Sixth Sense - What is it ?

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,530
697
Knowhere
What we perceive consciously is a sort of summary reported by the brain. It's a bit behind what the subconscious brain is actually doing, features heavily filtered data from our senses and can include utterly fictitious filler to stitch together elements of the internal narrative. A sixth sense could simply be a prediction based on data that had not or does not otherwise feature in regular conscious thought, such as sights from our peripheral vision or sounds from the extremes of our hearing.
Essentially that is it, for instance awareness of traffic, what we call seeing is actually broken down into a number of basicl features as I described earlier that are integrated into the picture of the world that the brain builds from them. There is a definite phenomenon called "blind sight" for instance where a person can react to things that they are not aware that they can see. It is all part of our very natural defence systems, to be able to identify a hazard and move out of the way before we even know it is there. A lot of people are simply unaware that they have these "extra" senses, but it isn't just sight, there is the smell of things that aren't quite right, sounds we can feel but not hear, even changes in the air that can be detected by our skin and hair follicles, all of which played a greater part in life in hunter gatherer times.
 

The Frightful

Full Member
Apr 21, 2020
542
150
Essex
I have a bit of a theory on the subject. I think we do have a ‘sixth sense’ but we have evolved away from it. Most animals are very aware of potential danger; dogs can show strange behaviour long before the cause of it is apparent. When we were closer to our animal ancestors, we probably had similar ‘foresight’. The ‘sixth sense’ may just be a more attuned level of our other senses of course.

I use as an example, our peripheral vision. Mankind has benefitted from having binocular vision that allows us to judge distance. But this is at the expense of having all around vision that would enable us to see danger approaching (like a hare does). But, in compensation we have a (potentially) very keen sense of motion in our peripheral vision – which is one explanation of why we can see flickering on display screens that we can’t see when looking directly at them. However, we no longer rely on peripheral motion detection to survive (unless you’re a motorcyclist!), and we’ve lost the natural use of that ‘sense’. Next time you go into the woods, stand still and concentrate on the motion in your peripheral vision – you should notice a heightened level of wildlife detection. It’s an exercise carried out by hunters and trackers to deliberately increase their sense of the environment.

In answer to TeeDee’s question, I don’t think I necessarily act directly on a ‘sixth sense’; I think it makes me more aware to look for anomalies and patterns that I do act on. Maybe it all comes back to the ‘seeing not looking’ and ‘hearing not listening’ concepts.

On the other hand, maybe it's a load of old b******s :)
100% agree, if I ever have a decision to make and its one of two options I always use my gut, been proven right far more than wrong
 

Scottieoutdoors

Settler
Oct 22, 2020
889
635
Devon
It's hard to write anything and not come across like someone who thinks they're special... I genuinely don't think I'm special, but I am very perceptive a lot of the time. I also seem to have a bit of foresight when it comes to others behaviours, especially when driving... I'll see the way cars are moving and know whether I should hang back or not, and 9 times out of 10 they do something stupid that would have resulted in a close call if I'd blundered along.

In Vietnam recently my wife and I were standing on a 4 lane sea front road with quite a gentle, but a long sweeping corner talking to another couple who we'd met a few days prior. A powerful motorbike pulled out and set off down the road away from everyone showing all how cool he was with his noise and speed...fool I thought...we carried on chatting and I guess on reflection, I realise how I stopped listening to the conversation and noticed him do a U turn and set back towards everyone... I knew he wasn't going to be able to make the corner and told everyone to get up onto the pavement and sure enough about 5 seconds later, he passed within inches of where we were standing, ploughed into a bin, bags of goods and obliterated a shop front... Call it 6th sense, understandings of physics or whatever you want, but I KNEW we were in a bad position and that he wasn't going to make the corner just based on how I'd witnessed him drive away and my "assessment" of how I knew he was going to return.

I don't have any future reading skills haha, or any of that malarkey, but in my day to day life, I am perceptive, which I think stems from my pyschological characteristics as a "protector"...

..now don't get me wrong, stick me in a jungle with a whole load of out of this country creatures and you'll all have to fend for yourselves as I'll likely have the perceptive skills of a lemon and be the first to get deaded!
 
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ManFriday4

Nomad
Nov 13, 2021
255
81
Oxfordshire
What are peoples thoughts regarding the elusive Sixth Sense ? what do people think it is? where does it come from ? do you listen to it ? examples? Interested in what peoples individual thoughts are about it and do you always follow it ? or question it??
Have you ever met a real diagnosed psychopath? The sort of predator that you meet and they look through you, like they are sizing you up for lunch.. if you meet someone and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, that's a warning, lisyem to it.
 

Scottieoutdoors

Settler
Oct 22, 2020
889
635
Devon
Have you ever met a real diagnosed psychopath? The sort of predator that you meet and they look through you, like they are sizing you up for lunch.. if you meet someone and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, that's a warning, lisyem to it.
I met a wolf dog once before and had the displeasure of sleeping in the same room as it... It looked at me with empty emotionless eyes.
I'm not sure if it was sizing me up as it's next meal, or sizing me up to see if I was going to be a threat to it and if it could handle me?
It was missing all the characteristics that we love in dogs....and maintained all the characteristics which are less attractive - shedding, pooping, eating anything within reach...
Quite honestly, I disagreed with the poor creatures entire existence. Perhaps I'd feel the same in a psychopath...
 
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Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,986
Here There & Everywhere
Have you ever met a real diagnosed psychopath? The sort of predator that you meet and they look through you, like they are sizing you up for lunch.. if you meet someone and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, that's a warning, lisyem to it.

Yes, I have.
A patient who was in a secure mental health unit for hearing voices telling him to stab his own father.
Which he duly did and killed him.
I remember talking to him and, as you say, he really was looking through me. I just knew he was hearing voices and he was struggling with an overwhelming desire to grab something and attack me.
Yes, it was very disturbing.
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
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Have you ever met a real diagnosed psychopath? The sort of predator that you meet and they look through you, like they are sizing you up for lunch.. if you meet someone and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, that's a warning, lisyem to it.
I did , once...

You're right - it was chilling....

But for me it was too late.

Vows had already been exchanged , along with the rings...
 

TeeDee

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Nov 6, 2008
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I think rather than focus upon overt psychopathic type natures - which seems to present quite obvious red flags we'd be better being concerned with the Covert psychopath - the higher functioning ones that obviously walk amongst us.
 

TeeDee

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Nov 6, 2008
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The orginal thread was more about 6th sense in general - do you trust your gut more than maybe your brain or heart if there is an internal conflict.

What could 6th sense be said to be? a Primitive sensory vestige? Can it be honed ? etc
 

ManFriday4

Nomad
Nov 13, 2021
255
81
Oxfordshire
Yes, I have.
A patient who was in a secure mental health unit for hearing voices telling him to stab his own father.
Which he duly did and killed him.
I remember talking to him and, as you say, he really was looking through me. I just knew he was hearing voices and he was struggling with an overwhelming desire to grab something and attack me.
Yes, it was very disturbing.
I'm not talking about psychotic people, I'm talking the Hare-Babiack snake in a suite type, they are not psychotic, they are hardwired lacking a conscience. (Sex-offenders, conmen/women, Borderline PD, serial/spree killers) medication can manage their behaviour, but they don't hear voices or experience psychosis.
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,241
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https://archive.org/details/blindsight
An interesting Rieth lecture from twenty years ago, if you read further into Ramachandran's writings there's an awful lot that's relevant to the whole 'sense' subject of this (very interesting) thread. As Broch says above, wildlife observation is the way into this rabbit hole; I got a line on it as a kid, always encouraged to study the horses that were an abundant part of the family business that I grew up in. Also from the dogs I had for sixty five years or so.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,410
1,698
Cumbria
I once met a person who was a psychiatrist by degree but a senior social worker by occupation. She dealt with the worst cases and didn't burn out in less than a year like others who had her job before she got it. Basically lasted twice as long as anyone before her and actually liked her job.

Not many of my friends could stand her but she was part of the group we were in and wife of the founder. She talked to me about nothing in particular, just name, job, etc. In less than 5 minutes she basically worked out everything about me including stuff I hadn't realised. That wasn't bad but what was bad was how she felt it appropriate to make it so clear she had totally read you and knew how you ticked plus your weaknesses by telling you them.

It was a truly creepy thing. That was why, I learned later, that my friends who had met her before, would look where she was in the group and head to the other end. Whenever she turned up we avoided her like the plague.

The thing is, she read body language in an instinctive way. It was almost like mind reading. Her observational skills were highly tuned. Overall I suspect she could tap into the many senses humans have better than most (currently some experts say there are as much as 21 senses). I also think she was a psychopath too in that she didn't see what her skills with reading ppl would do to them.
 
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Bluebs4

Full Member
Aug 12, 2011
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36
Bristol
Growing up being exposed to the environment at that time ( born 1968) climbing trees riding bikes building experimenting and exercising your senses. Consequences Fear all built an understanding from a young age.
 

ManFriday4

Nomad
Nov 13, 2021
255
81
Oxfordshire
I once met a person who was a psychiatrist by degree but a senior social worker by occupation. She dealt with the worst cases and didn't burn out in less than a year like others who had her job before she got it. Basically lasted twice as long as anyone before her and actually liked her job.

Not many of my friends could stand her but she was part of the group we were in and wife of the founder. She talked to me about nothing in particular, just name, job, etc. In less than 5 minutes she basically worked out everything about me including stuff I hadn't realised. That wasn't bad but what was bad was how she felt it appropriate to make it so clear she had totally read you and knew how you ticked plus your weaknesses by telling you them.

It was a truly creepy thing. That was why, I learned later, that my friends who had met her before, would look where she was in the group and head to the other end. Whenever she turned up we avoided her like the plague.

The thing is, she read body language in an instinctive way. It was almost like mind reading. Her observational skills were highly tuned. Overall I suspect she could tap into the many senses humans have better than most (currently some experts say there are as much as 21 senses). I also think she was a psychopath too in that she didn't see what her skills with reading ppl would do to them.
Narcissistic/ psychopaths have the ability to read people, calculate their strengths and weaknesses and use them to their advantage. Are you sure she was a psychiatrist and not a psychologist. Psychiatrists are Doctors who spend a further 6-7 years to become registratrars/consultant psychiatrists.

She certainly sounds like the sort of person best avoided. You probably wouldn't want someone like that as a lover.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,410
1,698
Cumbria
Narcissistic/ psychopaths have the ability to read people, calculate their strengths and weaknesses and use them to their advantage. Are you sure she was a psychiatrist and not a psychologist. Psychiatrists are Doctors who spend a further 6-7 years to become registratrars/consultant psychiatrists.

She certainly sounds like the sort of person best avoided. You probably wouldn't want someone like that as a lover.
I try not to think too much about her so quite possibly a psychologist. Highly intelligent, highly perceptive and a little bit terrifying! Her husband ran off with someone else. But then he was just as bad in other ways, that's another story. Involves holidays in an area only narco terrorists and elite paramilitary government forces go in a far off land! But he was mostly OK though.
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
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Apparently this book is on the FBI suggested reading list - it delves into using fear and hence sixth sense as a tool.

Learning to recognise and embrace those smaller warning signals that make the hair on the back of neck stand up.

1694153059450.png
 
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