A Personal Sensory Profile: Exteroception, Sensitivity, and the Neurodivergent Experience
For neurodivergent people the external world often feels intensely demanding, not due to psychological threat in the traditional sense, but due to the raw, unmediated flow of sensory data. This process of perceiving the external environment through our senses is called exteroception. It includes our reception of sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell. For many neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences, exteroception is not a neutral background process. It can be a central factor in daily functioning, emotional regulation, and overall well being.
Sensory sensitivities, or what is sometimes called sensory-over-responsivity, mean that ordinary stimuli can feel overwhelming, painful, or distracting. A humming fluorescent light is not just a light, it is a piercing invasion. A tag on a shirt is not a minor nuisance, it is a constant, grating alert. This is not a psychological weakness. It is a neurological difference in how the brain filters, processes, and prioritizes sensory information from the body's exteroceptive receptors.
When the sensory environment is consistently overwhelming, it leads to a state of chronic nervous system arousal. The body may remain in a vigilant, defensive stance, preparing to ward off sensory "assaults." This depletes cognitive and emotional resources, leading to exhaustion, anxiety, meltdowns, or shutdowns. It can also lead to avoidance of social or public spaces, not necessarily due to social anxiety itself, but due to the unbearable sensory load those environments present.
Conversely, some individuals may experience sensory under-responsivity, seeking out intense sensory input to feel regulated and connected to their bodies and surroundings. Both ends of this spectrum highlight that sensory processing is a core, bodily based experience that fundamentally shapes one's life.
A powerful step toward empowerment and self regulation is developing a detailed Personal Sensory Preference Profile. This is a structured self assessment that moves away from pathologizing labels like "disorder" and toward a nuanced understanding of your unique sensory landscape. The goal is to map your exteroceptive experiences across different modalities, using a simple rating scale from "Sensitive" to "Neutral" to "Seeking" for each. "Sensitive" means you are easily overwhelmed by that type of input and likely need to minimize it. "Seeking" means you crave or benefit from that type of input and may use it to self regulate. "Neutral" indicates the input is generally unnoticeable or does not disproportionately affect your state.
For example, under the category of Sound, you might rate yourself as Highly Sensitive to overlapping conversations and mechanical humming, but Seeking for deep, rhythmic bass tones or specific types of music. Under Touch, you might be Sensitive to light touch or certain fabric textures, but Seeking for deep pressure from weighted blankets or firm hugs. Visual input could include sensitivity to bright or flickering lights but a seeking preference for highly organized, symmetrical visual spaces. Smell might include sensitivity to artificial fragrances but a seeking preference for grounding scents like lavender or pine. Taste could involve sensitivity to certain food textures but a seeking preference for very strong, specific flavors.
Creating this profile is an act of somatic self-discovery. It allows you to move from a generalized feeling of being "overwhelmed" to a precise understanding of what, specifically, is depleting or nourishing to your nervous system. With this knowledge, you can begin to craft a personal sensory diet. You can advocate for environmental modifications, use noise cancelling headphones or tinted glasses strategically, incorporate seeking inputs for regulation, and communicate your needs more effectively to partners, family, and employers.
This process fosters self compassion, as you begin to understand your reactions as valid communications from your body about its needs, not as failures or oversensitivity. Honoring your sensory profile is a profound form of somatic therapy, a way of building safety and resilience from the outside in, by respectfully engaging with the exteroceptive world that is your constant interface with life.
