As we know, in-game it provides a useful highlight up to a certain range for the player to see lifeforms (or undead if using detect dead). And whilst this is useful feedback for the player, I wonder if that's what the characters in-universe experience, because I also wondered if it was possibly more of a "mental detection" for lack of a better term. That is to say, you can "feel" the presence of lifeforms around you, just knowing that they are there.
If I'm not mistaken, in Morrowind the spell made them show up on the minimap instead (as well as detect enchantment), which would be a better player-oriented visualisation to reflect it working more "mentally" than providing a visual que. (Al
