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Articles by Jackie Perry

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Hearing Ultrasonic Sounds and the Whispers of God.”

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Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Hearing Ultrasonic Sounds and the Whispers of God.”

And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:20-21

sound_wavesDisabling hearing loss affects 360 million individuals globally and about a third of people over the age of 65, according to the World Health Organization. In the US, nearly half of those over age 75 suffer significant hearing loss. For decades, researchers have been perfecting incredible devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants and working hard to develop medications that can help people gain the ability to hear.

Even if we have the ability to hear, we cannot possibly tune into everything in our environment. Audiologists tell us that the human ear only has the potential to hear between 20 and 20,000Hz, but this range decreases as we age. There are certain frequencies that we can only hear when we are young because they are out of range as we age.

Not long ago, we heard a lot about new, ultrasonic ring tones, which have frequencies above 17,500Hz. Since these can only be heard by people below the age of 20, teens began downloading them onto their phones so that adults could not hear the alert from a text, email or phone call. Interestingly, these same tones were used by some ingenious older person to create a device that emits these sounds so that this same age group will be deterred instead of drawn. He called his tone the Mosquito because the sound it produces resembles a swarm of mosquitos. The developer says that unlike a ring tone, when this sound is played nonstop it begins to irritate the listener so much that they are driven away. He markets it to business owners who have had a problem with young vandals or thieves or loiterers.

Sounds have a way of doing that. They invite us to stick around or they can instantly repel us. I remember waiting in line to get on a ride with my kids at Disneyworld. One minute they were singing along to pirate music and happily moving forward and the very next one of them squealed, “Make it stop!” Instead of hearing the music, he had tuned into a loud clanging sound coming from the large black chains banging against the poles that separated the lines. Once he heard it, we all heard it. In order to keep him from literally running away, I had to keep redirecting him toward the delightful melody we could still hear overhead instead of the clamorous sounds all around us.

Although it is solely by God’s grace that we have been given the ability to hear God and know Him as our Lord, every day we get to choose where we direct our ears. There are many sounds in our midst. Some try to tickle our ears while others play a rhythmic melody to lure us in to lingering a little longer. Among these sounds, lie the ultrasonic whispers of our Heavenly Father who invites you and me to stop and take a listen to His voice. As we wind our way through life, He has much to say to us through His word and by His Spirit. For those who have been given ears to hear, let us hear.

Jackie

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Umami: How a Fifth Taste Reminds Us of Our Deepest Desire.”

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Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Umami: How a Fifth Taste Reminds Us of Our Deepest Desire.”

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

I Peter 2:1-3

honeyIt was long believed that we had four primary tastes that our tongues could detect: salty, sweet, bitter and sour. The best recipes from the best cooks were able to magically blend these four tastes into dishes which would make them more appealing to our taste buds. All of that has changed, however, since the discovery of a fifth taste called umami.  It was first identified by Kikunae Ikeda in Tokyo in the early 1900’s. He was struck by the distinctive flavor of seaweed broth. After working to isolate the actual molecule responsible for its flavor, he discovered it to be glutamate, which he called umami – a Japanese word for “delicious” or “savory.” It wasn’t until 1996 that University of Miami researchers officially labeled umami as our fifth taste. Since the research team published its findings in 2000, umami has seized the interest of other scientists, health professionals, food manufacturers and chefs around the world.

Even though it is typically found in many Asian foods, more recently chefs have begun adding this secret fifth taste to all kinds of dishes. Some report that it balances the flavors better while others say that umami, which can be found in a bottle of soy sauce, has the ability to boost them so that your palate fully experiences the pleasures of each ingredient. Many say it is an exotic flavor and find its qualities intriguing. One chef even developed a special umami-rich puree called “Taste No 5” which is available in a tube so that the average cook can begin experimenting at home.

Sweet, salty, bitter and sour and now umami. The buzz surrounding this fifth taste certainly indicates our curiosity over the possibility that something can be even better than what we have already sampled on our own tongues. We love foods and drinks that bring pleasure to our palate. When we taste something unusually yummy, the delight often spills out of our mouths in the form of groans or exclamations. We compare it to other fares and passionately describe the properties that set it apart.

You who have tasted of God know that there is no comparison. In a world full of people, possessions, pursuits and pleasures that compete for lordship in our lives, we have tasted what is very good. Nothing else will ever provide the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing God. Today, as you eat and drink and feel contentment, savor the only One who is good and whose words will forever taste “sweeter than honey” (Ps. 119:103).

Jackie

Linking the Science of Senses to the Deeper Needs of Our Soul: “Touch, Robotic Devices and Our Longing for Community.”

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Leonardo DaVinci once said, “The five senses are the ministers of the soul.” Every moment of every day we use these to help us navigate and experience the world around us. As scientists study the human body, we have gained a greater understanding of how each sense is used to help us gain information. Ongoing investigations continue to demonstrate how each one positively impacts our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, when I read or hear about some of these scientific studies I am often struck by the way God uses our senses to understand who He is and how He created us. This week we will take a brief look at a few of these and relate them to a familiar passage of Scripture to see how they can illuminate and refresh our perspectives.

 

“Touch, Robotic Devices and Our Longing for Community.”

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,  and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11

embraceThe sense of touch develops before all other senses in utero. Touch is the first way we learn about our environment and bond with other people. This sense never turns off or takes a break and continues to work long after other senses fail us as we age. We use our sense of touch to learn, protect ourselves from harm, relate to others, and experience pleasure. For decades researchers have studied how positive touch impacts our emotional and physical wellbeing. We now know that babies who are given affectionate touch are more likely to thrive physically, emotionally and mentally when compared with infants who are deprived of nurturing touch. We need to be touched in order to bond and adapt to the world around us.

Not surprisingly, the benefits of human touch are not just limited to children. The Touch Research Institute, an organization dedicated to studying the effects of touch therapy, has conducted many different studies that show how human touch can decrease pain, improve pulmonary function, lower blood glucose levels, and improve immune function. Conversely, their studies indicate that there is a clear and quantifiable cost across the lifespan when we are deprived of nurturing touch for long periods of time.

I recently read an article about how technological advances are being used to help combat the problem of isolation and loneliness that is often experienced in certain populations like the elderly, disabled and the mentally ill. Many do not have caregivers or regular companions who can offer them the nurturing touch that will benefit them physically and emotionally. To help with this problem, several developers have created robot pets and even robot people. These mechanical creatures provide touch, make noises, talk and even respond appropriately to the person who is interacting with them.

While some may find these inventions rather fascinating, they greatly concern me. As our dependence on technology radically increases and we appear to grow more and more isolated from one another, is this what our future holds? While a robot may offer stimulation to a person seriously deprived of touch, neither can replace the power of nurturing touch in the context of human relationships. We long to touch and be touched by others because we were made for community. This begins at home with our own brood and extends toward extended family, neighbors and people around us who are lost, alone and disconnected from the fold. As you tune into this incredible sensation, allow God to use you to reflect His tenderness by being His hands and His feet in the lives of others.

Jackie