The Sixth Sense

Humans have five basic senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. I would postulate there is a sixth sense, though maybe it’s peculiar only to me: sensus scelerisque, in Latin, or chocolate sense. It has to do with the deep need and desire for chocolate. Some people might call it an addiction. But is that truly what it is when a person can barely think without it?

            I stopped eating chocolate for six months while following an anti-inflammation diet. The diet included eliminating sweets and increasing consumption of protein. It seems the protein saved me from the expected chocolate withdrawal headache, so I thought I was home free. But then I realized I couldn’t think. I would sit down to write, and nothing would come from my empty mind. Words that earlier excited me now seemed dull and lifeless, giving no impetus for self-expression.

            My brain wasn’t receiving signals from my chocolate sense, which is, apparently for me, a requirement for healthy mental function.

            Typically, when a person lacks a certain sense, the remaining senses become more acute in a positive way. When I go without chocolate, though, the result is not positive. My sense of hearing increases maddeningly; the slightest sound is liable to make me blow a gasket. Not a path to increasing harmony in the home or workplace.

            So now I’ve fallen off the no-chocolate wagon and am thinking more clearly. Happier? Certainly. Enjoying all my senses without putting any of them into overdrive serves me well.