Consciousness is described in many ways. For the sake of this article, I'll go with consciousness as an adaptive system which alters in response to the changing environment. What we are conscious of seeing, hearing, feeling, and smelling and therefore thinking, is based upon brain stimulation and biochemistry that has passed through all our filters and censors. The mind's sensory retrieval systems are designed to deliver only what we need to survive. We constantly filter the input based on our perception. Each of us functions with a range of perception which must stand, limited as it is, as our objective reality.

Popular thought reports that we create our reality. This is an ongoing debate, however, we can say that we create a collage of reality in response to our sensory input.

Sensory input has some other levels which are thought of as "nonfunctional," as they do not provide information we use for survival. The skin of our hands emits infrared radiation, which allows us, so to speak, to see with our skin in some circumstances. Different colors absorb different amounts of infrared and reflect back the rest. This reflection can be sensed through the skin.

It's fun to test this form of sensory information. Cut a number of different colored squares of paper. Place your hand over the squares, covering your hand and the squares from sight. See if you can guess the color of the squares.

"Nonfunctional" senses may be capable of operating beyond the limits of ordinary consciousness. Primitive ocean-going tribes used navigation methods which could not be derived from their tools. Helen Keller had an extraordinarily developed sense of touch. The gambler's hunch and the artist's flash may also be part of the nonfunctional sensory system.

Perception which comes through sensory input is constantly adjusted according to what we expect to see. The information we receive is subjected to personal and socially collective election before the decision and thought centers of the brain are engaged.

Here's another experiment. If your city has parking garages, they are likely lit with those orange-amber lights which were put in place originally as they were thought to reduce crime. These lights block part of the color spectrum and make many car colors look very weird. However, your eyes will actually reinterpret the color before sending the signal to your brain. The most glaring difference can be seen in a car with nonmetallic red paint. At first glance under the orangey-amber lights, the car will look red. But if you stand and look at it, glancing at other surfaces such as pavement and the colors outside, you will eventually be able to see that the car is actually a strange putty beige or gray. Try this to get an initial feel for how you can override your brain's hard-wiring. The process deepens your intelligence and can open doors to whole new worlds of perception.