Deceiving Senses part I.
Have you ever told yourself that your senses are the thing to count on and that you trust what you can see, smell, hear, feel or taste? Well, then you will be surprised by how far you are from the truth.
Every consumption whether it is food, drink, or even the products we wear is a multi-sensory process. It means that your opinions, decisions & memories are based on more than just sight and the visual memory of the moment. Hearing, smell & many other senses are also involved and can change the whole experience. Simply said, your senses can lie and it’s up to you decide to earn or lose from this fact.
What I'm going to write about in this blog in the first part of the Deceiving Senses series - is actually an extended text and explanation of a chapter Neurogastronomy & Gastrophysics I wrote about in my book. First topic is The Weight.
The paradox & opinion we have in our brains is that - heavier also means more exclusive. That’s the reason why mostly everywhere you go, the most expensive and exclusive products are being served in larger and heavier glasses or dishes. This can trick your brain so you are more willing to pay more for the product because you perceive it as more valuable. If you are working in the bar/restaurant industry you know that when our guests value quality, expensive cognac, or whisky, we provide the glass of the highest quality and more heavier one. Subconsciously these little touches give weight to the product itself.
Let’s have a quick test so you will know, that all of this is not just something someone has made up without any proper experiments and studies. I’ve chosen the pictures we made during the photo shoot of the book. You see two glasses in the picture. Which one of them contains limited Scotch Whisky on the rocks & which one is your usual average-quality sipping drink of the evening?
Tricky one right? After all, you’ve just read that you don’t always have to believe your senses or intuition. Is it just like I said before, that the more exclusive drink is in the heavier glass? Or is this the one, where I used the knowledge of how your senses work in perception of quality & weight and I did increased the value of the average product for you?
For which one would you like to pay more?
Just like it’s said in the well-known meme, SAME, SAME, BUT DIFFERENT. Both glasses are filled with the same product. The look & the weight of the glass can trick you into thinking that there are different levels of quality in them. Also how heavy these glasswares look can trick you into thinking, that the heavier one is filled with more exclusive content. The look and the touch can influence your perception and choice. Be aware of it and use it. Everywhere.
I’m more than sure that you have encountered such slight adjustments, yet you never gave the observation any weight. That’s where I can show you the beautiful world of the human mind and how easily can be our senses tricked. Stay tuned for another part of Deceiving Senses.
All of this can be found in my book in the SHOP - Physical or Digital version & I also created a seminar for those who are interested in the Neurogastronomy & Gastrophysics called Know What Happiness Smells Like?
