Making it real
What is real? Ponder that for just a moment. As you ponder that, consider that with optical illusions and the works of Escher, what your eyes see your brain knows cannot be. Some illusions make us see motion in a still image. While others present straight lines that look bent, dots that flash on or off or even a picture of Jesus where this isn't one. The question then is: Can I trust my own eyes?
People are equipped with 5 senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste. These 5 senses, combined with memory, form our perception of reality. Almost all we know and perceive as real comes to us through some combination of the senses. The human brain processes the sum total of what the senses perceive along with what is remembered to decide what is real and what is not.
We know that, unless you live a Hogwarts, pictures on paper do not move. Our hands touch the paper, our eyes see the paper, you can smell or even taste the paper, we remember paper. We know it is paper. Only our eyes see the illusion. Weighing the evidence of all the senses against the conflicting evidence of just the eyes, we come to the conclusion that our eyes may have been deceived.
By applying the same idea to romance, love can be made real. The trick is to involve as many of the senses as possible in combination with memory. One sense can be easily dismissed. The greater the number of senses involved, the greater the perception that it is real.
Saying "I love you" involves only hearing. A written note that says "I love you" involves both sight to read the message and touch to hold it. Thus, a written note seems more real, seems more sincere. Adding a small chocolate or other treat adds both smell and taste making the message even more real. The simple act of writing "I love you" on a card and attaching a candy will reinforce the spoken "I love you" and make it real.
Keep in mind that the brain combines the senses to form perception. If you say "I love you" with a scowl on your face, the brain will be confused and decide either the spoken word or the scowl is an illusion. Talk is cheap so the scowl is given more reality. Smile as you say "I love you" so all the senses are getting the same message.
People are equipped with 5 senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste. These 5 senses, combined with memory, form our perception of reality. Almost all we know and perceive as real comes to us through some combination of the senses. The human brain processes the sum total of what the senses perceive along with what is remembered to decide what is real and what is not.
We know that, unless you live a Hogwarts, pictures on paper do not move. Our hands touch the paper, our eyes see the paper, you can smell or even taste the paper, we remember paper. We know it is paper. Only our eyes see the illusion. Weighing the evidence of all the senses against the conflicting evidence of just the eyes, we come to the conclusion that our eyes may have been deceived.
By applying the same idea to romance, love can be made real. The trick is to involve as many of the senses as possible in combination with memory. One sense can be easily dismissed. The greater the number of senses involved, the greater the perception that it is real.
Saying "I love you" involves only hearing. A written note that says "I love you" involves both sight to read the message and touch to hold it. Thus, a written note seems more real, seems more sincere. Adding a small chocolate or other treat adds both smell and taste making the message even more real. The simple act of writing "I love you" on a card and attaching a candy will reinforce the spoken "I love you" and make it real.
Keep in mind that the brain combines the senses to form perception. If you say "I love you" with a scowl on your face, the brain will be confused and decide either the spoken word or the scowl is an illusion. Talk is cheap so the scowl is given more reality. Smile as you say "I love you" so all the senses are getting the same message.
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