Why You Can’t Smell Yourself (and Other Ways Your Senses Lie to You)

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There is an absolutely weird, but surprisingly common phenomenon called sensory adaptation that you experience every day in countless ways without even realizing it. Without this very strange phenomenon, you would be lost, overwhelmed, and completely unable to navigate the external world. In this episode, we’ll explore the many ways your brain “tunes out” most of what’s going on around you so that you can be the high-functioning smart people that we know you are.
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[@besmart]

If you don't have a smelly friend, then maybe you ARE the smelly friend. Just sayin' Hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the strange world of your senses! This started as a simple question and I just kept uncovering more and more awesomeness. Any other examples of sensory adaptation you can think of?

[@m0nke13]

Pls make vid of why apes are smart.

[@lthemeganerd3719]

Proprioception

[@lthemeganerd3719]

Balance

[@michaelmayhem350]

You should do a follow up video on senorsy depravation

[@careywong8893]

Is it the reason that I will increase sensory when I relax?

[@NiX_aKi]

You can smell your house when you've been outside and back. Same as realizing that the last shirt you used smells when you sniff it after a bath.

[@ArtsyPhartsy123]

Not necessarily… consider the air freshener you put in your car: when you first enter your car the first fees days after you buy it, the scent is strong but, shortly after, you can no longer smell it. Others can smell it but you can’t. Your olfactory senses have become accustomed to that particular scent and you just think the air freshener has lost its smell. You are very de-sensitized to the smell of your house and will only smell “new” smells.

[@lmzaadi]

So is the smell when I first get home the forever smell?

[@fireriffs]

I can only smell it if there is something that changed the baseline smell of the house, food cooking or something like that. Otherwise, I come home and the house smells neutral.

[@tvathome562]

I can smell your house when I go outside of my house XD Jk. X

[@chiot2875]

@@ArtsyPhartsy123 most air fresheners just lose their scent pretty quick. If you buy a new one of the same scent it smells new, if what you’re saying is true then it would smell like nothing or faint, not new

[@sowmindful1501]

You say I can’t smell myself, but my armpits would like to have a say in this.

[@demoncyborg98]

Facts😂😂

[@StudioHannah]

Truth

[@stankythecat6735]

Pro tip: Hibaclense … it’s in the first air section of the drug store… if you wash your pits with it like a body wash you won’t smell at all. I haven’t worn deodorant for years.

[@sowmindful1501]

@@stankythecat6735 Another pro tip: just don’t eat stinky foods like animal products, or things like garlic and onions. Life is full of far more spices and healthy whole foods.

[@curiodyssey3867]

ew

[@ultimateman55]

My wife struggled with symptoms of narcolepsy for 15 years before receiving the correct diagnosis. Among the many symptoms she'd complain to doctors about, falling down due to weakness, inability to stand on her feet for long, chest pains, etc, she never reported being tired. This was because she was literally always exhausted and she had no idea what it was like to feel rested. When she finally received the correct treatment for her disorder, she understood what a good night's sleep felt like for the first time. Now if she doesn't get both doses of her medicine at night, she immediately recognizes that she's very tired.

[@Graphomite]

It's fascinating to imagine that can happen. And yet, it should be totally unsurprising that it can happen. Thank goodness doctors and your wife figured out what was going on with her. What a scary adaptation to just "forget" the need to sleep.

[@AlvarM]

I have ADHD and autism and I find this video extremely helpful to explain to other people what I feel like when my brain refuses to tune out noise for example.

[@Jayhow90]

Me too

[@MadScientist267]

Quit using it as an excuse.

[@NoeleVeerod]

I don't think I have ADHD, but I find it hard to tune out loud noises as well. I *wish* I could do that to hear my friends better at concerts. I'm guessing some people are more sensitive to certain stimuli (in my case it would be sound), and if you add neurodivergence on top of that then the effect is even more pronounced.

[@0Anubi0]

@@MadScientist267 Quit being obnoxious and ignorant.

[@MadScientist267]

@@0Anubi0 Herrderr I am a bit of both herrderrrrRRP

[@youssofrabie5236]

As a kid, I used to make things disappear by staring at them too long. I thought I had a super power. Thanks to you, now I know how I did it.

[@MarloTheBlueberry]

That's cool

[@WildFyreful]

As someone with autism, I have a very love-hate relationship with my senses. Regular people can generally sensory gate various external stimuli (sound, taste, smell, etc) but for people like me, we absorb everything all at once. When there is too much of everything going on at once, my brain and nervous system basically shut down in a panic. That's a sensory overload. Think of having a panic attack, not because there's a spider or whatever in front of you, but because you're hearing a jet overhead, a dog barking, the TV going, smelling someone cooking in the kitchen, and wearing scratchy/uncomfortable clothes all at once. My brain goes into complete panic shut-down because there's just too much at once and it can't divide things up and adapt to them like a normal brain. In short, we basically can't sensory adapt as well as neurotypical people.

[@71.218-westshed]

Same, these sensory overloads happened to me quite often as a kid, but they've pretty much stopped for me once I've grown. I've only had this happen to me only once when I was older and it wasn't fun at all. This kind of makes me wonder how my brain adapted to handle more external stimulus when I got older.

[@ryanmcintyre3616]

I was going to comment something similar to this as well, but I see it's already been done for me! Because I'm autistic, I've known for a while that how I perceive the world is different than most others. But this video makes that difference quite stark in comparison.

[@eliannevdlinden6047]

Oh and next to the panic attacks, the damn headaches. I missed school so much because of this. And people just can’t stop making noise. Just, be quiet jeez, everyone is trying to concentrate. People are annoying as heck, it’s too hot outside, too bright, smelly and why do I even need to leave my room I hate it 😭 I just wanna stay in bed with the curtains drawn all day

[@gabrielbrunoa]

Same! I can only wear certain fabrics bc I always feel everything touching me. I also wear sunglasses a lot bc I'm sensitive to light too.

[@discipulanoctis]

Is this the sensory heaven/hell corner? Helo.

[@bunnycauchemar]

I cut my finger badly about a decade ago and cut the nerves so the tip of 1 finger has no feeling but my brain has adapted to the lack of sensory information and "fills in the blanks" when running my hands across or touching a smooth surface. I only feel the missing sensation when I touch a rough surface. Amazing how the brain adapts!

[@mrs.g7795]

Same thing happened to me on the tip of my left ring finger. I gave no feeling and doctors say I will never get it back. I only remember on rare occasions when the difference between this and my other fingers is notable enough. The human body is amazing.

[@Pippis78]

I wish someone had said I smelled at one point - might have realized earlier how bad water damage and mold we had... A while after moving I started noticing all our clothes and books stunk. Did get the smell off from the clothes, but the books still smell weird. Some say we should have gotten rid of everything, but I _think_ we're ok.

[@aellalee4767]

I did that for a friend. Told him there was mold in his house somewhere, even though when it was checked before he bought it and the person for that said it had no mold. Turns out a pipe downstairs in a corner with someone else's stuff was leaking and got moldy. So it got fixed.

[@erikbrodin2198]

Sewage lines can do that. Obviously not the city water side or else they would have noticed the huge amount of residential water usage. The thing to understand here is that mold exists everywhere. Is the oldest form of life still in existence, basically, as far as anyone can be certain. Sewage leaks would probably mean bacterial growth and gas poisoning along with mold. Then there is the question of all pollution the human body consumes being concentrated cultured down in the corner of a perhaps multi-unit residence built in 19th century New England. Mold isn’t the problem. I can swab you and culture mold spores. So what

[@jamesmnguyen]

The weirdest sensory adaptation I've seen is a video by Tom Scott where he's in a rotating room. At first, swinging his arms caused them to shift sideways. Then his brain adapted and they swung forwards. When the ride stopped, his arms swung in the opposite direction by themselves.

[@mfaizsyahmi]

Funny you mentioned Tom Scott, just yesterday he posted a similar video, with a go-kart that drives backwards and you see only a camera feed on a screen.

[@YourNeighbourJack]

the video is called "The Artificial Gravity Lab" and should be at the 2 mins and 15 second mark, if anyone is curious

[@JeroenJA]

combined sensory adaptation : there is an attraction that lets you in a room, only REAL movement is swinging, but with smart build-up of visual senses mostly, you feel like you are turning upside down and such :). but it only works cause it's a closed room, any opening that would let you correct your perspective" would have halted the illusion..

[@CamilaCastilhosM]

where's that link edit: found it

[@Davis...]

@@CamilaCastilhosM the link?

[@safir2241]

as an artist, i have to deal with this every time i do a painting. stare at your pallate in the sun too long, and your eyes get "burnt" and all the colors look off for a few minutes. stare too long at the scene and you wont be able to mix your paint correctly. painting is a very technical, scientific profession sometimes

[@fran6b]

very interesting!

[@Skag_Sisyphus]

yeah, when i start being unable to get anything right, if I ont call it, the next day I come back and stare at the horror I have induced and start over again.

[@safir2241]

Im talking about plein air painting here btw, mostly cause of higher brightness levels outside

[@mistyculous9644]

Yes, and if you see what you painted in a different light environment, you'll see a complete difference in how the colors appear. The original state of light needs to be replicated for the viewer - as well as the artist who is completing a partially finished painting.

[@safir2241]

@@mistyculous9644 which is why painting a sunset in person is near impossible lol

[@Pippis78]

The most annoying thing for me is my sense of balance adapting to being on a boat and then taking a full day to settle down afterwards. I mean after being in a boat for a few days and getting back on land - it feels like the ground is rocking. I think it's worse if I have taken anti-nausea meds.

[@Pippis78]

@@SpeedyGwen Oh, that's really hard. I usually only suffer from it in boats, but I can't stare at my phone or read in cars or busses or I get nauseous there too. As long as I look outside of the eindow (so my eyes tell my brains we are moving and not just poisoned) I'll be fine. Although I do suffer from migraines that can make me throw up, AND I have emetophobia (fear of throwing up, I can start panicking). Pregnancy nausea was HORRIBLE. I hear ginger is a natural remedy that can help with nausea and motion sickness. Oranges and orange drinks help me when I feel nauseous.

[@samwinter9749]

I saw the new Avatar in a theater with motion seats. Unlike D-box these had a foot bar, but I remember thinking they were doing less moving than you'd think they'd have for freaking Avatar, but whatever. Until I went to leave the theater afterwards, and was mildly wobbling like a baby giraffe walking down the hallway. I realized it's the same vertigo you get from being on the ocean all day. The seats were moving the whole time like waves and I just didn't notice until I tried walking on land again hahaha

[@peppatheoof]

it's funny when i find myself sometimes after a day on a boat, unable to sleep until suddenly the rocking and flowing feeling comes back and it's weirdly comfortable. Granted, spins from alcohol and this kinda rocking are very different and I genuinely don't understand why it happens, but I guess I won't complain

[@teroristi6107]

I have the same sensation but with trampolines. The ground feels like rubber.

[@peppatheoof]

@@teroristi6107 Sometimes walking after runnning on a treadmill for a while can also be a weird sensation I noticed in addition to extended trampoline use

[@danytalksmusic]

This reminds me of every time I visit New York and it feels like there's a million things happening everywhere- quite disorienting for me, but for locals it's like they don't even notice

[@netts2315]

It's because they don't :)

[@johnteevins7036]

As a stroke survivor coping with sensory overload i am very grateful for this episode.having my wife hear this info seems like a big relief.thanks.

[@ungenbunyon5548]

I hope you are recovering well John, have you got any resources like a stroke survivor group?

[@johnteevins7036]

Nope.still recovering very well tho all things considered.be well.

[@ungenbunyon5548]

@@johnteevins7036 look into a stroke survivor support group near you, you don't need to be alone with this, and even if you don't feel like you need it, your experiences may just help someone else

[@papajeff5486]

YES, my wife still doesn’t get it, yet. May be I should move to a corner on my roof…or maybe the desert. 😄. Kentucky

[@c18topher]

@@ungenbunyon5548 j ok je bihi

[@doggonemess1]

As someone who lived through the late 90's, I'm naturally cautious about staring at an image on the screen. Practically every challenge to do that back then was a screamer.

[@kimmyball4961]

Omg!! I hated those!! 🤣😂

[@shotguneugene]

Ahhh, the infamous Justin Bieber jump scare.

[@hieyrin]

I’m exactly here in the comments because of that😂

[@AceJohnny80]

“Naturally” cautious? Don’t you mean… “adapted” to be cautious? Eh? Eh? :)

[@doggonemess1]

@@AceJohnny80 That's an excellent point. I wasn't cautious before all of the screamers.

[@lisarowalt5537]

You'll never expirience this but when you are pregnant your body is on constant alert so you can protect your baby. You can smell everything. It makes you nauseated on top of being nauseated and its horrid sometimes. Smells I usually love are revolting because they are so strong.

[@preferablygeneric]

I think i have experienced this before under certain illnesses. Being in the kitchen when family is cooking otherwise great smelling food turns into a chemical warzone under my nose

[@samantha2024]

I remember a girl I used to work with projectile vomiting one day because her husband walked near her. For a while during her pregnancy she couldn't even go near him

[@MrNeboff]

@@samantha2024 that's crazy. Could be his perfume.

[@snowwhite5842]

I couldn’t go in my kitchen for 6 weeks. When the morning sickness was better I cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom and found a bag of potatoes that had gone bad.

[@victorian298]

I was nauseated by the smell of avocado during the first trimester. I didn’t even realize it had a smell!

[@michelleroxy21]

sensory processing disorder! yes! my thoughts exactly in the first few minutes of this video. so glad you brought it up! did you know some people with sensory processing disorders are sensitive to bright florescent lighting? such as the lighting in most schools. sensitive so much so, that it makes it harder for people with the disorder to focus and retain information? i never knew this until after i graduated from hs.. but looking back, on hot days before summer, when the teachers would turn off the lights to make it cooler in the rooms, that’s when i retained the most information.. crazy to wonder how much better i could have done in school and actually learned had i ever known when it mattered. :/ spd affected kids can be either hypo or hyper.. less feeling than usual or more.. and it comes in different strengths.. hypo could be so extreme that the person could literally touch a hot stove and not feel it.. hyper can also effect one’s emotions, such as when they are feeling very excited, angry, sad.. it can be hard to contain without physically exerting the energy.. healthiest way would be exercise.. but if people don’t understand it, it can become quite a toxic situation if they are cooped up with that need to release it. it can lead to “abnormal” behaviors or sometimes just “ticks” that people can’t stop themselves from doing because the need to get that energy out. i find it interesting how people with spd can either be viewed as sensitive or sensational.. two words that actually mean the same thing, but have polar opposite connotations.. it’s a gift and a curse. (very much relatable to Monk, yes. lol. although he has OCD, as i do myself, as well. )

[@CharleyU]

I know my clothes are there always, but I don't feel hot properly (which results in a lot of very bad burns). A ticking clock even in a fairly noisy room will drive me insane, but my lack of pain means I walked into A&E on my very injured ankle (like it hurt, but not as much as it should, I'd basically done as much damage as you can do without breaking the bone but soft tissue damage was bad enough to show on Xray)!

[@GrungeGalactica]

Haha yeah when he said, people aren’t aware of their clothes after they put them on I was like.. wait they’re not 🥺? Or like, you can tune out a concert to hear your friend, you can??

[@mesoed]

I've addressed this as a meteorologist many times. People ask "Why can 50 degrees(F) in the winter seem warm to the point where people will open windows in their home or car, when 50(F) in summer is cold? How can people live in X climate and deal with the hot/cold there?"

[@annieh1315]

I experienced this when going on vacation in San Diego when I'm from the Midwest. It was January but sunny and in the high 60s in the mornings, but everyone wore long sleeves and pants. We were in shorts and loving the escape from the snow!

[@burgundymarcia]

I've been noticing temperature oddness, too, but the opposite way. Even though I rarely leave my house (retired), the same temperature that seemed lovely in the winter time (74F) is ROASTING now that it's summer time and 69F-71F that was freezing a few months ago seems OK, now.

[@HappilyAnonymousGirl]

I think it may have something to do with the amount of humidity. In Texas, when it’s 50F out it can feel like it’s 30F. Which could be due to the high humidity. The cold air is basically like cold water sticking to you. That’s just my theory anyway, based on experience and what I’ve read. I’ve been to Colorado when it was hot and it was a similar phenomenon. The way the heat feels there is a lot different than how the heat feels in Texas. I also noticed my hair dries super fast in Colorado, which was pretty nice lol

[@TamWam_]

for a sec i thouhgt you meant 50 celcius lmaoo but i live in a place where cold is around 20°C (68°F) and hot is around 40°C (104°F) i live in a desert so that's why. anyways, uhhh idk what my point is but whenever ac is underneath 20°C, It feels so cold even tho it's not

[@mesoed]

@@TamWam_ LOL I probably should have added Fahrenheit in there.

[@Arterexius]

Less than fun fact: A typical sign of ASD is the inability to tune sensory inputs up and down, such as a friends voice during a concert. For non ASD people, the concert will automatically be tuned down, while the friend is speaking, but for people with ASD, the volume of both will be at their actual level. This is also the case for other sensors as well, which is why Autistic people, regardless of their place on the spectrum, can experience sensory overload, as there's just no way to tune it down. It's just constant bombardment, hence why ASD people tend to prefer quiet activities with limited sensory input.

[@sisi7304]

yep, I was just about to comment about this, autistic people (especially those like me with sensory processing disorder as well) often experience overload cause we don't just tune it out over time, hence why we use headphones/earbuds, sunglasses, soft/comfortable clothes, and other tools to do that for us, the way my clothes touch my skin or sounds seemingly no one can hear (lights, fridge, computer, etc) or the temp of air/water/etc or how loud/bright/etc something is or even certain foods with taste/texture all have to be minimal or "correct" for me (and other autistic people, but "correct" varies) to not be overwhelmed into overload which often leads to shutdown or meltdown, also I (and many other autistic people) struggle with proprioception, so we likely bump into things, which can make things even worse

[@dennisjonker4804]

I have ASD. I'm 43, and have lots of experience @ age. But the amount of discipline and self-control it takes me from getting overwhelmed is staggering. I read somewhere that neurotypicals filter about 40% of their senses automatically. Out of 100% to start. And that autistic people have a 166% sensory intake with no filters. So imagine the sheer force of will necessary to retain any kind if sanity. XD

[@sisi7304]

@@dennisjonker4804 well that's the thing, I'm not entirely sane lol

[@dennisjonker4804]

@@sisi7304 Do you also experience overload in traffic @ too much going on? Like, data income exceeds processing speed?

[@sisi7304]

@@dennisjonker4804 when I’m in the car? No, when I’m outside the car (like when biking/walking in heavy traffic areas like the city) yes absolutely

[@annemcrowell]

This was a real insight into how many of these sensory adaptions don't happen for me, and what other people, perhaps with more neurotypical brains, experience. I have a hard time dealing with too many visual or auditory stimuli at once in general, but the absolute worst for me are blinking lights and intermittent beeps or snores. Anything recurring at a short interval like that is just plain impossible for me to ignore. My brain will anticipate the next one and won't rest until I see the light stop blinking (either fully on or off, no preference, just make it stop) or hear silence after the noise stops. I also have a strong aversion to certain specific odors that never seem to go away for me no matter how long I spend in their presence. I find it fascinating that others apparently adapt to tune some of these inputs out... and wish I could do the same!

[@mistyculous9644]

You must have a high sensitivity for anticipating patterns! I've noticed, once we train a sense, it's tricky to untrain it. Have you tried using Alexander Technique for untraining?

[@ferguson8143]

Scent blind and kinda like the majority of people cam see their nose but where able to block it out

[@net28573]

The eye bleaching effect is partially due to chemical depletion as well as adaptation. Same goes for other senses. In fact, attempting to think about something repeatedly can have the same effect. The pathways have a refractory period that can slow down similar thoughts if you exhaust the same pathways for too long without a break. An easier way to think about it is when you say a word too many times in a row, it starts to sound wrong.

[@mistyculous9644]

You've just described an auditory illusion. My family had a 78 record that ended while someone was speaking so the few words they were saying cycled over and over. Strangely enough, after awhile our brains put the original words together differently and this recording "said" another phrase...Then it happened a third time!

[@MarloTheBlueberry]

how a star fuses the different elements as time goes on and for how long

[@coinbuyer-8605]

Smell is processed in an area of the brain where emotions are processed. Olfactory sense has a way of bypassing thought and dipping straight into emotion. This is why if you smelled something you haven't smelled in a while, it brings emotion so quickly back to that time you did smell it. It's actually a greater form of time travel than music. But music is a close second.

[@kellydalstok8900]

The smell of chalk used to bring my dad back to how he felt when he had a migraine starting, which usually happened when he was in (primary) school. The migraines always kicked off with a heightened sense of smell.

[@norma8686]

Sun baked grass smell is my favorite, it brings back memories of my childhood, whenever I smell it, I feel so much peace and happiness.

[@_marshP]

That makes so much sense

[@MR_GPU]

Yet to smell anything with a strong memory attached, but Minecraft music? Now that's nostalgia.

[@psychopassive]

Spot on!

[@Darkflowerchyld718]

As an autistic person I wish my brain worked like this. I never stop feeling my clothes, I constantly hear EVERYTHING going on around me and I for sure can smell myself and my house. The black and white picture trick was pretty cool though.

[@Qadupae]

Same. When he was doing the "you don't even know they're there" I was immediately going to put "laughs in autism", but I knew one of my homies was down in the chat to already confirm this XD Sensory overload buddies for life!

[@jeandanielodonnncada]

I love this explanation of the neurotypical brain! I laughed at the idea of forgetting that you are wearing clothes... I feel them constantly.

[@wcanard2894]

Likewise, couldn't relate to anything about the sounds, or most of the touch/smell bits in the video 😅

[@Linkous12]

Just commented this. Glad to see someone else mentioning it.

[@anomienormie8126]

I was waiting for the video to mention this :/ I mean it did but for 2 seconds.

[@Pepa14pig]

I could never explain it, people around me think I’m crazy when I say “it smells like it’ll rain” or “it smells like winter outside” or when someone passes by and I realise who is it without seeing them... and it’s not “ah I know who wears that perfume”, everyone has their own smell and it’s crazy that I like the smell of people who are close to me, ignore the smell of unknow people and don’t like the smell of people I’m not in best relations with... And yes, every house and place smells different and it’s such a mind fu..ck sometimes 😂😂😂

[@mistyculous9644]

Just tell them your nose learned it's sensitivity by having a dog train you, LOL

[@toriahills8008]

It's ozone when your smelling rain.

[@kevincampbell2032]

When I was young at parties I would act like I was loaded, swinging my cigarette carelessly around, then I would go up to someone from behind and yell "My cigarette ", then touch their arm with a cold beer. They would always jump, and take a second to figure out what happened, then start laughing

[@woodstream6137]

I had a friend who pretended to be drunk on new years eve for a quick make out with his wife's hot girlfriend.

[@woodstream6137]

@A C not really. Pretending to be drunk to steal some kisses from the friend and blame it on the alcohol if wife gets upset.

[@AceSpadeThePikachu]

As someone on the Autism spectrum, I can tell you how frustrating it can be when my "sensory adaptation" doesn't always work as well as it's supposed to. I constantly feel the pressure and friction of my clothes on my skin 24-7, which is why I need to have several identical copies of my wardrobe so I can wear basically the exact same thing every day to minimize that affect. Or noise for example. If there's a loud ticking analogue clock in a room, it will drive me NUTS and I have to go over and unplug it or remove the batteries because rather than adapting to the sound it seems to get louder and louder to the point where it sounds like a jackhammer.

[@killerbee.13]

Spring clocks are too loud, but I have a quartz clock with a fake pendulum that I keep in my room because it's just loud enough to distract me from my tinnitus, which gets to be painfully loud in completely silent rooms. I do have autism but I only have troubles with some of my senses most of the time, and the tinnitus is definitely worse to deal with than the distraction I'd get from other background noise unless it's something like a dog barking.

[@AceSpadeThePikachu]

@@killerbee.13 Well I don't have tinnitus (so sorry to hear that you do, I've read about it, sounds horrible), but I do have insomnia, so any background noises that are particularly high pitch, like chirping birds (or spring-loaded clocks as you mentioned) makes trying to get to sleep a frustrating ordeal. I had to put insulating material on my bedroom window to block out of the noisy birds and other animals since my room faces a small forest in the back yard. As for quartz clocks that make synthesized ticking...it depends. There's one in the room right now as I'm typing this but it's several feet away so I only notice it if I'm thinking about it or looking at it. I CANNOT have anything ticking no matter how quiet right next to my head though. It's not even just the noise itself but the existential anxiety it triggers because it creates this almost horror movie score effect in my brain of "tick-tock-goes-the-clock-as-your-seconds-drift-by."

[@WildFyreful]

@@AceSpadeThePikachu I feel you so much on that point. I don't have insomnia per se, but I need mostly quiet background noise to sleep - not 100% quiet, but very soft sounds. But every year at certain times of the year, a frog sits outside my window all night and chirps, and it *drives me freaking INSANE* on so many levels. I have to put my sound attenuation buds in just to sleep.

[@anyascelticcreations]

I do the exact same thing with my clothes. I choose an outfit that is as comfortable as possible. And then I buy enough sets exactly the same to last me until I do laundry again. If I have to go anywhere that requires "normal" clothes, I am in misery every moment until I can get home and change back into my comfy clothes again. I wonder how many of my neighbors have noticed that I always wear the same thing. Lol

[@snurped6400]

I feel you im autistic too and i was just thinking about how my life is a little less filtered

[@ashen_dawn]

so funny thing about the whole "you can't smell yourself" idea - going through hormone transition changes your personal scent, and for a while it's a bit weird until you get used to it again

[@abydosianchulac2]

The adaptation to one's own scent is actually relied on by some wine tasters. Eventually one's nose gets numb to the nuances of the wines one is working through, but a few breaths of the inside of one's elbow helps reset one's sense of smell with air that's predominantly smelling like yourself, the thing it's trained to ignore. So you get some breaths of "neutral" air, and your nose is ready to get back into it.

[@mistyculous9644]

Knew a guy who worked making perfumed oils who had to correct his recipes for each season's strength of that years' harvest. He used eucalyptus scent to "clear" his nose.

[@ferguson8143]

Yeah you have to clear your palette

[@patrickmccarthy6532]

Reminds me of when I went camping with my friend in this forrest with this group of people who lived there. We came from a fairly noisy built up city, but when we were having conversations with the people that lived there we thought how very quiet they all were . Its like they was whispering to each other to me and my friend. Guess living in loud places compared to quiet shows adaption to the differences. Great episode btw . Thanks.

[@safaiaryu12]

I've been in pain my whole life, but I didn't realize until I was about 12 and diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and was given Aleve for the first time. Now twenty years later, I still don't notice the sensation sometimes and don't realize I'm in pain (my meds have worn off) until someone tells me I'm being snappy or spacey. Then I think about it for a minute and those senses kick in again and I go, oh yeah, my knees hurt, oops.

[@danielnetz5173]

Fascinating

[@XiaolinDraconis]

Now I'm wondering how much pain I block out daily. I know my threshold is higher than average but I bet my body hates me for ignoring the constant stiffness or aching.

[@orctrihar]

I does the same about drinking water and the other end too, was easely upset, then realised I was just not drinking enough water, and now, I get mad, I drink water and that calm me down

[@rayvezeau6668]

I wear a "cage" style mask at hockey and I'm always amazed how I see it when I put it on, but have no recollection of it while playing. It's even black, overlaying the white ice, but it disappears.

[@dwatts64]

7:00 yes, you can detect the difference of half of one percent in sound, but for 99.9% of people they have to be played at the same time. You will actually be able to hear the interference pattern of their sine waves as they intersect with each other just slightly out of sink. At 0.5% difference (1/2 cent off) it sounds like a really slow "wom.... Wom.... Wom..." When they're perfectly in tune it becomes a flat pitch with no fluctuations from each other.

[@collinbeal]

Watching this as I'm currently physically hypersensitive (I can feel each hair coming out of my skin and my muscles beneath the skin. It's horrible). I'm glad this topic is being addressed, because it helps regular folks understand people with spd better.

[@Rithene]

I had an amusing experience with sensory adaptation a few years ago when my Michigander relatives came to visit us Texans in the spring. They walked outside at night and immediately went, "What is that sound??" All of the Texans (probably at least four of us) were like, "What sound? We don't hear anything." The Michiganders couldn't believe that we couldn't hear the awful, unholy racket. After a few seconds of them describing it, we realized that they were talking about the cicadas. Cicadas are really loud and do sound pretty terrible, but it's such a ubiquitous sound in the south that none of us noticed. The poor Michiganders had a moment of thinking that either they or we were crazy.

[@pauligrossinoz]

Just like when visitors come to Australia in the summer and first hear the sound of kookaburras laughing at night. It's pretty freakish for them, but I've lived here all my life so I wouldn't even notice it if visitors didn't point it out. *Kookaburra call* kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqLHg4SunNmNqqs

[@hondaguy9153]

I hate the sound of cicadas.

[@dollhousemakr]

I'm not sure what part of Michigan they were from, but we had cicadas in southeastern MI where I grew up. Not constant, but enough that I know what the sound is.

[@Rithene]

@@dollhousemakr they're northern. idk if it's the trees, the weather, or the lakes, but they don't get cicadas where they live.

[@GregConquest]

When I was in university, the dorm used steam for heating. There was a strong sound of the banging of pipes. It sounded like someone was in the room, or maybe a half-floor up or down, hitting the pipes solidly with a hammer, and then scraping a coat hanger roughly through the pipes. It took a while for the sounds to reach full volume or to quieten down when the steam was turned on or off. It never happened suddenly. Then one day near spring my roommate and I were talking and I "noticed" that the pipes had stopped banging. I mentioned this, and we stopped talking to listen, and there was silence -- for maybe 3 to 5 seconds. Then the banging and scratching sounds quickly rose to full volume. ....... WE HAD BOTH BEEN SITTING THERE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS SECONDS ACTIVELY LISTENING FOR THE FAMILIAR SOUND OF THE PIPES WHILE THEY WERE BANGING -- AND WE COULD NOT HEAR THEM! We knew exactly what we were listening for, and still we couldn't hear them.

[@florian2442]

The black & white photo illusion was cool! Seeing it in color, then go black and white when scanning the image, and then actually returning to (granted somewhat paler) perceived color when I looked back at the center of the image was fascinating

[@TheTonyMcD]

14:09 Well actually, when he wore those glasses, he was actually seeing the world as the right side up. The way that light enters our eyes actually flips vertically and horizontally. We all constantly see the world upside down and horizontally flipped, but our brain just corrects it for us. You can test this by poking your eye. If you press firmly you can see a dark spot in your vision on the opposite side from where you pressed. For example, if you press your finger into the bottom left of your eye, you will see a dark spot in the top right of your vision. You have to press fairly far back into the eye because essentially what you are doing is deforming the retina slightly. The further back and behind the eye you can get, the closer to the center that dark spot will appear.

[@Linkous12]

2:48 As someone on the autism spectrum I never not feel my clothes. The sensation of it never really goes away. It adds to the feeling of sensory overload. Edit: sound is the same way. Background noise (or what would normally be considered background) is just as "upfront" to me as any other noise. Needless to say concentration in a busy, loud environment is a task.

[@limalicious]

ADHD here, same. And things like fluorescent lights make noise that other people can't seem to hear.

[@eliannevdlinden6047]

@@limalicious and the flickering of the fluorescent lights, other people don’t notice it, but it’s constant for me. Very annoying

[@eliannevdlinden6047]

I’m also on the spectrum, but luckily I don’t have the clothes issue as much, altho I do avoid certain types of clothes, like wool or satin. (And I change my clothes immediately to something comfy when I get home) The sound one I definitely relate too. I can’t live without my noise cancelling headphones. People are so loud, and concentrating in a classroom is impossible when every penclick, paper scratch and whisper doesn’t get blocked out. The hardest thing is that people don’t understand. I get headaches almost every evening because the world is so damn loud, smelly and bright. I smell people too, and it’s disgusting, some people smell so so bad. Not just because they don’t shower but because they wear 2 litres of axe spray or perfume. People without sensory disorder have it so much easier, I wish I didn’t have this stuff.

[@proloycodes]

sometimes i feel like you, but sometimes, i just ignore every sound. anyone know what is it called?

[@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514]

@@limalicious I hear those too and I hate them. All background noise. Then again, I have real good heating, someone dropped a dime across the highway from me and I heard it.

[@Arranian0531]

The saying I have always heard was, "Home is where it smells like nothing."

[@littlegandhi1199]

Home is where the pants are

[@ShakyHades]

i could not tell a difference between the two sounds, but i could absolutely tell the difference in front size when it was presented as a block of text (though not as it was floating up) and also absolutely noticed the color changing. i loved the second color illusion!

[@krisstorm6948]

Hypersensitivity. because of the lack of knowledge about this as I was growing up, I had to deal with a lot of people thinking I was a liar about what I can see, smell, taste, etc. This condition does make it more difficult to adapt to things in your environment. Living with hypersensitivity, you still experience these things he talks about, just not the same. I smell my house. I smell myself. This can make going out into public settings or settings I have not personally created difficult. It has been a relief to me and others like myself that this neurological difference has come to light and our society is now recognizing those who have it. There are also those who have hypo-sensitivity. Those who cannot feel as well as "normal". I like this video and found it fun. The house is awesome! A video of just a bunch of those would be nice! Thank you for your efforts!

[@kalahariswirl1231]

I have always wondered why everyone else’s houses have strong smells and mine doesn’t, because I know when I first moved in it did! Also when we go on vacations for a week or more and come back I can also smell it, but only for less than a minute 👀👃

[@billmalcolm4291]

On a related note: you most certainly also have an accent! Not sure if it's the same mechanism, or if it's just more that the way you talk is normal to you because that's what you learned. When you got back from your extended vacation, were you more aware of your regional accent?

[@sunnybrookfamily6711]

I love how the three bowls of water exercise can also illustrate how two people can interpret a situation from opposite perspectives based on their own experience!

[@Kyle-zq6qr]

The dialectic is wonderful

[@daryldubas9081]

Great video as always. And so glad your amp goes to 11. Loved the reference.

[@genjitsu7448]

That fact when a person can "see" the light come on before they push the button - that one is really cool! I mean, i can kind of understand some of the other examples but this one defies reality! Nice, thanks for al this great info - great video and very well done.

[@rosesmith6925]

I remember as a kid I used to get a kick out of just staring at something until everything around it would go black.

[@jamesmnguyen]

10:28 I legitimately thought he pulled a trick on us and showed a regular colored image until I shifted my eyes.

[@anyascelticcreations]

Omg, you mentioned sensory processing disorder! This is my life! I almost always feel overwhelmed by the world around me. Even within my own apartment. I do adapt to some extent. But not enough to be at peace.

[@RabenFlueh]

Sadly, Sensory Overload came with my ADHD-Brain-package too. In my case: uneven clothes, the inside of noticeable seams, or the annoyingly ever-present tags, all pesky little things that drives my sensitive Touch Receptors absolutely bonkers. The same with noise. There are even certain frequencies that hurt like hell. Somehow, growing up, I found a way to hear the thundering capilar blood vessels inside my ears. Possibly by using a tiny muscle I didn't know I had in there? (I learned to access it whenever I like, by now.) For just a second or so, whatever noise was hurting me in the first place, goes enough under as to hurt less. An example: The insanely high-pitched-searing scream of a train's brakes when stopping inside a cavernous Station... is enough to split my ears in half. Meanwhile, everybody else seems to be mostly just annoyed. Cheers! 😊🌹🌈

[@TheAureliac]

I've always been able to count my heartbeat more accurately through my ears than my wrist or neck.

[@littleowl-xh7iw]

Very interesting and well made video! But a little correction: the muscle shown in the ear reacting to noise was not the right one. The one shown is used when equalizing the pressure in the ear (while on a plane for example). The one you probably meant is the stapedius reflex muscle, which reacts to sudden loud noise and slightly tilts the stapes out of the cochleas oval window so that the soundwaves are not transmitted as strongly.

[@anyascelticcreations]

Yep. Imagine having one thump with every syllable that someone speaks. My left one is that way. It's madening.

[@morganmuldoon]

I keep having a whooshing sound in my ear, ever since my 2 year old started screaming regularly. It's probably overload to that muscle.🥴

[@lindareed8265]

@@morganmuldoon I think that's called tinnitus. That can be caused by a number of things. Might wanna get that checked out by a doctor.

[@lindseyrogers7573]

When I was a kid, my friends and I used to do a weird thing at recess where one person laid on their stomach on the ground, eyes closed, and another person held up their arms for 30-60 seconds. Then, their arms were lowered very slowly to the ground (eyes still closed) and it would feel like your arms were going through the ground! I would love to know the science behind this.

[@vibaj16]

your arms are relaxed, so your brain thinks they are sitting on the ground, but then they're lowered, so your brain interprets this as lowering even further than the ground

[@mistyculous9644]

It's called "proprioceptive illusion." Another one: Standing in a narrow doorway, push against the door frame with the backs of your hands with palms toward you for 30 seconds; when you release your arms feel like they're flying when you move them.

[@pvp6077]

​@@mistyculous9644 hmmmmm, now i gotta try both of these

[@NavnikBHSilver]

This one is actually very significant to me, as I tend to constantly expose myself to media and or stimuli, and when I go to bed that fades away, so my mind latches on to what still remains, like for example my heartbeat, and I always have to fight mentally with myself on that it's a shift in perception, and not in bodily functions.

[@mysheus]

Once I went outside in winter in summer outfit. It was like 3 Celsius. At first I felt cold, but after like may be 20 minutes I was feeling completely normal. And after spending some more time outside and getting back home, I felt heat of my house like there ware hotter than actually. It was interesting experience. Usually we can't spot when sensory adaptation happens, but in this case it was obvious.

[@rookiecrusher4234]

I remember being not able to see the words clearly from the last bench in my class and as the time progressed I was not able to see it even from the 4th bench. When I wore my glasses for the first time I felt like watching a youtube video from 240p to 480p. I swear I did not remember seeing this clear, so my eyes got accustomed to that clarity?

[@safaiaryu12]

I had the same experience! I didn't start wearing glasses until I was in my twenties, and got around just fine without them. Now I can't stand not having them on because stuff is blurry.

[@eyesyt7571]

For the most part, I don't have sensory adaptation. I can feel the clothes I'm wearing all day, hear a sound no matter how long it has been droning on, etc. It was hard when I was younger, but I've slowly learned to ignore all of these sensations even though they are still there. Also, I can't distinguish people's voices in a crowd very well, I effectively end up half deaf, unless I know exactly where someone is and listen for the sound coming from their location.

[@infernalstan886]

I've found wearing turned off earphones are the way to go - dulls outside sound enough to help with distinguishing sounds but not so much you can't hear your surroundings 🙂

[@eyesyt7571]

@@infernalstan886 I tried that, but then I could hear my own blood flowing for some reason. It's weird.

[@psykkomancz]

What you describe is common experience of us autistic people.

[@eyesyt7571]

@@psykkomancz Yeah, I'm autistic. Not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing yet. I am in the top 1% for IQ, but I rarely get to use my brain at it's full potential due to noise.

[@jamie1602]

Same. Not autistic. Chronic pain. I'm just ignoring everything/everyone and focusing on one thing. Some senses might be extra painful and I have to sleep it off... Like just now. I just woke up from my body being in extra pain.

[@kingofallmediums2123]

Great channel! Been watching some of your videos, and I am very impressed!

[@RobertsMind]

This is a trippy awesome video. I always love these types of videos. Keep up the great work.

[@MalditoSeasEstadoDelsrael]

It makes me paranoid how when you have a cavity or other mouth issues that causes bad breath you cannot smell it on yourself, but if someone else suffers from those problems you can sense it from 6 feet away. If you lick your hand and let it dry for a minute or so you can smell your breath.

[@Doombacon]

This is one of my favorite topics to talk with people about in regards to practicing and executing difficult tasks. Unfortunately our brain isn't always great at knowing which constant stimuli are important and which are not so if you are grinding away at a hard boss in a video game or practicing for a sporting event your brain can tune out some piece of information without you noticing until you've already made a mistake because it was tuned out. This is one of the core reasons why taking breaks is so powerful for productivity and why sleeping on a hard problem can lead to an easy solution when you come back with a fresh set of sensors.

[@xniyana9956]

This was an extremely fascinating episode. 10/10

[@barbarahouk1983]

So nice for you to do this episode. I am a retired psychiatrist (MD). From reading the comments, you helped many gain the WHY insight. I have these problems because I am an undiagnosed Aspergers Syndrome person. . That is not the only undiagnosed condition I have. I learned to adapt well as one can see I did become a psychiatrist (MD). This also gave me great insight in my patients' difficulties. I could offer alternative advice to medications. I could show them how one can adapt (without telling them it was me who developed these techniques). Some psychiatrists /therapists do not really know what a person with a mental condition really faces. They actually (yep I have heard with my own ears) veto certain adaptation strategies. I the person is a child this may be serious stress. If it is an adult, the therapist may be ignored because the strategies often work .This is not good therapeutic alliance. The therapist/doctor is perceived arrogant but really just may be ignorant. I have been called The Queen of Compensation by one neuropsychologist after discovering many of my deficits, yet I am a fully licensed physician. I hope by telling anyone these things, they will never give up & strive to to the very best they can with all they have. Life is precious; go live life; dare to fail and learn.

[@mistyculous9644]

impressive - please live a long time in GREAT health!

[@Achalacha]

10:34 I was so chock that I screamed

[@billmalcolm4291]

I used to live in a unit above a bar. There was constant noise: patrons and music during open hours, a constant loud hum of the cooler/AC unit, traffic outside, deliveries... lot's of noises all the time. When I would get into quiet places with very little sound, I noticed a high pitch tone, and realized I had tinnitus and didn't even know it. Funny how loud it seemed when there was nothing to mask it.

[@shandya]

I have tinnitus too, I think it was because I used to listen to music with earphones a lot when I was a teenager :(

[@Krakology]

i have bad tinnitus. have to sleep with some background noise.. like an air purifier , or fan on. When im out of town, i use a sound app for fan noise... its sooooo loud when its quiet

[@MrGlenferd]

I have tinnitus too. It's very loud but fortunately I don't notice it unless I think about it.

[@erikbrodin2198]

This video is wonderful! This channel will drive itself out of business and really, I’m heavily appreciative. We need more like it! Respect! Internet: genuine, not being sarcastic. There will be a time for every one, hopefully, where it becomes clear that all you ever thought was the exact opposite. And it’s not due to sarcasm. Senses are one example. One can neither be told nor tell another how to sense things. ❤

[@TheUntypicalGerman]

I absolutely love your puns! This is one of my favourite science channels ever! :)

[@peanutbutterjellyfish2665]

I live in fight or flight. My senses are heightened, 24 hours a day. It’s exhausting. I feel it every time my clothes rustle my skin, because I have psoriasis to go with that.

[@robo3644]

Don't have psoriasis but I totally understand living in fight or flight and feeling everything constantly

[@SonniXD]

I feel my clothes on my skin all the time too ... It's so exhausting and no one understands... They just tell you don't think about it... But how I don't want to feel it I try thinking about other things...

[@Darkflowerchyld718]

I came here to say the same thing. I blame my autism

[@emmagoff]

yep I totally understand you guys, my fibromyalgia makes day to day stuff exhausting and this video goes a long way to explaining part of that... oh to be normal...

[@golgothasterrified]

Interestingly, I can't smell my best friend's house, nor my best friend himself very well anymore. But, my partner, who I arguably spend a lot more time with, still has a scent (and so does his house). I think about it so often lol.

[@Squintis]

Maybe it’s a special smell to you and your brain never wants to forget it.

[@Kitsune-dono]

Smells can be more or less intense and strong

[@ChaiKirbs]

I'm in the same situation, it's quite interesting. I'm very glad I can still smell him though :) it's a comforting scent

[@lunacouer]

I wonder if it's an emotional thing? Smells are processed so close to our emotional processing centers that they tie in directly. It's why, as an example, someone could smell lavender and immediately feel how they felt around their grandma. In your case, it makes me wonder if it works in reverse. You have heightened emotions around your partner, and so their smells are more distinct to you. Either that or they change up their perfume/body wash/plug-ins a lot 😅

[@wokeupinapanic]

It’s likely because you have been around your best friend from a much earlier age. The amount of “stopwatch” time isn’t really a factor so much as the age at which you started hanging out with either of them. You developed a bond with your friend at a younger age, and even if they weren’t a childhood friend, you likely still knew them while your body and brain were still developing, even as an adult. Interestingly enough, you actually slowly become entangled with your friends. Studies have shown that humans share about as much DNA with their friend group as they do with cousins, and the longer you’re friends, the more DNA is shared. It’s not 100% understood as to why, but I’d wager the fact that when humans hang out together, they share a lot of food, fluid, and germs with each other 🤷🏻‍♂️ I’m guessing that your brain has tuned your friends’ scent out because it’s more similar and familiar to you than your SO. You’ve shared more long term memories with your friend’s scent, too, even if you share deeper or more important ones with your partner. We also tend towards partners who are more compatible with us on a physical level, too. Someone with different immunities, different biomarkers and such. It would give your offspring a stronger chance at survival, not just because of the extra set of different genes and immunities, but because if one of you gets sick, or has an allergy, or aversion to something, the other is likely more immune, or otherwise less affected by it. If a harsh illness threatens you both, there’s a higher likelihood that one of you would survive it, and be able to continue raising your child. Organisms are super weird.

[@JoseHernandez-ve8ym]

Amazing video I'll always learn much from you. You have my thank joe an PBS 😘

[@CollinRaves]

I LOVE the books you have on your bookshelves!

[@selkouni7614]

I'm autistic and struggle with a sensory processing disorder, specifically sensory overresponsivity so I wish I could filter out the stimuli more like the average person 😭 Apparently, it wasn't me that was "oversensitive" all along,it was my actual nervous system screaming at me for just briefly touching an uncomfortable fabric

[@lindareed8265]

That's a fantastic way of explaining your reaction to that sensory input! "It's not me, it's my nervous system." Brilliant!

[@julioperez1850]

I went to a Roman bath in Spain and experienced what you did with the hot, room temperature and ice cold water. This was a great video to give me answers to what I was experiencing as I went from pool to pool at different temperatures. Actually, the ice pool didn't feel that bad after a little while. And when I went into the room temperature pool, it felt warm. While the opposite happened when I went from the hot pool into the room temperature pool! It felt cold! Looking forward to your next video, Joe!

[@user-tp8pu2hl7e]

espaÑa

[@41linestreet]

Absolutely loved the Carl Sagan quote and the many scattered jokes. One of your best episodes so far!

[@glenjennett]

I've noticed when touching something soft like a plush blanket I have to keep moving my hand on it to keep feeling that softness of it. If I just lay my hand still on it, I don't feel the softness of it anymore, it just feels like a solid surface. What's really weird is you can actually have a different sensation on each of your fingers and distinguish them from each other. Senses are weird, but cool. Almost feels like a superpower. Another thing I've noticed that's pretty weird is even though your nose is right above your mouth, you can't smell your own breath, but if you're close enough to someone when talking, it's almost a guarantee that they smell how bad your breath is. And speaking of the sense of smell, if you smell it, then it's already inside you. LOL

[@ferguson8143]

If you know how to breath slow through your while breathing in through your nose easily allows you to smell your breath

[@Kvossera]

I dunno if it’s my autism or ADHD but I definitely can feel my clothes throughout the day, especially if they don’t fit “right”. It can become so distracting and distressing.

[@peanutbutterjellyfish2665]

I live in fight or flight. Same…

[@starspawn507]

I've just got ADHD (at least, to my knowledge) and I can notice the same thing, though it isn't _all_ the time

[@fanteasy7399]

It's not ADHD, just body stimulation caused by sweat, hairs on the body and nervous system working constantly. If you feel that way, it means that you are a healthy human being and your nervous system is fine

[@rikulappi9664]

It is the autism and ADHD. 🤗

[@corynn.l5146]

I highly doubt it's your adhd 🤣 I have adhd too but I'm pretty sure "feeling" your clothes is an everybody thing lmao

[@eliannevdlinden6047]

So that’s why I get sensory overload so quickly! I have autism and if I hear another noise my brain doesn’t cancel it out, so I hear someone talking in the back of the class while I have a conversation with someone. And I overhear the weirdest things, people think they’re having a private conversation and no one is paying attention, but I immediately pick it up. Everyone who doesn’t have a sensory disorder, be grateful, you don’t know how much easier life is like that. I can’t live without my noise cancelling headphones or my sunglasses

[@eliannevdlinden6047]

@@SpeedyGwen ah that sucks even more, luckily I don’t have a problem with water. I do hate certain textures, like clay pots or wool clothes. I can’t stand them

[@lorriecarrel9962]

You deserve every sub you have and more to come.

[@emergentform1188]

Love it, this channel rocks.

[@CJordanNicholson]

This is really interesting for me. I have autism, so my senses never stop, I feel everything, all the time. Having your body shut off the hose as it were, seems like a super power to me!

[@eliannevdlinden6047]

For real! Neurotypical people don’t know how easy they got it

[@repeatdefender6032]

I was surprised he didn’t mention autism specifically since it’s so relatively common. I feel you, man. The world is so overwhelming, and I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 40 so I didn’t understand why I couldn’t tolerate seemingly normal things and was super isolated. Knowing does make it easier.

[@emmagoff]

it's exhausting having your senses turned up, there must of been a biological advantage at some point in humanoid history!

[@anyascelticcreations]

@@emmagoff Yep. I've gotten into many fun conversations with fellow nurodivergents about this. How we suspect that things like autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, etc were once the norm because they helped us as a species to survive. Those skills were probably crucial to early humans. It seems that most of humanity has evolved to loose a lot of abilities in order to live in huge numbers. But some of us are still programmed closer to how early humans were. With all out senses heightened still.

[@JackAllpikeMusic]

at 2:33 you spoke about how when you touch a table, you immediately feel the surface and then don't. I have sensory processing disorder, and I am wondering if that would affect this - as I have never experienced a lack of touch after first touching something. If I touch something like a table, and leave my hand there - I am constantly feeling that table. Just an interesting thought. edit: you mentioned sensory processing disorders at the end :) thanks for doing that! however it doesn't affect just audio

[@applesubliminals4549]

I loved and appreciated the first scene. When you could have just said the example of the ice bath adapation, you demonstrated it❤

[@amasterofone]

I appreciate the note at the end about those with sensory processing disorders. How the world is experienced is not the same for everyone, its kinda overwhelming for some of us.

[@lisam5744]

I have APD (auditory processing disorder). It affects how your brain hears, understands and processes sound. And while it's a hearing disorder (as in it's very difficult for me to sometimes hear/understand what is being said) it also makes it where sometimes regular noise (TV, for instance) just sounds so loud that it's almost painful. Hearing that sometimes our senses can't 'dial down' the input really made sense. At least now I know why this happens. Thanks.

[@mkeller18]

Parenting someone with ADHD, I think it would be interesting to see a video on how his sensory filter differs from a neurotypical brain.

[@anyascelticcreations]

As I'm going through the comments I am hearing many autistic people speaking of their sensory perception disorder, which basically means that we don't adapt the way this video describes. I've seen several ADHD people agreeing. If you have a moment to skim the comments for people on the autistic spectrum you will hear how it feels to many of us. I hope that helps. 😊

[@ARVash]

As someone with ADHD, I can confidently say that sometimes, it works really really great, in fact too great and we can't see or notice things around us. Sometimes it works really poorly and we keep noticing things that aren't relevant. I'm often on the "blissfully unaware that things are on fire" side, but televisions for example are like an attention black hole for me (each person with ADHD and what catches their attention may be different). I'll watch it even if I hate the show, so my wife and I avoid seats in restaurants that can see a TV.

[@Muskar2]

ADHD is a common comorbidity to ASD too, which might cause some overlap.

[@ems7623]

Autism is more notable for sensory differences but ADHD has some differences in SOME people. The difficulties in directing your attention is not really the same thing as sensory differences. However, there's sometimes heightened tactile sensitivity. Complaints of itchy clothes or skin that suddenly itches in certain situations are relatively common. I'm not sure if this aspect of ADHD has been researched in any detail. But I seem to recall seeing something about an overlap between ADHD and sensory processing disorder

[@micahbirdlover8152]

@@Muskar2 what does that mean?

[@glenallan6279]

I think this is also called Latent Inhibition. Some of us have Low Latent Inhibition, so we get easily overwhelmed sensorily. Good episode!

[@TnT_F0X]

You are always Breathing, Blinking, and your heart's always beating... but you dont feel it unless you are focused on it. Which is also why saying imagine something as an extension of your body is so common in... any coordination with a tool.

[@FNHot]

Aaannnnd you've convinced me I have autism. I never stop feeling my clothes, I never stop feeling the table, I can always smell myself, I know what my house smells like; bleach. I noticed the background color change, the picture never looked to be full color to me, and Im extremely introverted because normal social situations are over stimulating to me... so, thanks?

[@lindareed8265]

I don't know if it's only autism that explains that. I think there are some things that are just called sensory perception disorders without links to autism. But it's possible! Either way, seeking professional diagnosis and support may help you live a more pleasant life.

[@mistyculous9644]

You might merely be an introverted artist.

[@asprywrites6327]

Holy crap 10:10 that was so dope.

[@mangantasy289]

That was one very informative video. very interesting. And I can't ell how thankful I am that our bodies are able to adapt the sensitivity of senual input. Because, thank the heavensonly rarely, but I have severe mental health issues and at times, this system seems to stop working for me. And it feels terrible, being completely over-stimulated. Like every single sensory sensation is just too much and feels like a threat or even painful. About the clothes, be glad you don't feel them all the time, because it's maddening if you do...

[@rchandraonline]

Once you pointed out the jump cut stuff, and realizing how true it is, I somehow can't help feeling manipulated.

[@AnimilesYT]

In response to 2:47 : I'm wearing socks, but that's it xD This is because I'm autistic. I have sensory processing issues and the constant pressure of my clothes is really uncomfortable. I also often wear noise cancelling headphones because most sounds are painful when I don't wear them.

[@elizabethCorkins83]

I have ASD too, But I'm very uncomfortable without clothes, I usually wear baggy sweats & T-shirt, But if the temperature is right, I love wearing baggy hoodies & I have alot of them. Tight clothes or even stuff that fits too much really bothers me... I've mostly worn baggy or very baggy clothes.

[@imaytag]

Thank you for not mentioning the jump cut thing until the end. Would have distracted me for the rest of the video if it had been earlier!

[@emdeejay7432]

That thing with the flag and the house in black and white being color was so crazy. I watched those like 5 or 6 times each haha. Very cool video, keep it up

[@Beryllahawk]

I remember being taught in school (ages ago) that the "background noise effect" was a survival adaptation too, because "if it isn't going to eat you, who cares?" I don't know if more science has been done about that, but it does seem to make sense. (Sure I'll jump on the same joke, why not!)

[@lesnyk255]

Mind if I add my 2 scents worth?

[@iquemedia]

when i first went blind the sensory overload was nuts being in 8/10 photophobia pain, in an airport, while learning to be blind was so overwhelming i just had to stop and take a moment to just absorb i basically had to reteach my body to do 18:11 and 8:00 but like im pitch perfect now so, worth

[@wokeupinapanic]

When you say “pitch perfect” do you mean that as you’re now “up to snuff” or that you literally have perfect pitch? I’m curious and have questions if it is indeed the latter!

[@iquemedia]

@@wokeupinapanic I'm working on a video about it right now, my channel is going through a rebranding lol I am now verifiably according to some website 98% correct on any given pitch on the chromatic scale as good as I can get without being born with it I'm also typing this with my voice and the robot read your reply, thank you for the interest!

[@wokeupinapanic]

@@iquemedia dang, that’s the first instance I have ever heard of someone “learning” perfect pitch outside of childhood training. As a musician and a fan of all quirks of science and math, perfect pitch is something that has always intrigued the hell out of me. One thing I have learned, however, is that perfect pitch has a lifespan, so to speak. As people age, they lose their “perfect” pitch. It’s my understanding is that one’s relative pitch remains largely intact, but you kind of become out of tune with standard tuning, so to speak. Notes will begin to sound “off” to you, even though they’re bang on. I have no idea why it happens, and I don’t think anyone does, really. Are you also a musician? Is it something you worked at or just discovered you were pretty good at already? I have way too many questions for a KZbin comment lol. If you do make a video about it, I’d love to see it! Any idea when you’ll be releasing it?

[@iquemedia]

@@wokeupinapanic 19 years a musician, scientist my whole life

[@Figgy5119]

Very fun episode! Thank you! ^_^

[@davidcevallos5134]

What an amazing video. I loved it :3

[@TranceGemini12]

I would say that this sensory adaptation is very different between individuals. Some people that I know have a lot of trouble adapting to things like the touch of clothing all day or the hum of fluorescent lighting.

[@klazienanalenveehouderkweker]

2:01 I like that you bought Kurzgesagt's book

[@mistyculous9644]

I had a "light" version of sensory overload and was able to cope with it by a 6-week practice of intent, active listening. Listening intently made what seemed overwhelming into as if it were a musical movie sound track. Then noisy, chaotic environments and "bad clothes" didn't exhaust me from that point forward.

[@halleylow3615]

the temperature thing was something i noticed many years ago. i "discovered" that when the season changed and that first "cold" day arrived, in my neck of the woods around 55-60 f. i would feel the cold, but after two or three days at that temp i wasn't jumping to my jacket, and so on and so on as the season progressed from fall to winter and the weekly averages adjusted downward. each new "cold" day only feel "cold for a day or two. and now to expand the physiology of my experience. so cool. thanks again.

[@jeandanielodonnncada]

As an autistic person, I found this to be a fascinating explanation of other people's senses. But I definitely feel clothes all day long and smell my house! :O

[@infernalstan886]

+

[@unseenjoy]

Same here.

[@anyascelticcreations]

Me too!