Or even better, how to know when something is for you or not
What Is Cognition in Human Design?
Cognition is the sense you are biologically and energetically most attuned to. It activates when your Determination (digestion) and Environment are aligned.It’s not about learning through that sense like in school—it’s about how you perceive and process reality most accurately, almost instinctively.
Think of it like your superpower for awareness—a deep sensory gift your body uses to “read” energy, people, places, and choices.
The 6 Cognitions (Sensory Superpowers)
Each person has one primary Cognition, based on the Color of their Determination (just viewed through another lens).
1. Smell – “I sense the truth through scent and subtle energetic ‘chemistry’.”
- Highly sensitive to people’s essence or “vibe”
- Smells (literal or energetic) tell you whether someone or something is right
- Can sense authenticity or danger through olfactory impressions
- Often good at sensing food freshness or trustworthiness
Challenge: Being around overwhelming or synthetic scents can scramble clarity
- Taste – “I discern through subtle sampling.”
- You “taste” life and people energetically—discerning what’s aligned
- May have a literal sensitivity to flavor, but also an ability to “sample” ideas, trends, or energy
- Knows what’s valuable or not through an internal yes/no
Challenge: Overexposure to too many energies or choices can overwhelm your clarity
- Outer Vision ️ – “I see what others miss.”
- Strong visual processing: design, color, beauty, symbolism
- You’re visually attuned to the look of truth or coherence
- Aesthetics can help you see alignment in people, ideas, or energy
Challenge: Messy, ugly, or disorganized spaces can make you feel disoriented
- Inner Vision – “I see from within.“
- Deep imaginative and intuitive visuals
- Insight comes from visions, dreams, mental images
- Often daydreamers, storytellers, or inner-guided creatives
Challenge: Noise, pressure, or external distractions can block your clarity
- Feeling ️ – “I perceive energy through vibrational sensitivity.”
- Highly tuned to frequency and vibration, both emotionally and physically
- You can feel the frequency of people, foods, decisions, or rooms
- “I feel it in my body” is often literally true for you
Challenge: Disharmonic spaces or people can be energetically painful or draining
- Touch ✋ – “I know through physical contact and sensation.”
- Deep connection through physical closeness, skin, and texture
- May need to touch, hold, or physically experience something to truly know it
- Strong sense of energetic boundaries through the body
Challenge: Being forced to stay disconnected from physical experience can limit clarity
Why Cognition Matters
When your body is fed in the right way (via Determination) and placed in the right environment, your Cognition activates like a radar. This becomes a core tool in helping you live your Strategy and Authority correctly:
It’s how you unconsciously navigate energy.
It shows you the real signal behind the noise.
It helps you perceive what the mind can’t figure out.
Example: Cognition in Practice
- Someone with Smell might walk into a room and immediately know who to avoid, without any logic.
- Someone with Outer Vision might make decisions based on how something looks energetically.
- Someone with Feeling might get physically uncomfortable when something is off, even if nothing is said.