# NEW SENSE?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 20, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596 "2000-02-20T04:56:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![splu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@splu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splu)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596/1 "2000-02-20T04:56:00Z")

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Ocassionally when I bump my head on something or get hit I notice a taste/smell kind of thing. I’m not breating in and nothing is in my mouth. I get the same reaction every time. WHAT IS THIS?This is neither taste nor smell

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SPLU URTAF

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596/2 "2000-02-20T06:27:00Z")

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For Gods sake splu . . . BREATHE !! Its important.

My WAG would be by bumping your head (which mind you is a terrible hobby) you are triggering some section of your brain to send signals that you are tasting, smelling something that isn’t there. The brain is still a great mystery to modern science.

Perhaps someone with a greater knowledge of this portion of the anatomy shall pop in.

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“Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair.” - William Blake

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596/3 "2000-02-20T06:34:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by Gabriel:  
> \*\*For Gods sake splu . . . BREATHE !! Its important.
> 
> My WAG would be by bumping your head (which mind you is a terrible hobby) you are triggering some section of your brain to send signals that you are tasting, smelling something that isn’t there. The brain is still a great mystery to modern science.
> 
> Perhaps someone with a greater knowledge of this portion of the anatomy shall pop in.
> 
> \*\*

## I read about this not to long ago, and you’re exactly right. The same goes for “seeing stars”. Peace, mangeorge

I only know two things;  
I know what I need to know  
And  
I know what I want to know  
Mangeorge, 2000

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596/4 "2000-02-20T06:38:00Z")

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There is a phenomenon called synesthesia in which certain things trigger an inexplicable sensory response. The most common manifestation is to see letters and numbers as having a particular color (“fives are green, Zs are red”) but there are all sorts of variations, including touch-taste and touch-smell.

See Richard Cytowic’s _The Man Who Tasted Shapes_ for more info. Even if this isn’t what you have, it’s a really fascinating subject.

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**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596/5 "2000-02-20T09:11:00Z")

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Maybe if you bump your head enough it will go “splu”. Then again, maybe it will improve your spelling.

Ray (You never know. . .particularly after the 23rd bump.)

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**Author:** ![tbea925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@tbea925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbea925)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-sense/7596/6 "2000-02-20T13:30:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by splu:  
> \*\*I’m not breating in and nothing is in my mouth.  
> \*\*

Breating is highly overrated IMHO. They have some spare breats over on eBay and they can’t get rid of them. Which is good, because how would you ship a breat anyway?

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This sig not Y2K compliant. Happy 1900.