Using the seven senses in writing.

Most people believe that there are only five senses. In fact there are seven. By this point you are probably mentally listing the five senses. I'll make things easier for you and list all seven of  them now.
Taste
Touch
Sight
Hearing
Smell.
Proprioception
Vestibular

I support adults with cognitive and physical difficulties. Many of the people I support have difficulties in processing the information given to them by their bodies or senses. My role basically involves thinking of new ways to help involve and empower them to greater participation and control over their own lives. I never expected that my day job might inform and help my writing.

As a writer, I spend my writing time describing the experiences of my characters. I have been trying hard to help my readers feel what my characters feel. Trying to translate the thoughts and feelings of my characters into words that convey that experience to my readers.  Today I was looking at articles on how to improve my writing, when I came across a post on the writing lessons learnt from the Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window.

One of the tips involved writing using all of the five senses. Including things about tasting food, or hearing sounds, describing smells. All of these things are vital and help a reader imagine themselves in a character's shoes. However, there are seven senses. This got me thinking.

How can I write about proprioception and vestibular senses in a story?

Proprioception is the sense that deals with your body. If your muscles ever hurt after a workout that was proprioception. Having pins and needles in a limb is because of proprioception. Lying in bed and feeling the weight of the duvet or blankets is due to proprioception. Some people need to have this sense stimulated to provide comfort in times of distress.

Vestibular is a posh name for equilibrium or balance. If you've ever been really dizzy after spinning round in a circle that was due to your vestibular sense. I am particularly prone to ear infections and sometimes have felt like the room was spinning round when lying in bed. This was due to my vestibular system. The system is basically all the little fluid filled tubes inside your inner ear. These tubes act much like a spirit level.

But how to write about these 'new' senses? There are many helpful and accepted ways of describing the other five senses. But writing about the other two is more difficult. In my gut I think that I need to try and incorporate these two senses into my work more.

In other news I have just discovered the music of Pete Seeger who died last week. I'm loving it and feeling inspired to pick up my fiddle once more.

Links:
The article I was reading that inspired this post.
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/6-writing-lessons-from-alfred-hitchcocks-rear-window 
Dr Temple Grandin who is an authority on Sensory issues and Sensory Processing disorders.
http://templegrandin.com/
Where have all the flowers gone by Pete Seeger
http://youtu.be/T1tqtvxG8O4