Sensory Perceptions
Ericka Lim-Spears
Professor Ducksworth
Philosophy 210
Critical Thinking
1/23/2015

Our senses are what connect us to the world we live in, without being able to hear, see, smell, touch, and taste, our lives would have little to no meaning as would our brains; they would be just as Aristotle and Locke called it a ‘Blank Slate’ (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). Often times our senses have the power to enlighten our minds or deceive them. Quite like how food brings our body energy as we feed it our senses tend to do the same for our brain; without them our brain would be almost empty (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). Three reasons for believing the accuracy of sensory information are how we perceive things, how we react to them, and our knowledge of them. Although all senses play equal parts in the affect it has on our brain and our lives in general, sight is one that I would deem most accurate. For example, if you see an accident on a busy highway your first inclination would be to find a different route or calculate how long it will be until you reach your destination. Another example is if see something dangerous your response is to move away and dial 911. Although sometimes ones sight can trick you into seeing things that aren’t really there, majority of the time the information you receive through this sense is accurate. Its like the saying goes seeing is believing. Taste is another excellent example in accurate sensory information. If we are trying something new for dinner one would tend to determine whether it is tasty or not within minutes maybe even seconds after hitting it hits our taste buds. Touch is also an example of accurate sensory information, we are able to determine whether something is hot or cold, rough or soft by just feeling it. This information is always correct because the object is what it is, it does not change.

There are many factors that contribute to the accuracy of sensory information. For example, if a person is under the influence of drugs and alcohol it is hard to believe the information they perceive through their senses are true or not. Often times ones senses are heightened when under the influence, however, things in the real world seem to be perceived inaccurately compared to when they are sober. Sleep is also a factor in determining whether the message you are receiving from your senses are what they really are, sleep deprivation can cause simple mental tasks to become more difficult and perception to be distorted. Food can also contribute to whether or not our brain is receiving accurate sensory information. Food is what gives our bodies energy and essentially our brains energy, without it its possible for our bodily functions to preform at their highest potential and cause distortion. “Our senses do not operate efficiently when we are sick, drowsy, or tired; and sometimes, although our senses deliver accurately, the world is not always what it seems on the surface (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). For example, when driving on a