EXPLORE
Here’s a chance to experience a few situations while inhibiting and dulling the senses. This experience takes two people, one who will be exploring their senses (the Explorer) and one who will guide them throughout (the Guide).
The Explorer will be exploring their five senses through four sections: Taste, Touch, Smell, Hearing. Pay attention to how each sense is used. Enjoy!
The Explorer
Get ready by finding these:
Gloves with thicker texture to inhibit your sense of touch
Earplugs to dull your sense of hearing. No earplugs? Use earphones while playing music at a high volume.
LET'S GET READY!
For each section, both the Explorer and the Guide will need to gather a few items.
The Guide
Choose an item for each section. Keep all of the items you choose out of the Explorer's sight:
Taste
a food on the flavorful side, not bland (sorry, bread!)
Touch
an object with interesting texture or shape
Smell
a scent on the stronger side. You can spray perfume or a scented liquid on a notecard. (sorry again, bread!)
Hearing
just your voice!
Step 1
Explorer: Close your eyes and plug your nose by pinching it.
Step 2
Guide: Hand the Explorer the food you've chosen for the Taste section.
Step 3
Explorer: Taste the food, and note anything you sense outside of flavor. Slowly loosen the grip on your nose to get the full flavor.
TASTE
This section will give you a peek as to what life would be like if you didn't have your sense of taste or if your sense of taste is dulled. Eighty percent of flavors we taste come from what we smell. Chew on that.
TOUCH
What's your largest organ? Skin. Your skin is both your largest organ and your largest sense organ.
Step 1
Explorer: Put on your gloves, and close your eyes.
Step 2
Guide: Hand the Explorer object you've chosen.
Step 3
Explorer: Feel the object. Explore texture, shape, weight.
SMELL
Smell has been polled as the least valued sense of the five senses. What would your world be like if you lost your sense of smell?
Step 1
Explorer: Close your eyes, and plug your nose by pinching it.
Step 2
Guide: Raise the object you've chosen to your Explorer's nose.
Step 3
Explorer: Slowly loosen the grip on your nose as you take in the scent.
HEARING
Your sense of hearing is more than just how you listen to music and, importantly, your surroundings. Hearing is the fastest of all your senses. You heard that here first.
Step 1
Explorer: Put your earplugs in. If you're using earphones, listen to a song at a volume high enough to dull your sense of hearing. Close your eyes.
Step 2
Guide: Start by saying or making a noise at a low volume. Increase your volume until your Explorer can hear you.
