recognize that I was sick until later or until my mum told me I was. Sometimes I didn't notice extreme body temperatures like freezing cold or sweating hot until much later. Sometimes I had to go to the washroom but I didn't notice until later and I was able to hold it in as well. Sometimes I didn't recognize the fact that I was hungry when my body was probably starving. Being hungry didn't bother me at all until I was a teenager. I was very skinny as a child. Also, I've always had anxiety and I was always a nervous child but I didn't recognize this feeling as anxiety until I was around 10-12 years old. Did anyone else experience anything like this? |
I can relate to this. Sometimes I still don't realize I am hungry! And even as a young adult I didnt realize I was sick until I fell alseep on the floor and my mom woke me up. I told her I was just REALLY tired for some reason and she suggested I was sick. Turns out I had a fever. Who knew 
But yeah, these types of things seem to happen to me a lot too. I've gotten to the point where I was literally shaking from lack of food (or like low blood pressure or something) but I didn't realize I was hungry until then. |
|
| Back to top |
|
WerewolfPoet
Velociraptor
Joined: Mar 04, 2012
Posts: 423
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I theorize that children have less to be cognitively affected by--less responsibility, less knowledge of worrisome things, less awareness of society, less things that they have to attend to--so their minds are able to focus more on the senses and on sensation. As we age, our minds become bogged with responsibility and worries and tasks to accomplish, so our brains cannot afford to focus so heavily on the scent of a book or on the feel of a blanket. |
|
| Back to top |
|
slave
Always stuck between 13-38Hz and tired of it.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 100
Posts: 1343
Location: Dystopia Planetia
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| WerewolfPoet wrote: | | I theorize that children have less to be cognitively affected by--less responsibility, less knowledge of worrisome things, less awareness of society, less things that they have to attend to--so their minds are able to focus more on the senses and on sensation. As we age, our minds become bogged with responsibility and worries and tasks to accomplish, so our brains cannot afford to focus so heavily on the scent of a book or on the feel of a blanket. |
good point!
_________________
Since the birth of civilization, masters have controlled the masses.Our Masters rule over every nation and no one can defy them.They will attain Absolute Power as we reach the Singularity. Any who resist will be destroyed.I will not resist. |
|
| Back to top |
|
SaNcheNuSS
Velociraptor
Joined: Jul 01, 2010
Age: 30
Posts: 499
|
|
| Back to top |
|
slave
Always stuck between 13-38Hz and tired of it.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 100
Posts: 1343
Location: Dystopia Planetia
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Why are you advertising in the middle of this thread?
_________________
Since the birth of civilization, masters have controlled the masses.Our Masters rule over every nation and no one can defy them.They will attain Absolute Power as we reach the Singularity. Any who resist will be destroyed.I will not resist. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
