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Question: Is self-awareness the 6th sense!?
I was just pondering this last night!. Self-awareness -- the act of being aware of oneself -- what if that is actually a sense!? Much like sight is being aware of light waves; hearing is being aware of sound waves, touch is being aware of contact between bodies, and taste/smell are being aware of!.!.!.odor waves!? Self-awareness could in fact be thought of as another sense, as in perceiving one's own existence!. The sensory organ for self-awareness is most likely located somewhere in the brain!.
This could explain why humans are so advanced in many ways!. Our sense of self-awareness is simply more developed than that of most other animals!. In comparison to us, dogs' sense of smell is more developed!. In the same way, our sense of self-awareness is more developed in comparison to dogs!. Bats have better hearing!. Birds have superior sight!. This accounts for why some animals (crows, pigs, elephants, etc) seem "smarter" -- their degree of self awareness is more developed!.
What do you think!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It is true that we are able to sense our own bodies to a degree and we have propriocentic sensors of all kinds giving us useful feedback, but self-awareness or self-consciousness is a reflection on the totality of inputs we get from integrating/organizing all of our sensory and mental experience in both short term and long-term memory!. Evolutionwise,we are incrementally more advanced than other life forms, but to what degree is debatable!. Who knows what the future will bring!? We do seem to have the power to reflect on our experience incl our reflections on those reflections which gives a measure of independence from the deterministic world of matter and energy in motion!. We make choices based on our self-awareness in ways that that most species can't!. We are less automatic in the way we respond to our inputs from our sensors--physical and mental! In that sense, self-awareness is much more than a 6th sense as your analogy wants to suggest! I think that your Q is Good one though, precisely bec it makes us all think deeper! THXWww@QuestionHome@Com
"The Path of the Higher Self," Mark Prophet, is helpful re this "sense!."
It's worth noting that any sense receives data!.
At some threshold, such data becomes (sensible) awareness!.
"Who am I!?" is an iterative process, a portrait built on prior memory-awarenesses!.
"I Am" is the name of God given to Moses, for all generations!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Yes, I would consider it a sense!. Whether it is the "6th" is questionable!. It also falls under the same thing called telepathy, which is being aware of another person in much of the same way we are aware of our own thoughts!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I wouldnt think so!. You can loose any of the other senses and still be able to live a full life!. Try loosing Self-awareness and not ending up in the looney bin!. Its just a charcteristic that all humans have, like personailty and looks!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
No!. I'm not convinced that other animals aren't self-aware!. Moreover, I think that intuition, a sort of advanced mathematical skill, is the sixth sense!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The Self is beyond the limits of the senses!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Self-awareness is developed within each human being between the 1st and 4th level of consciousness!. The true-self within man is understood within the development of the 5th through the 7th level of consciousness!.
The sixth sense within man is known as "Wisdom"!.
"Wisdom" is the 5th level of consciousness!.
May we all acquire "Wisdom"!.
"Peace be always with you!."Www@QuestionHome@Com
There is plenty of evidence that some animals are self aware!.
The mistake you are making is assuming that self awareness is an all or nothing thing!. It is actually a continuum of self consciousness that adds attributes to itself as the mind becomes more capable through evolution!.
Senses refer to the ability to perceive things external to the body: sight, hearing, balance (the body's awareness of its position in relation to the external world), taste (which is actually five senses), smell (which is countless senses), touch, heat, cold, pain!. There are more senses than these 9 senses!. These senses feed into our body image and contribute to the working of our body schema!. The self is a process that uses knowledge coming from the senses and other intermodal mental processes (like memory and emotions) but it is typically not considered the same thing as it is not something external to the body!.Www@QuestionHome@Com