A journal article about "The distribution of neuron activity reveals an organization that supports the brain’s spatial mapping capacity" by György Buzsàki
The more we discussed the senses related to space and how our body understands what to do by creating habits which are shaped by our experiences causing us to adapt by the setting, I wanted to understand the neurological side of things because Pallasmaa speaks about how
"our skin is actually capable of distinguishing a number of colours; we do indeed see by our skin"
and goes on to speaks of Ashley Montagu confirming the haptic realm based on medical evidence.
Buzsaki speaks of the hippocampus which is the part of the brain where
"spatial maps of our surroundings are encoded."
With reference to the image above the multiple neutrons are weak inputs that are the active minority where as the remaining ones are the strong inputs that are morority of neutrons with single place fields. more simply neutrons on opposite ends may convey different but complimentary types of information.
"The ever-active minority of place cells may be responsible for generalising across environments and affords the brain capacity to regard no situation as completely unknown because every alley, mountain, river, or room has elements of previously experiences similar situations."
So how does this relate to sensory spaces? Well, basically our brains can familiarise ourselves with spaces we have been before, the more common the space such as a person's home the more comfortable one will be in a space alike. Therefore the feeling of "not fitting in" is often present in spaces we have never been before as our brain is unable to find a similarity. Along with this if a space is alike but one has had a negative experience in the space, a space alike will be connected to that negative feeling therefore making the space uncomfortable. Furthermore Pallasmaa says in "The Eyes of the Skin"
"Estrangement and detachment is often evoked by technologically most advanced settings"
the brain cannot connect similarities when the spaces are so technologically advanced as the bodily senses are unable to feel/recognise a space. The more technologically advanced a space the less alike the space will feel as spaces are always increasing in technological advancements.
References:
Buzsaki, Gyérgy. 2019. “Our Skewed Sense of Space.” Science 347 612-613.
Pallasmaa, Juhani. 2005. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Wiley-Academy. p. 10 & 19