Waldorf in the News: Children Have More Than Five Senses

Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf method of education believed that all people, including the students you teach, have 12 senses. For many people, belief in a “sixth sense” is not a big leap. Some of the other senses he describes are harder to grasp. However, thanks to a recent scientific breakthrough, the concept of 12-senses is now much easier to understand and explain to others. It is no longer a “Steiner Theory” but is now backed by scientific proof that is moving forward to explore the human mind beyond 6 senses…

Note: Although this article is titled a “sixth sense” by the reporter that summarized the original study they are actually describing to a different sense beyond what is usually called a “sixth sense”. You can find out more by exploring the 12 senses HERE.

Study of Rare Genetic Disorder Reveals ‘Sixth Sense’ May Be More Than Just a Feeling
By The PsyPost

With the help of two young patients with a unique neurological disorder, an initial study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health suggests that a gene called PIEZO2 controls specific aspects of human touch and proprioception, a “sixth sense” describing awareness of one’s body in space. Mutations in the gene caused the two to have movement and balance problems and the loss of some forms of touch. Despite their difficulties, they both appeared to cope with these challenges by relying heavily on vision and other senses.

“Our study highlights the critical importance of PIEZO2 and the senses it controls in our daily lives,” said Carsten G. Bönnemann, M.D., senior investigator at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and a co-leader of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine…

This article is part of our “Waldorf Education in the News” series. We use this series of posts to direct you to news relating to Waldorf educational principles highlighted in the news or supported by scientific studies. To see more articles like this click the “Waldorf in the News” link  here or to the right of the blog (on the computer) or following the blog (on mobile). You can use this series to gain more insight yourself or help others understand why you choose Waldorf education for your child.