Do you have an "internal" compass?

Mongo

Mongo

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Nov 5, 2001
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Don't know why I just thought of this now, but I've always felt that I have an internal compass. I always seem to know which way was North/South/East/West. I can't remember when this has ever let me down. I will admit that I have never taken a compass with me to verify my impression, but I also have never put myself into a situation where I needed to.

So, does anybody else feel this way? Am I part homing pigeon or something? :D
 
In the woods and back home in and around Chicago where all the streets are north south or east west I knew which way was north ever since I was young. Even in buildings. Now I'm in Texas, on the coast which is on an angle, so all the streets are also on angles, and I can barely tell you which way the Gulf of Mexico is if I can't see it. I think my internal compass broke.
 
I do, and occasionally mine is wrong. Then I get all confused.
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When I was a kid, I needed a compass to get out of the woods by dark while hunting. I looked at the compass, and just knew there was something wrong with it. We argued about which direction I needed to go, and I won the argument. An hour or so later, I passed the same weird tree with the broken bottle at the base of it for the second time. My internal compass had taken me in a complete circle. That was the last time I argued with my external compass.
 
Often I can and like you I use many streets/objects to get my bearings. In the woods. Its hit or miss rather trust breadcrumbs or something high tech or such. Or just a compass.
 
Some scientists hypothesize that migratory birds know which direction to fly when they move south for the winter because they can detect the earth's magnetic field. This is possibly because of high iron content in certain parts of their body, which allows them to detect magnetic north (and south). I remember reading about an experiment in which someone took some homing pigeons (not migratory birds, I think), put them in covered cages, and drove all over the place. After uncovering them, the birds were still able to determine the right direction, which validates the hypothesis that birds "know" directions.

It's possible that some humans have a higher content in their bodies (probably in their noses, say some scientists), and as a result, they can "tell" cardinal directions.

And if all this is proven to be wrong, at least you'll have a scientific reason to give for not stopping to ask for directions. "It's my iron content, I tell you! We're not lost!" :D
 
There are times I know North, and I can navigate night or day, other times, I can't find my ass with both hands. The most times I get turned around is when I am on familiar territory, in a neck of the woods I travel alot, I find myself lookin' around and kinda zonin' out. Time to reach for the compass. In a new area, I guess I am more alert and on top of keepin' up with it. Honestly, I think by blood sugar has alot to do with it also. Just observin'. Moose
 
Nope. I do not have an internal compass. I rely on landmarks, the position of the sun, a 'mental map' of where I have gone and how I am situated, and my external compass. I do have an innate sense of up and down, though. ;)
 
my "internal compass" works off the sun during the day and the stars at night.

once i get my bearings, i generally know where i'm heading without a compass.
 
Mentor said:
Nope. I do not have an internal compass. I rely on landmarks, the position of the sun, a 'mental map' of where I have gone and how I am situated, and my external compass. I do have an innate sense of up and down, though. ;)
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My sentiments exactly! :thumbup::D
 
In my native Pennsylvania I have always had a very good innate sense of direction, not flawless, I have been turned around there, but really good and generally dependable.

Once I moved to Brazil that innate sense of direction still works great but it is flipped 180 degrees. My north and south are reversed and after spending a total of 13 years here it hasn't corrected. When I go back to PA everything seems normal again.

My theory is that I orient by the sun position knowing by instinct that the sun rises in the east, sets in the west, and travels through the southern sky at mid-day. Here the sun travels through the northern sky at mid-day which reverses all the shadows, flips me 180 degrees, and no amount of rational thought seems to be able to reprogram my brain on a subconscious level.

I use a compass here, and carry a back-up, and keep a button compass in reserve. I really am that dependent on them here to keep things straight. When you add in the fact that we have a -22 degree declination here even a compass looks funny. Mac
 
I have an internal compass that sometimes confirms what my Silva is telling me. I also have a broken watch thats right twice a day. :D
 
MarineAir said:
In the woods and back home in and around Chicago where all the streets are north south or east west I knew which way was north ever since I was young. Even in buildings. Now I'm in Texas, on the coast which is on an angle, so all the streets are also on angles, and I can barely tell you which way the Gulf of Mexico is if I can't see it. I think my internal compass broke.
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Chicago is MY kind of town...but I grew up there. :) Never lost there.

Outdoors, I'm not bad, but wouldn't rely on myself in the woods. In fact, there's a local woods in which I know I will be lost as soon as I go in there. Every time I go in, I make corrections to compensate for previous errors, only to find myself at a new place at which I had not planned to be.
 
I don't.

I really have to be conscious of the terrain and landmarks anytime I'm anywhere unfamiliar.

Also I have looked at the compass and just felt that for some reason the way to go was opposite of what it said. But Nessmuk said "Don't argue with the compass" words to live by for me.

I've always felt like I was a bit ADD and a bit dyslexic so I really have to watch. Luckily my wife is better than I am and is not afraid to tell me I'm wrong.
 
No. I get turned around easily. One time I came out of the woods and the river appeared to be running backwards.
 
I always thought I had an accurate internal compass... until I got totally turned around in Venice, Italy and ended up on the wrong side of the island.

I think you can have a good sense of direction and all, but you can't test it till you're put somewhere you're not familiar with and don't have any indicators to help you find the right way.
 
I can do fairly well at roughly picturing my path of travel...what relative directions i've gone in and for how long...

But no, i generally have no idea which way North is unless i have a compass or note the position of the sun.
 
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