SfN: Do you have synesthesia?
Synesthesia is one of those weird brain conditions that fascinates researchers and the public alike. For the uninitiated, synesthetes are people of sound mind and regular intelligence who, for reasons unknown, get their senses mixed up. They hear sounds when they read words, or see colours when they hear sounds. Or experience a change in temperature when they touch things. And so on: just about every possible combination of mixed-up senses has been reported by researchers who study synesthetes. But something about this work has always bugged me: how do the researchers know their subjects aren't just making it up?
I talked to David Eagleman of the University of Texas earlier today and he explained that it's all about consistency. He has studied hundreds of synesthetes and says that they always report the same kind of associations. If someone sees the colour green when they read the word Tuesday, then Tuesday will always be green for that person. It doesn't matter how many words you ask them to link to colours, they will always link the two things in the same way.
He also says that around 1% of the populations are synthesthetes. So if you think you might be a synesthete, check out http://synesthete.org. Eagleman has put all his tests up there, and you can run them on yourself.
Comments
It's also about speed - even if people were to practice their 'made up associations' they wouldn't be able to produce them as fast as synaesthetes... well assuming they don't practice 4 hours a day for a few years ;)
Posted by: steve | October 16, 2006 04:31 PM
i'm 15 years old female
erm i seem to associate alot of things with smells and colours when someone says the word really i see red and until i researched Synaesthesia i never really thought about it and when i think of the sky i smell gas and it happens with many other things can you please help?
Posted by: Laura | February 20, 2007 08:17 PM
Dear Friend: we want inform about de First and second congress international
about synesthesia, science and art. here in Spain.
You can see this information in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89SCNJj-evQ (documental)
http://www.artecitta.es/ICongreso.htm
http://www.sinestesia2007.info
Please. can you put this links in your page web.
Thank you very much. I hope you can participated here the next time.
All the best
Mª José de Córdoba Serrano,PhD
Researcher on synesthesia, artist and multi-synesthete.
Dpto. Investigation, diffusion and promotion. Foundation International
Artecittà
info@artecitta.es
Posted by: artecitta | May 22, 2007 05:22 PM
I discovered the name for what I had, finally! And I actually cried. Synesthesia. I can't remember a time when letters, numbers, words, months days were certain colors. And shapes were either pleasant or painful. I've just recently read about personification of inanimate objects, too. That explains SO MUCH in my life! I feel very isolated, and would love to connect with other synesthetes. I'd also like to comment to Laura, the 15 year old synesthete. You are so blessed to figure this out so young! Really, it beats finding out at 48. I just thought I was very different, and didn't know it was a "normal" thing.
Posted by: Lola Wipperman | June 18, 2007 09:15 AM
1=blue,2=yellow,3=brown,4=green,5=red,6=orange7=purple,8=darkpurple,9= wine(vino)
monday=blue,tuesday=red,wednesday=brown,thrusday=green
friday=orange, saturday=light blue
sunday=yellow
Posted by: Andres Nieto | August 23, 2007 07:40 PM