You Don’t Have Five Senses.
Most of us grew up hearing about the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. But that’s not the whole story.
For generations, students have been taught that humans have five senses. This idea comes from the Greek philosopher Aristotle and has lasted for centuries.
Today, scientists know there are more than just five senses. Many experts say there are at least eight, and possibly way more. This broader view helps us understand how things like cannabis can affect the way we experience the world.
Cannabis doesn’t create new senses, but it can change how your brain handles sensory information. It’s like turning up the contrast or brightness on a photo—you’re not adding anything new, but you might notice things you missed before. In a similar way, cannabis can make some sensations more noticeable, change how you pay attention to them, or shift what your brain focuses on.
Delta 9 THC is the main psychoactive part of cannabis. It activates CB1 receptors in the brain, especially in regions involved in perception, memory, coordination, and reward. Think of these receptors like little switches in your brain—when THC flips them on, it changes the flow of information and the way you experience your senses.
CBD, on the other hand, affects the endocannabinoid system in a different way. It works indirectly by altering the function of certain receptors and enzymes.
You can think of THC like a lead guitarist who turns up the volume and takes the spotlight. CBD is more like the sound mixer, working in the background to keep everything balanced and smooth.
These differences help explain why cannabis can change not just your mood, but also how you experience your senses.
Let’s take a closer look at the senses.
SENSES 1 & 2: Sight & Sound
Have you ever noticed that colors seem brighter or music feels more detailed? Maybe you feel the bass in your chest. Cannabis can change how your brain processes and filters sensory information, so you might pay more attention to certain things.
You’re not seeing more clearly—you’re just noticing things in a new way. You’re not hearing extra sounds—you’re focusing on them differently.
Close your eyes next time you’re high and listening to a favorite track. Focus only on the drums. Then switch to vocals. Then the background effects. You’ll feel your attention shift. That’s selective attention, aka the brain’s ability to filter and prioritize sensory signals.
SENSES 3 & 4: Taste & Smell
Cannabis interacts with reward pathways and olfactory processing in the brain, which helps explain why food can taste especially vivid. When THC stimulates the brain’s reward circuitry, including the release of dopamine, even simple flavors can feel like a celebration for your taste buds. This subtle boost in neurochemistry helps turn ordinary snacks into full-on flavor fireworks. Flavor becomes dimensional. Texture may be more obvious. Food tastes amazing.
THC has also been shown to stimulate appetite and enhance odor detection in animal studies, which may contribute to the well-known “munchies” effect.
This is sensory amplification. At the right dose, it’s an incredible thing for most people. But it’s also possible for sensations to become overwhelming, especially if someone consumes too much THC. In those cases, flavors or smells might feel too intense, or the overall experience could be uncomfortable. Everyone’s sensitivity is different, so it’s best to start low and pay attention to how you feel.
SENSE 5: Touch
Touch isn’t just pressure - It’s temperature, vibration, and texture. Under the influence of THC, tactile sensation can feel enhanced. Water feels warmer. A hoodie feels softer. A hug feels deeper. Cannabinoid receptors are involved in pain and touch signaling, which may contribute to changes in tactile perception.
Now, for the three you may not have learned about in school...
Now, for the three you may not have learned about in school...
SENSE 6: Proprioception
Close your eyes and touch your nose. You didn’t need to see your hand to do that.
That’s proprioception - the brain’s sense of body position and movement, often described as the body’s internal positioning system.
The ease with which you accomplish this task reflects an intact proprioceptive system. It allows people to walk, reach, and move without constantly watching their limbs.
Cannabis can subtly affect motor coordination and body awareness, in part because CB1 receptors are abundant in the cerebellum, a brain region critical for coordination, balance, and fine motor control.
Ever tried stretching or yoga after consuming cannabis? Many people say they feel more connected to their muscles and breath.
SENSE 7: Balance
Your vestibular system, located in your inner ear, keeps you upright and oriented in space. Higher doses of THC can influence it. That’s why standing up too quickly might feel wobbly.
SENSE 8: Interoception
Interoception is your awareness of internal states - heartbeat, breath, tension, emotion.
Pause right now. Notice your breathing. Cannabis often heightens this sense. For some, that feels peaceful. For others, noticing a faster heartbeat can spiral into anxiety. The heartbeat didn’t appear out of nowhere; you're just noticing it more.
CBD may help moderate some of THC’s effects on anxiety in certain individuals, which is one reason cannabinoid ratios can matter. In fact, CBD can dampen some of THC’s intensity overall, making the sensory experience feel smoother or less overwhelming for some people.
Cannabis doesn’t invent sensations - It modulates how the nervous system processes them.
Cannabis interacts with a regulatory network called the endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in mood, appetite, pain signaling, memory, and sensory processing.
Thinking about the body as having more than five senses gives us a more nuanced way to describe our experiences. Next time you use cannabis (or even when you’re sober), try a simple experiment: pick a moment to pause and consciously tune in to each of your senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, body position, balance, and your inner sensations. Notice how each feels, what stands out, and what surprises you. This little check-in can help you discover fresh details in the everyday world and inspire a new level of curiosity about your own perception. Happy sensing, everybody!
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