2416. Among the three animal systems, bones and muscles produce, from their association, only one action—the motion. The most complete and perfect combination of the motor system with the nerves, is in the ear—osseo-muscular or auditory sense.
2417. The nervous system has become a self-substantial organ in the eye—the nervous, or visual sense.
2418. There are therefore only 5 senses; they are none other than repetitions of the anatomical systems in the sensation; they are the highest developments which are possible in the lower systems, being the blossoms or heads of such systems.
2419. These systems are, however, processes of the universe taken up into the organization. In its organs of sense, the processes of the universe are thus felt or perceived. The senses are world-organs, and are therefore placed in contact with the world, or occupy an outward position.
2420. The vascular system is the nutritive system. In it the blood coagulates into the solid parts of the body. The feeling-sense is therefore sensible of the nutrition or rigidifying process of the body. Now, the Solid of the planet is the earth. The sense of feeling perceives therefore opposition—it is an earth-sense.
2421. The function of the intestinal canal is digestion. In taste, the process of digestion is felt. But digestion is a solvent, a hydrapoietic process; in taste the water is therefore felt—it is the water-sense.
2422. Respiration is a process of oxydation. In smell the respiratory process is felt. Oxydation is, however, an air-process—it is air-sense. Thus do the three vegetative senses feel the elements of the planet—are planetary senses.
2423. The animal systems are symbols of the æther, of the gravity with the heat or motion, and of the light.
2424. The motion is only moved matter, and thus a combination of the muscular and osseous system. The ear therefore perceives the motion of the primary matter, or the atomic motion—it is gravity-sense, æther-sense.
2425. The light is the tension-process of the æther; to see, is therefore in an organism to emit light or shine—light-sense.