Synesthesia

[Encephalon]

Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia, plural synesthesiae or synaesthesiae)—from the Ancient Greek σύν (syn), "together," and αἴσθησις (aisthēsis), "sensation"—is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who report such experiences are known as synesthetes. In one common form of synesthesia, known as grapheme → color synesthesia or color-graphemic synesthesia, letters or numbers are perceived as inherently colored, while in ordinal linguistic personification, numbers, days of the week and months of the year evoke personalities. In spatial-sequence, or number form synesthesia, numbers, months of the year, and/or days of the week elicit precise locations in space (for example, 1980 may be "farther away" than 1990), or may have a (three-dimensional) view of a year as a map (clockwise or counterclockwise). Yet another recently identified type, visual motion → sound synesthesia, involves hearing sounds in response to visual motion and flicker. Over 60 types of synesthesia have been reported by people, but only a fraction have been evaluated by scientific research. Even within one type, synesthetic perceptions vary in intensity and people vary in awareness of their synesthetic perceptions.
While cross-sensory metaphors (e.g., "loud shirt," "bitter wind" or "prickly laugh") are sometimes described as "synesthetic," true neurological synesthesia is involuntary. It is estimated that synesthesia could possibly be as prevalent as 1 in 23 persons across its range of variants. Synesthesia runs strongly in families, but the precise mode of inheritance has yet to be ascertained. Synesthesia is also sometimes reported by individuals under the influence of psychedelic drugs, after a stroke, during a temporal lobe epilepsy seizure, or as a result of blindness or deafness. Synesthesia that arises from such non-genetic events is referred to as "adventitious synesthesia" to distinguish it from the more common congenital forms of synesthesia. Adventitious synesthesia involving drugs or stroke (but not blindness or deafness) apparently only involves sensory linkings such as sound → vision or touch → hearing; there are few, if any, reported cases involving culture-based, learned sets such as graphemes, lexemes, days of the week, or months of the year.

Anyone heard of this?

I think there is a possibility that I could be synesthetic, because when I hear sounds (any sound) I see things involuntarily "mind's eye", so to speak. But, there is just as likely a chance that I'm not, because the things I see are not actually projected into my actual physical visual, they're more like, random involuntary graphic thoughts that time themselves exactly with any and every sound I hear. It's been this way for as long as I can remember.

Thoughts and/or opinions?

[Hidden]

It's a fascinating condition. I can't offer much on the matter scientifically, but philosophy and literature have a ball with it. Awhile ago I saw a program addressing the matter with connection to mathematical savants--an extended ability to interact with numbers in a sensory capacity rather than rote memorization. I have a grandmother who seems to have had a small case throughout her life.

Language (as mentioned in the link) has taken advantage of this capacity for a long time.

"Yet [the mind] creates, transcending these,
far other worlds, and other seas;
annihilating all that's made
to a green thought in a green shade."

excerpt from Andrew Marvell's "The Garden"

[Aucune Raison]

I've never heard of it. But I think what you're going through is voluntary.

[Encephalon]

Maybe so, but if it is, it's extremely subconscious.

[MemoriesLast4ever]

Oh wow, that sounds exactly like me. ._.
Like.. from only this passage, it's sort of 90% true for me hahaha.
I think of things like, "cute taste" and such as those... I picture things as they said, the numbers being compared a farther watchamacallit than other numbers, some words carry personality traits or characteristics to something like that... yes, I go 3d on some things haha and I have a weird memorization skill that has no relation to that particular thing, and the exact location space time thing... But yeah, mostly all of those descriptions are true for me except the drug usage and all that.
Wow though. xD

[Dogenzaka]

You are most likely not a synesthete. I saw a TV documentary on the thing, there were about 60 or so confirmed adult individuals on earth with the condition, and even less with a noticeably, unusually strong sense of synesthesia.

Everytime a sense would be stimulated another sense would be attached to it in the brain, as well as sometimes a taste or feeling. A very "cold" sound or word, or a very "sharp" color.

One of the synesthetes discovered he had strong synesthesia when he was in a rain shower and it felt to him like it was pouring skittles, colors and bending lights and strong pitches emitted from each raindrop, and tastes of different kinds with every "plop".

Synesthesia is extremely rare, and these individuals were tested, and it was found their short-term-memory was extremely efficient, because since everything would be linked together via sound/taste or color for a single stimulation, they could remember words or phrases by the extra-senses attached to it.

An example of a synesthete:
"Smilack has a rare form of synesthesia that involves all of her senses—the sound of one female voice looks like a thin, bending sheet of metal, and the sight of a certain fishing shack gives her a brief taste of Neapolitan ice cream—but her artistic leanings are shared by many other synesthetes..."

It's still completely impossible for you or me to really understand because we don't function that way.

[_EX]

Originally Posted by Dogenzaka

You are most likely not a synesthete. I saw a TV documentary on the thing, there were about 60 or so confirmed adult individuals on earth with the condition, and even less with a noticeably, unusually strong sense of synesthesia.

Everytime a sense would be stimulated another sense would be attached to it in the brain, as well as sometimes a taste or feeling. A very "cold" sound or word, or a very "sharp" color.

One of the synesthetes discovered he had strong synesthesia when he was in a rain shower and it felt to him like it was pouring skittles, colors and bending lights and strong pitches emitted from each raindrop, and tastes of different kinds with every "plop".

Synesthesia is extremely rare, and these individuals were tested, and it was found their short-term-memory was extremely efficient, because since everything would be linked together via sound/taste or color for a single stimulation, they could remember words or phrases by the extra-senses attached to it.

An example of a synesthete:
"Smilack has a rare form of synesthesia that involves all of her senses—the sound of one female voice looks like a thin, bending sheet of metal, and the sight of a certain fishing shack gives her a brief taste of Neapolitan ice cream—but her artistic leanings are shared by many other synesthetes..."

It's still completely impossible for you or me to really understand because we don't function that way.

I have things like that but I dont think its natural or this thing. Things just strongly remind me of past things related to it in some way. I just visualise something when I hear the thing that triggers the thought. That seems like a common occurance though.

[Dogenzaka]

It is, but that's not what synesthesia is. There's no delay, there's no trigger. It's hard to explain, but they did a good job of it in the documentary.

[_EX]

Originally Posted by Dogenzaka

It is, but that's not what synesthesia is. There's no delay, there's no trigger. It's hard to explain, but they did a good job of it in the documentary.

Yeah I dont really understand what Synesthesia is.

[Devious]

This is an interesting subject. I'm glad I hopped on the forums and looked around for once.

I actually have a recent account of psychedelic drug associated synesthesia. Listening to music while on my first ever psilocybin mushroom intake I would close my eyes and immediately see fractal art form itself inside of my "mind's eye" as you mentioned with yourself. It was the scariest thing to me because I couldn't control it. Scary, and yet strangely fascinating and I never wanted it to end.

Another synesthetic link that I have experienced (and I'm sure most everyone feels) is the tying of music to emotion or memory and sometimes even a complex formula. I.E. the link between my past as an outcast to music of specific tones or style, or even changing my emotion from the tone of a song. However, this is possibly just a part of the personification of man when linked with sound and how it affects the brain internally. Not necessarily considered a form of synesthesia. Another link that others possibly have experienced are memory scents. Ever seen something or heard something and immediately smelled something out of the ordinary? I sure have. There's this strange scent that almost resembles lacquer or some kind of wood stain that I smell every once in a while when I see or hear something specific. So far I haven't been able to pinpoint its source.

This has a lot of capability as far as man's brain power if it is truly capable of being trained or bred throughout the generations. Memorization will take on a different form and might even be replaced by a form of synesthesia. I'm glad you brought this up because it is exactly what I was in the mood to read and/or talk about this morning before I began my day. Kudos on the post, my friend. I hope more information is brought to your attention as the month progresses.

Cheers

[Du Soleil.]

Isn't an example of synesthesia 'tasting' colours? Because this rings a bell.

[Devious]

Yes, tasting a color is one in the same with synesthesia. It is the dual-sensory perception of a color mixed with a taste.

[Dogenzaka]

Skittles give synesthetes orgasms.

[NaminesNobody]

I found out I have a slight case of this last year when I did a report on it. I have OLP synesthesia, the type of where the numbers, days, and months have personalities. Months personalities aren't so strong, but numbers and days (and even some letters) have always had distinct personalities. Like, I'd rather get a 95 on a test than a 97 because I like the personality of 5's better. Anything with an 8 or 7 in it I don't like...they're jerks. Does that make any sense? I know it sounds crazy...

[Du Soleil.]

Originally Posted by NaminesNobody

I found out I have a slight case of this last year when I did a report on it. I have OLP synesthesia, the type of where the numbers, days, and months have personalities. Months personalities aren't so strong, but numbers and days (and even some letters) have always had distinct personalities. Like, I'd rather get a 95 on a test than a 97 because I like the personality of 5's better. Anything with an 8 or 7 in it I don't like...they're jerks. Does that make any sense? I know it sounds crazy...

I like it when the volume ends in 5 or 0. Anything else is wrong.