Altered Perception

In one of the least fun ways possible, I am undergoing an experiment in altered perception. Dancing all night and taking psychotropic drugs was so 2000! I don’t do that anymore, because I have moved on to an adventure in deprivation. I’m in the middle of a ‘flu that has rendered me unable to smell or taste anything. I think it’s a temporary condition; I sure hope so, because living without these sensory dimensions is really crappy, although the experience is not without its positives (such as they are). Food tastes like nothing. Actually, not nothing, it tastes like the smell of the inside of my nose. Which is somewhere between stale ice cubes and musty cardboard with a dash of putrefying vegetable matter. When I put food in my mouth I can taste vague hints of sweetness, bitterness or saltiness, but they’re almost imaginary, or memories. I’m having a latte right now and it just tastes vaguely bitter. Without flavour, texture becomes really important, and I make do enjoying the creaminess of the coconut cream I put in my latte. The pasta I had last night was nice and sproingy. I made it with mostly ingredients that I grew in my garden: a red pepper! (the only one this year), cherry tomatoes, chard, oregano, mint (I thought what the hell, I can’t taste it anyways). I also threw in some goat cheese which had a nice creamy texture. At first I was thinking ‘I can’t make a pasta dish without garlic!’ (we were out) but then thought ‘why not, can’t taste it anyways’. In fact not being able to taste opens up new avenues of culinary freedom. Why not forgo the sugar and salt? It’s not good for you anyways. Eating solely for health becomes a real possibility. I could just go out in the garden and graze on the mint and rosemary and oregano. Or why not the lawn, grass is really good for you, and it needs mowing anyways.

I was harvesting some tomatoes yesterday and the experience was more like watching a film of somebody harvesting tomatoes. I hadn’t realized how integral the aroma of the vines was to the harvesting experience. On the up side, though, nothing stinks! Beans for everyone! This would be a great time to clean out the fridge/dig out the composter/paint the downstairs room…I wish I had a toddler or a dog! But I do still feel super crappy, not up to any task that involves bending over, scrubbing, or even being awake for that matter.

update: Monday morning…Smell and taste are returning! It’s like a technicolor hug for my head!

2 Responses to “Altered Perception”

Sharon Says:
August 25th, 2009 at 10:39 pm

Glad to have you back, I always get a kick out of your posts!
Hulie Jigginson Says:
August 28th, 2009 at 3:42 pm

whoa! No taste! or smell! I’m glad you’re coming out of it because it sounds berserk. although, like you said, eating becomes less fussy…