Of the thousands of stimuli which our senses get from the world we perceive only those that are connected to our experiences, beliefs and culture. The majority of them are never recognized by the brain.

Our five senses are some of the most powerful weapons we have available to increase our satisfaction in life. Let us use them to absorb the beauty of the world and enjoy pleasant experiences.

Vision is one of the primary source of pleasure. A walk in the garden and the park allows us to enjoy colorful flowers and plants.

What is beautiful or ugly is subjective. It does not relate to our eyes, but to our experiences and culture that give us their own interpretation of what our eyes see.

Images have a significant effect on our emotional world. For example, bright colors, creepy eyes and strict portrait expressions were found to increase pressure and stress, while the delightful views of scenes and landscapes reduce stress, improve attention, contribute to a faster recovery from illnesses, and improve mood and the general feeling of satisfaction in life.

The kind of taste, namely whether it is sweet, sour, salty or bitter. As with image and sound, flavor depends to a large extent on odor. If we have congestion of the sinuses and cannot smell, food seems tasteless.

Generally, to identify a taste the brain uses signals from the eyes, the nose and the mouth. If one of these signals is corrupted or missing, it is difficult for the brain to distinguish the taste of food and the appetite is disrupted.

Food, like sex, is embedded in our nervous system. Research shows that people feel happier and comfortable during meals. A risk with food is that it can be converted into addiction.

Taste is significantly influenced by stress.

We are fortunate today to have the opportunity to enjoy foods from around the world to gain experiences of flavors that our parents and grandparents could not imagine.

Let us spend some time at dinner tonight to cook something that excites us and let us enjoy the taste of each bite. If this is not possible let us schedule a special meal that we like once a week. It will make us anticipate something pleasant and will fill us with optimism.

Our ears can bring many joys. The sounds of laughter, of our favorite music, the chirping of birds on waking can bring a smile to our face and cheer us up.

Hearing depends largely on vision. Even people with normal hearing can hear more easily by looking at the face of the speaker.

Unlike the experiences of other senses, smells are recorded in our memory in permanent storage.

Pleasant scents, beyond the enjoyment of smell, awaken pleasant feelings from the past.

The sense of touch is so important, that its absence can lead to physical and behavioral problems, disruption of the normal development of the brain, and even death. Massage has beneficial effects on physical and mental health.

The higher the quality of the relationship, the more positive the signs of relief from touch will be.