Here you can read about the sense of touch it is the fifth article in the series about the senses.
You find the other articles listed here just under the list of articles about the organs.
In this series we have been looking at the senses and their relation to our soul-life (See the links to the other articles in the bottom of the page). Now the time has come to explore the mysterious sense of touch.
The sense of touch is not as obvious to locate as sight or hearing. We sense touch all over the skin, but some places more than others. Particularly places where the skin is soft, places where it is not used to protect from falls, blows or weather. If you look closely at your hand and arm you can see the skin on the back of your hand and the outside of the arm is more red, more ruff. The Chinese associate this with yang. The skin in the palms and the inside of the arms is whiter, softer, more receptive and sensitive. This is associated with yin. This goes for the rest of the body too. Your back and the front of legs are ready for a blow or kick while the back of the legs, between the legs, the genital area, and front of the body is more sensitive. The tongue and mouth, hand and genitals are particularly sensitive to touch. These proportions are reflected in the sensory area of the brain, see illustration to see which areas that gets most sensory space.
When we use the eyes and the ears to see and listen we get advanced information and even information of things quite far away from us. Even things from the virtual world (Here you can read Which World Are you living in)
Smell and taste are more basic senses and require closer contact with what we sense. The most basic of all the senses is the sense of touch, which is dependent on direct contact with matter.
The most obvious way to explore and define the qualities of matter is to touch it; its texture, its weight and hardness.
The first baby toys are about touch, soft stuffed animals or things to chew on like pacifiers. They give the feeling of touching the mother.
Cruel experiments with monkey babies found that having the touch of a soft toy or stuffed monkey was even more important than food. To feel safe and cozy is more fundamental than food. In Maslow´s Hierarchy of Needs the need for survival or safety is the basic.
To feel safe, protected and cozy is close to the sense of touch. If you want to console or comfort somebody you touch them gently, if they are family or friends you hug or hold them in your arms. Your own children you take on your lap and hold them tight.
With touch you signal your good intentions, your kindness, concern and wish to protect.
Lack of good intentions towards somebody can also end up in a touch that is hurting or damaging. Kicks, strikes and blows want to touch somebody deep down into their skin and bone. In that case the feelings reflect a lack of goodness towards the bigger whole that both persons belong too. When somebody wants to hurt a person they do not understand the goodness behind the presence of that person in their own life.
Touch is a question of two surfaces connecting, to be in touch or touché. It is a connection and separation at the same time. It is like neighbours being next to each other, but still living separate lives. Touch gives a sense of being together, standing together, supporting each other or when negative a wish for distance or separation.
Touch is physical, it is how close you are to the material side of something, but under the surface under the material side you can track the roots back to Big Bang or creation (holonity and evolution). Behind all the material physical there are atoms (atoms from solid balls to sparkling ghosts) that sparkle and orbit, pulsate and vibrate like fire. The same fire we find in the depth of our bones (fire is burning in your bones). Matter is the far end of creation the most distant from Big Bang.
A master is a person with a deep awareness. When you see a master and how he relates to what most people think are dead things, you see his or her gentle touch, how they take things in their hands with care and admiration of the creator behind everything. This comes from a sense of being in touch with the creator or his creation even through the touch of “dead” things. It is a state of goodness towards everything, coming from a place where we are more aware of the connection with the creator. Touch is on one side so material and physical on the other side it connects you deeply with the foundation of the universe.
This kind of touch is slow and full of presence and awareness. It is like the magic of holding a new born in your arms and feeling the connection with the vast universe that still is so present in them.
Here also there is an opposite side. Sometimes you can meet matter with too high speed or not being present or aware in the here and n0w, that is what we call accidents. Accidents and injuries are an impact from a touch that surpasses the natural boundaries. It is an indentation, a strike a blow a reminder. When you are fully present in the here and now you cannot have an accident. Accidents are a hit from time-space to correct your direction and pace.
If you do not believe in a bigger whole, a bigger holon where things are organically connected, you could of course argue; “but somebody that is not present themselves could hit me by accident?”
It is a question of how you perceive reality (Read about your view can change reality). If you perceive things as interconnected you re-act to accidents as a message.
You can even go around in life “knowing” something is about to happen and be relieved when the accident comes. Finally it is manifested and you know you can go through the gates and take your next step.
This could also be from accidental happenings in your life. Sometimes you know or feel something about what the future holds. It can be a blow or injury to your life, that you know is going to make it go in a different direction. People around you might think it is destroying you, but you might feel relieved; finally I can take that next step and leave it behind me.
Some people are accident-prone or clumsy and are moulded by life. I have met people that hit their head again and again, other people are stroke by lightening many times, or they twist their ankle again and again. Yes you could explain the head with the sight or posture, the lightening with where they live or the ankle with muscular weakness, but if you look closer into their life and their challenges it will often be clear that it is not a coincidence.
One man I know had several severe car accidents, but hardly any injuries himself. In these accidents people died and the cars where beyond repair. Still he could walk away with minor complains. It was always when he was travelling. First when he took a complete different direction in life the incidences stopped.
Your skin or sense of touch is your surface, the limit between you and the surroundings. When you meet your surroundings in a harmonious pleasant way, it feels good and you experience comfort.
The sensitive areas of the skin are also related to intimacy and sensuality. That is why in the esoteric tradition the areas that are related to virtues of goodness and kindness also are related to purity.
When your intensions are good, you have a pure heart. Goodness or kindness connects you with the foundation, it lets the skin of your soul touch the universal soul, it gives life to your soul, purity to the heart and sanctity in your approach.
To have a sacred place in your home a sacrum is and act of goodness and gives your house a touch of purity. This is one of the most valuable aspects of the sense of touch.
Other articles on the senses
Sight View can change reality
Smell Justice a matter of nose
Hearing Wisdom is hidden in the ears
Taste Love comes out of the mouth
The article “Charity is the child of goodness” in the Magazine The Magic Happens Now
Read other articles on integrative medicine here.
Overview of main groups of articles here