What About Sixth Sense

Dear Readers,

When writing ‘Which of the senses of your body is most dear to you’, I got a comment on an SMS stating: ‘What about the Sixth Sense?’ As the comment was received a day or two later, and that too on my mobile phone, I could not connect the reference. I thought someone was asking me about M Night Shyamalan’s first movie. It dawned on me only a little time later that the sender in question was, in jest, teasing me about why I hadn’t included the sixth sense in my piece on the five senses. I realised my oversight of missing out on a mention of the sixth sense in my experimental article. This piece is to make amends for it.

What About Sixth Sense

Why haven’t I included the ‘common sense’ in my writing? It is a good question, and yet I would tickle a funny bone if I wrote that wisecracks often make a joke about common sense being nothing more than nonsense. When I researched, I found that the sixth sense is real. The metaphor “The Sixth Sense” refers to humans having an additional sense beyond the five traditional senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. This other sense is often described as a “gut feeling” or intuition. It allows individuals to perceive information not immediately evident through the other senses. The broader understanding also includes a part of human consciousness, some morphic field around human beings that allows them to perceive information beyond the five senses.

Keeping the subject light, I am reminded of a Marathi humourist, Acharya Atre. A search for him would inform the readers that he was known for his wit and satire. He wrote a popular column in a Marathi paper called ‘Maratha’. Once in a column, he expressed that a particular Municipal body had 50 % fools on their committee. Reading that there was a protest outside his office the next day. Acharya Atre came out and apologised to the protesting crowd. He promised them that he would rectify his statement. The next day he clarified in his column, stating that he was wrong and stood corrected. 50% of the committee members are wise and hard-working. There were no protests the next day, and the group who had come the previous day seemed satisfied by the clarification.

Common sense is a subject of satire. Hence many people term common sense as nonsense. But is sixth sense only common sense? No, it is also the innate ability of human beings to perceive what is not visible. In yogic Hindu practice, it is called the ‘Awakened Kundalini’. It happens in those humans who have control over their five senses and can concentrate their energies in the centre of their forehead. This ability comes out of practising deep meditation. An awakened kundalini allows an individual to perceive what is in the future. It is usually the immediate future or even sense of the presence of negative energy around them. Even scientific evidence supports such a theory. Many movie makers have exploited this unusual phenomenon and made movies or OTT web series. The most famous is M Night Shyamalan’s first movie which made him famous, ‘The Sixth Sense’. In the film, a little boy can see future events and dead people. The movie was a hit and was imitated by many later. A Korean web series ‘Kiss Sixth Sense’ deals with a similar subject, where a girl can see the person's future when she touches her lips with him/her. These catchy themes excite viewers with the infinite possibilities that can be shown on the screen.

But to bring the larger debate of common sense into focus. Talking about common sense in conjunction with the five other senses is logical. After all, what is sensing, other than understanding reality? The reality as it is seen or felt or is smelt. All the senses make a human more aware of his actions and existence. If, despite realising what is seen or felt, a human being reacts indifferently, the senses would serve no purpose. For e.g. Sensing the danger of a predatory animal or a poisonous substance, one should be warned and take defensive measures.

There is a tale in Panchatantra (Indian Folk tales for children) about common sense. There are four friends. Three are very intelligent and learned all that books could teach. They think they know everything. The fourth friend is not inclined to read but experiences life and is worldly-wise. They decide to tour different places in their kingdom and earn money. While travelling in a forest, they find a cache of the bones of an animal. The three wise men say this is our chance to use our knowledge. Let’s bring this animal back to life. Each of the three works on their individual skill and expertise and puts the bones, flesh, and skin on the animal. It turns out to be a lion. In the last act, they are about to put life into the dead lion. The fourth friend warns them not to do so as it could be fatal. The three friends, devoid of common sense, laugh at and shun him. He runs and climbs a tall tree. The rest of the three go through the ritual and bring the lion back to life. Happy about their achievements, they are goading to each other. But their joy is short-lived as the lion is hungry and attacks and kills all three. The fourth friend survives but with a heavy heart.

This story from Panchatantra is an illustration of the absence of common sense. Though exaggerated, it conveys the point with simplicity. In real life, the lack of common sense is rarely as stark as conveyed. It is often misplaced. How does one define common sense? In simple language, it is the ability to make sensible decisions and act sensibly like, for, e.g. not picking up a fight with a person twice your size. Or not hammer a nail when your finger is underneath it, or carry an umbrella when it rains. What is so difficult about using common sense, some could ask? In response, there are some historical quotes as answers to the question. A comment from ‘Funny Quotes’ says: Common sense is like a deodorant, those who need it most never use it. Rene Descartes, a French Philosopher, said: “Common sense is a most supplied commodity in this world as everyone feels he has it in abundance”. And Voltaire, The French writer, said: “Common sense is not so common”. There are many funny take on common sense, and most point to the fact that common sense is not so common.

The sixth sense is ‘Common sense’, which is a perception of a section of society; for others, it is an advanced stage in spirituality. There are thus many takes on the sixth sense. In scientific literature, there are seven senses. Two more are called ‘Vestibular and Proprioception’. They work in tandem and account for sensory processing, which helps humans to connect and interact with each other.

But this is not a lesson on the nervous system, and we would like to restrict it to six rather than seven senses. There is a subject in Mathematics called ‘Game Theory’. It is designed to throw the best outcomes when more than one party competes for similar gains. It is used in structuring the cold war and corporate strategies. The most common example studied while learning the basics of Game Theory is: ‘The Prisoner’s Dilemma’. It explains through an example: Two criminals are caught by the Police and kept in separate cells. The Police, while interrogating each, tell them if they cooperate and confess their crime, they will be given a lighter sentence. But if your partner admits and accepts earlier, you will get stiffer punishment. This stimulates the Prisoners dilemma, should he confess or should he not? Common sense says he confesses, assuming his partner will also admit, in which case both get equal lighter punishment. But does it happen this way? That is what the dilemma studies and throws options. What if only one Prisoner confesses? The Prisoner’s dilemma is a simple and complex form of common sense.

Readers can decide if they think the sixth sense is ‘Common Sense’ or a more evolved sense, hence missing from ordinary people. The Prisoner’s dilemma beautifully encapsulates the reader's dilemma and explains why so much debate exists on the subject.