Perhaps it is due to the idea’s noble origins. The principle of five basic human senses is often traced back to Aristotle’s De Anima (On the Soul), in which he devotes a separate chapter to vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Today, the five senses are considered such an elementary truth that it is sometimes used as a point of consensus before writers embark on more mysterious or contentious topics. “What do we actually mean by reality?” asked the author of a recent article in New Scientist magazine. “A straightforward answer is that it means everything that appears to our five senses.”

A human sense is simply a unique way for the brain to receive information about the world and the body.

Proprioception, Balance, tilted head.
Now imagine you are blindfolded and I tilted you forwards slowly. You’d immediately have a sensation of how your body’s position was changing in relation to gravity. This is thanks to the fluid-filled vestibular system in your inner ear, which helps us keep balance. This system also gives us our experience of acceleration through space, and it links up with the eyes, making it possible to cancel out our own motion. If you wiggle your head around while reading, for example, you’ll see that it makes little difference to your ability to read and stay focused on the words.

There are also numerous senses providing us with information about the inner state of our bodies. The most obvious of these are hunger and thirst, inner body pain, and the need to empty the bladder or bowel. Less obvious and less available to conscious awareness are incoming signals about blood pressure, the pH level of the cerebrospinal fluid, plus many more.

sense of touch is actually a variety of distinct sensations caused by different special-purpose neurons. Light touch, pressure, erotic sensation, vibration and various sensations of temperature and pain all result from differently-tuned sensory cells