A sense is the ability to detect information about the external world or the internal state of the body. Minds use sensing, but a mind is not required to sense. Think detect, process, and respond, as in airbags in cars, Venus flytraps, and animal reflexes. That’s sensing, information processing (sometimes described as perception), and response, all of which can occur without thinking.
Sense is a traditional very-established and explored scientific term.
In Chapter 17 of 30 Philosophers, I explore the differences between senses and perceptions. While senses give you direct information, your perception gives you indirect understanding.
Beyond the traditional five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—we have others, including balance, body awareness, temperature, and pain. Our senses provide information about reality, but only a small portion of it. What we perceive is shaped by our senses, memories, expectations, and previous experiences. Together, they help us navigate and understand the world.
Consider the sensing of the Venus flytrap. With no nervous system at all, its sensory hairs detect pressure, and its electrical and biochemical signaling system responds. After sufficient stimulation, the trap closes. Additional stimulation activates the digestion process. The plant detects and responds to a potential meal, but we need not attribute mental perception to it.