The 6th sense

Yesterday, we attended a sacred classical music concert—or can I even call it a concert? It felt ethereal and heavenly and brought tears to my eyes. I asked myself, why these tears?

Three reasons came to mind. Nostalgia played a part, having grown up with choir music, stirring memories of the past—a feeling of loss mingled with joy. But beyond that, there was a lifting of my soul in the present, something that defies easy explanation. And then, a sense of hope—a reassurance, despite the confusion in my heart and around me, that someone is indeed in control. The words of the music amplified this feeling.

 

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." Beethoven. 

Is it that my ears long for such higher, soul-lifting music?

 

We headed to a bustling restaurant where loud rap music filled the air. I enjoy rap, but amid the young crowd, I felt a bit out of place. The rhythm was enjoyable but didn’t bring tears as the concert did. However, the food certainly made my mouth water. We savoured the unexpected flavours in this busy, low-end market area and enjoyed the company, even though we were well beyond the patrons' average age. I wondered why, although enjoyable, rap didn’t lift my soul or bring me to tears. Maybe it’s my age?

 

Do taste buds, too, seek flavours that bring joy and satiety?

This morning, I went to check the water tank, and there, atop it, stood a peacock, its vibrant hues creating a sense of wonder that defies logical explanation. Is beauty simply a matter of neurons firing, triggering oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine? Just like that, with no reason?

Do my eyes, too, long for sights that stimulate these “good feeling” pathways?

And then, today was church. The singing together, the hugs, the interactions—the touch and closeness of family and friends uplifted my soul. Even yesterday, amid both sacred classical music and rap, the warmth of community and friends added to my soul’s uplift.

 

Is there a direct connection between the touch, the closeness of others, and my neuronal pathways?

 

No matter how much I try to analyze it all through a scientific or secular lens, I can’t fully explain it. The five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—awaken a sixth sense in me, a longing beyond reason. It’s the ‘Imago Dei’ within, longing for the beauty it was created to seek, reaching out to the Creator behind it all.

 

Perhaps I need to do more to awaken this sixth sense in others’ lives, offering soul-lifting conversations, mouth-watering food, sharing the beauty I enjoy, and nurturing close relationships. (Unfortunately, the smell feels a bit neglected this week.)