The Mathew Hutson’s article “Your sixth sense” was published in ‘Psychology Today’ in June 2012. The author’s primary aim is to prove that anomalous experiences that affect people at certain times are not only real and life changing, but also occur inside our own brains. In addition, he attempts to prove that anomalous experiences do not occur outside our inner experiences. In this paper, a summary of the Hutchon’s article will be developed in order to highlight his ideas in regard to the topic of the “The sixth sense” article.
The Hutson’s article, if taken as it is, tends to basically argue that anomalous experiences are realities that affect almost every person. However, these experiences occur inside and not outside the human brain. The author tends to argue that anomalous experiences are illusions that humans bring about in their consciousness. Such illusions are used to fill human sensations and reflect what humans think inside their brains.
Taking the fact that one of us being stared at as one of the most common form of anomalous experience, the author argues that human emotions become activated such that one feels either comforting or excited (Hutson, 2012). The results show that the person will experience impression that provides additional energy.
The thesis by Hutson seems to be based on psychological perspective of the human brain. He argues that the “sixth sense” is not actually found in the brain, but it is a product of the work of the five natural senses. According to him, all human experiences exist only inside their own brains. In other words, he tends to argue that the function of the brain cells produces an additional “sixth sense” (Hutson, 2012).
The article further develops the idea that humans experience a sense of familiarity but which has no recollection. The author states that this sense is an experience that is normally a slight delay in the wiring of the brain cells. From biomedical theory, it is clear that transmission of pulses thorough human nerves, including the brain cells, are prone to some delays in biochemical reasons (Naparsek, 2007).
The author seems to refer to these forms of delay as the causes of familiarity without recollection. In addition, the sense of coincidence has been highlighted as another form of experience that proves that “the sixth sense” is a product of the rain functions. He presents the idea that coincidence is a perception that is inbuilt within the brains of most individuals, especially during the early age.
The author draws the reader’s attention by attempting to explain the nature and causes of human psyche and psychic abilities to know something or an event even before it takes place. He says that this phenomenon is a product of three aspects of the human brain-mental telegraphy, pre-recognition and remote viewing.
For instance, concerning out-of-body and near-death experience, Hutson states that damages to the brain cells in the temporal injunction or lack of oxygen in visual cortex are the most common causes of the experiences (Hutson, 2012).
The author also draws the attention of the audience by invoking some ideas of such concepts as witchcraft, spirits, and luck and life energy. He argues that anomalous experiences are appealing if they are explained in terms of the above concepts. Accordingly, the concepts may not necessarily have taken place, but the human mind always develops illusions that the person is undergoing the experience.
In conclusion, the author has attempted to explain his theory of “the sixth sense” from a psychological perspective. He tries to clarify that “the sixth sense” is a product of the other five senses. Such experiences as the feeling of being started at, witchcraft, meeting with spirits or near-death experiences have been shown to be a product of “the sixth sense” rather than realities.
References
Hutson, M. (2012). Your sixth sense. Psychology Today. Web.
Naparsek, B. (2007). Your sixth sense. New York, NY: Cengage.