Synaesthesia

[synaesthesia]

Hello there,

 

It's my first post and its reason is my research project:

I'm interested in finding synaesthesics just to stablish some contact so that they can tell me their experiencces and what is the "desease" really about and how does it affect on their lives.

I would thank very much if someone could pass me some information about Synaesthesia because I still don't even know much about it. So if there's someone who has studied it or knows about it... please don't doubt and contact me.

 

You can post in here or contact me by e-mail: removed

 

Thank you very much,

synaesthesia.

Edited June 8, 2008 by YT2095
email link removed

[iNow]

Hello there,

 

It's my first post and its reason is my research project:

I'm interested in finding synaesthesics just to stablish some contact so that they can tell me their experiencces and what is the "desease" really about and how does it affect on their lives.

I would thank very much if someone could pass me some information about Synaesthesia because I still don't even know much about it. So if there's someone who has studied it or knows about it... please don't doubt and contact me.

 

You can post in here or contact me by e-mail: <email deleted by iNow>

Thank you very much,

synaesthesia.

Hi synaesthesia,

 

Anything you wish to discuss can be discussed here. You really shouldn't ask people to email you, as that opens them up to phishing scams. Good luck with your project.

[Daecon]

Has it been established that all people with synaesthesia (synaesthestics?) experience things in the same way?

 

If there is that level of consistency it could be quite revealing about the nature of sense perception in neurophysiology...

[CharonY]

AFAIK the actual sensations are quite different. For instance, some may associate numbers with a certain landscape, other associate them with sound, or colours, for instance.

[Glider]

It's consistant within people but differs between people, although there are certain combinations that are more common (e.g. linked vision & audition).

 

It's not a disease.

 

I recommend the book; The man Who Tasted Shapes by Richard E. Cytowic. It's an excellent read on the topic.

[Gypsy Cake]

I only know a little about synaethesia however thought I'd give you an example that perhaps you hadn't come across.

 

My chemistry teacher has synaethesia. Her only symptom is that she sees each letter as a different colour and the colour of a word is defined by the colour of the first letter. She can also see the actual colour of letters. The condition has been with her since she was a child.

 

I know it's a bit random to just give an example but it might give you some idea of other variations of synaethesia

[Ladeira]

I don't think it can be considered a disease.

Only a different way to feel the world, I don't think it damages the synaethesic person.

 

I think if you show the different views of synaethesia, the project would open a door for discussions

 

P.S. I don't know if it's a kind of synaethesia, but when I listen to a music, or think of someone, there is a big tendence of thinking about a specific color. Like, I listen to a music and it remins me green. Or, I know someone and this person reminds me of a color. Is it some kind of synaethesia?

[Glider]

Not really. In synaesthesia, the sensation would be physical, i.e. you would physically see green, rather than be reminded of it. The responses in synaesthesia are entirely physical.

[john5746]

P.S. I don't know if it's a kind of synaethesia, but when I listen to a music, or think of someone, there is a big tendence of thinking about a specific color. Like, I listen to a music and it remins me green. Or, I know someone and this person reminds me of a color. Is it some kind of synaethesia?

 

Maybe you have a brain that is good with metaphorical thinking.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050526092321.htm

[Ladeira]

Maybe you have a brain that is good with metaphorical thinking.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050526092321.htm

 

 

Hahaha. You made me laugh.

Yes, I DO have a brain.

The color I can see right now is black. A very dark future for you.

Ohhh... It's a joke too.

[Demonslayer]

Hallucinogens are known to cause such effects.

It is a quite fascinating and beautiful experience which can keep you occupied for hours on end (if you are inclined to such experimentation).

Music can be seen as colored waves moving through the room.

The sound of leafs moving in the breeze can feel like eggshells against the skin or taste like seashells.

Sounds can be warm, cold or friendly.

Colors can vibrate with a humming sound.

Visual input can have taste and emotion.

[Lessian]

You could also investigate people with autism and or aspergers syndrome as synesthesia is semi-common in these conditions.

Try contacting support or social groups for people with aspergers, see if any of them would be willing to chat.

hope you get the insight / input you need

[Greippi]

I have synaesthesia. I could ramble about it for ages, so contact me if you need more info. It's quite interesting how it impacts day to day life as it is easy to get overwhelmed.

 

In brief:

- Sound creates colours and landscapes, very occasionally taste. Some music causes this stronger than other types of music. I tend to rate how good music is by how strong the sensations are. Sometimesthis is quite overwhelming because the soundscapes are so powerful I can't think straight when listening to the music.

Most of the time this isn't too strong, so I CAN listen to music without being distracted by colour. It's like wearing clothes - you don't feel the clothes against your skin CONSTANTLY, or your brain can block out peripheral sounds that you don't need to hear.

 

- For this reason, I find people's voices very interesting.

 

- Smell has colour.

 

- Taste has sound and colour, this is the strongest synaesthesia "sense" I get.

 

- Touch has a sound and sometimes colour. The touch as sound thing is probably one of the "strongest" sensations.

 

- Days of the week, months, letters, numbers etc have colours this is beyond normal colour associations). For example, Fridays are dark red, Thursdays are green, Tuesdays are blue. January is red. October is brown. The letter J is purple. C is yellow. 12 is dark blue. 80 is Cadbury's purple. 50 is salmon pink.

 

- Time, numbers, letters have a "particular arrangement in space". For numbers, this is stronger than the sense of colour for them.

 

 

 

 

"In synaesthesia, the sensation would be physical, i.e. you would physically see green, rather than be reminded of it."

It's quite difficult to describe, as this description implies that it would shroud some of your "normal" vision.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Greippi

[Sisyphus]

 

- Days of the week, months, letters, numbers etc have colours this is beyond normal colour associations). For example, Fridays are dark red, Thursdays are green, Tuesdays are blue. January is red. October is brown. The letter J is purple. C is yellow. 12 is dark blue. 80 is Cadbury's purple. 50 is salmon pink.

 

- Time, numbers, letters have a "particular arrangement in space". For numbers, this is stronger than the sense of colour for them.

 

Both of these are true for me also, although you have some of those colors wrong. Fridays are the red you see with your eyes closed facing the sun. Thursdays are muddy maroon. J is obviously lime green, and all of the 80s are dark forest green. I distinctly remember as a kid of about 3 asking my father why the days are different colors.

 

For me, with numbers it's more complicated than just being a single color. It's more like the numbers have "layers" dependent on both their decimal representation and often factors. For example, 57 is in the pale yellow fifties, but is also burnt-orange seven, as well as the bright red "multiple of three."

 

How do your arrangements in space go? I have a vertical number line arching away from me, that can fold around during arithmetic. Ordinary "eye level" is about 8 or 9. The year is huge washer shape, inclined about 30 degrees from horizontal with the summer at the top.

[Greippi]

Decimals have a taste. But then colours also have a taste. 5 is red and tastes slightly metallic, slightly of chocolate, but 5.5 is REALLY metallic tasting but the colour isn't so strong.

I know what you mean about the layers. The more I think about it, the more complicated it gets. it's really hard to describe things in words too. Multiples of three are yellow.

 

I have problems when people ask me what something tastes like - the other day I was sampling a sauce I made and I said it tasted like "2 octaves higher than middle C on a harpsichord".

 

My year is a ruler mostly stretching away from me but the perspective is all skewed. January and February, although they are closest appear smallest, May and October the biggest. That's the best I can explain it.

My number line consists of several curves stretching away from me - so on the left we have 1-100, then next 100-500, then 500-1000 and so on.

 

I find I have an aversion to certain shapes. On their own, I like crop circle arrangements, which are blue, but I do not like curves. A graph with a curve, rather than straight lines, I don't like because it tastes of vegetables that are going off and the sound it makes makes me feel quite unpleasant..hah!

 

I would be interested to know how it affects your life, cos while my "condition" enhances some things, often it is quite opressive and overwhelming.