How Our Senses Work and Sound

Sound

The outer ear catches and channels sound waves to the middle ear, which contains three tiny bones. These bones vibrate, transmitting the sound the inner ear, where thousands of hair cells are stimulated by the movement of the fluid within the inner ear. An electrical impulse is transmitted along the hearing nerve to the brain creating the sensation of hearing.

Sight

The experience of sight begins when photons from the world hit the lens of our eye and focus onto more than 130 million receptor cells on the retina. These receptor cells convert incoming light into electrical signals to be sent to the brain, making sight possible.

Smell

Every day we are confronted with a smorgasbord of smells. Our five million olfactory cells can sniff out one molecule of odor-causing substance in one part per trillion of air. We take about 23,000 breaths per day processing about 440 cubic feet of scent-laden air.

Touch

Our bodies have more than 500,000 touch detectors and 200,000 temperature sensors. Each of these sensors gathers sensory information and relay it through specific nerve bundles back to the central nervous system for processing and possible reaction

Taste

The complex process of tasting begins when tiny molecules released by the substances around us stimulate special cells in the nose, mouth or throat. These special sensory cells transmit messages through nerves to the brain, where specific tastes are identified.

But enough of the science lab: God designed our bodies to sense, interpret and react to the millions of stimuli that occur around us every day. How do we use this knowledge to improve our facilities?

A Fresh Start – Getting Back to Basics

Do you long for the “good old days” when the pace of our lives was simpler and life was slower? As comedian Will Rogers once said, “Things ain’t what they used to be – and probably never was.” There’s no use longing for the good old days. In a world that is:

• Increasingly hurried

• Painfully insecure

• Physically and mentally exhausting

• Socially and economically fragmented, and

• Psychologically and emotionally demanding

Millions of people are desperately in need of opportunities to feel:

• Free from time pressure

• Safe and secure in their surroundings

• Pleasantly stimulated, physically and mentally

• At peace with themselves and others, and

• Ready to be open-minded, creative, and productive

Organizations that can provide such opportunities by re-imagining the customer experience will attract an enormous number of customers in the years ahead and keep them coming back.

Customer Experience ... in a Church?

Here’s where the “common sense” comes into play. Just like the business you frequent often, churches delivering experiences that exceed guest’s expectations are those to which people return, again and again, until they’re no longer guests but full-fledged members of the church community. When the church truly reaches a guest, it is because the guest feels affirmed or valued. The church has said, “You matter.”

While you may not be trying to sell a product, your guest (and potential member) is very much “shopping” for a church. More important, they are shopping for a spiritual experience that addresses their personal needs. Why not make sure you do all in your power to make it happen?