| "We interpret one sense by another." | | | | and generic. If red means "a" to you, it will always |
| William Hazlitt"Although medicine has known about | | | | mean "a". The sensations are memorable - if you |
| synaesthesia for three centuries, it keeps | | | | met someone and their name evoked the taste |
| forgetting that it knows. | | | | of chocolate, it is easier to remember the taste |
| Richard Cytowic, in "Synaesthesia: | | | | than the name, but the taste will help to recall the |
| Phenomenology and Neuropsychology | | | | name. The sensations are emotional and viewed |
| a Review of Current Knowledge"Could you | | | | with a sense of ecstasy, achievement and |
| imagine going through life every day seeing sound, | | | | satisfaction.Take a minute right now and try this |
| hearing colour, tasting shapes, hearing smells or | | | | little experiment which will give you an idea of |
| tasting colours. These are some of the ways a | | | | what synesthesia is like. Sit comfortably and press |
| synesthete experiences the world. One | | | | the heels of your hands firmly into your eyelids |
| synesthete describes the experience of listening | | | | for a couple of minutes (don't hurt yourself). You |
| to a saxaphone as a writhing mass of neon-purple | | | | will begin to see patterns, bursts of light and |
| snakes hovering in the air another describes a | | | | colours . While you are doing this move your |
| mint as a cool, smooth glass tube."A red rings | | | | pupils around and the patterns and colours will |
| louder in your eye and a taste of blue lingers at | | | | move also. Do this in silence or listen to music.In |
| your fingertips. You have a neighbor whose | | | | his 1966 autobiography "Speak, Memory" Vladimir |
| consistently green voice grates against his | | | | Nabokov, the Russian-born novelist, tells stories of |
| consistently deep blue suit. Nobody seems to | | | | arguing with his mother about the proper colours |
| understand. There are things you hear, things that | | | | of letters in the alphabet. His mother was a |
| you touch - that you cannot talk about. You don't | | | | synesthete as well - it often runs in families. "The |
| believe yourself to be mad, or if you are, you no | | | | long 'a' of the English alphabet . . . has for me the |
| longer believe in what the word implies. You don't | | | | tint of weathered wood, but a French 'a' evokes |
| believe you're hallucinating...hallucinations should | | | | polished ebony. . . . . there is steely 'x', |
| make less sense. This...this is an abundance of | | | | thundercloud 'z' and huckleberry 'h'. ...Since a subtle |
| sense. " - Omar KamelScientists have known | | | | interaction exists between sound and shape, I see |
| about synesthesia for centuries. There is now a | | | | 'q' as browner than 'k', while 's' is not the light blue |
| resurgence of interest in synesthesia and | | | | of 'c', but a curious mixture of azure and |
| multi-disciplinary research into this unique condition, | | | | mother-of-pearl.".Olivier Messiaen is a French |
| which colours certain individuals perceptions of the | | | | avant-garde composer who attributed his success |
| ordinary world, is now being conducted. The word | | | | to synesthesia. "Whenever I hear music, or even |
| synesthesia comes from the Greek words syn | | | | if I read music, I see colors . . ." Alexander |
| meaning together, and aisthesis meaning | | | | Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist. He |
| perception. It literally means a joining of | | | | was one of the first synesthetes to thoroughly |
| sensations. Researchers view it as a window into | | | | catalogue his colour-note associations. C# was |
| thought itself.Althought there is some dispute, the | | | | violet and E was "pearly white and shimmer of |
| first reference to synesthesia was probably in | | | | moonlight."Wassily Kandinsky, the Russian born |
| John Locke's "Essay Concerning Human | | | | abstract artist, embraced synesthesia. Some |
| Understanding". Locke shares with us the story of | | | | historians maintain he was an invented synesthete |
| a blind man who felt "betrayed" when he learned | | | | who used it for self-promotion as synesthetism |
| what the colour scarlet meant. When his friend | | | | was in vogue among the European avant garde. |
| asked what he had thought scarlet was, the man | | | | "The violins, the deep tones of the basses, and |
| answered "like the sound of a trumpet." It is also | | | | especially the wind instruments at that time |
| credited to Aristotle and Pythagoras. Pythagoras | | | | embodied for me all the power of that |
| considered synesthesis to be the union of the | | | | pre-nocturnal hour. I saw all my colors in my mind; |
| illusory, constant, daily, repetitive, mundane world | | | | they stood before my eyes. Wild, almost crazy |
| with the real, genuine world of universal and | | | | lines were sketched in front of me."David |
| abstract concepts and ideas and, as such, was | | | | Hockney is a British painter who designed sets for |
| the greatest philosophical gift and spiritual | | | | the New York Metropolitan Opera. "When it came |
| achievement.Synesthesia is clinically defined as an | | | | time to paint the tree for Ravel, I put on the tree |
| involuntary physical experience of a cross-modal | | | | music from the opera, and it had a certain weight |
| association. This means an involuntary crossing of | | | | and colour. The music would dictate the |
| two or more senses. If you stimulate one sense | | | | shape."The paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe are felt |
| it causes a stimulation in another sense as well. | | | | by some to reflect her synesthetic experience. |
| There are 31 possible combinations of the senses | | | | She loved music and it often inspired her work - |
| but usually there are only two senses which | | | | she could see the music in her mind. She was an |
| cross, and this brings the number of potential | | | | artist who painted what she saw and loved |
| combinations down to 20. The pairings are | | | | vibrant colour, graceful curves and fluid |
| generally one way, sound may create colour but | | | | movement which could very much speak to her |
| colour will not create sound.Synesthesia is divided | | | | being a synesthete or able to tap into that |
| into two categories, Two Sensory and Multiple | | | | experience. Ms. O'Keefe was very structured in |
| Sensory. The most common type is the crossing | | | | her approach to her painting and her colour |
| of two sensory modalities, such as | | | | palette. She was known to carefully chart all of |
| Coloured-Hearing or Chromaesthesia (seeing | | | | her colours before beginning a painting and her |
| sound, hearing colour, experiencing colour linked to | | | | studio was very structured. She often said she |
| words, letters and numbers). Sound creating the | | | | couldn't paint until her closets and drawers were in |
| perception of a colour is the most common form | | | | order.Synesthesia is very specific condition but |
| of synesthesia. Synesthetes of this type | | | | pseudosynesthesia also occurs frequently. |
| experience both written and spoken words in a | | | | Pseudosynesthesia can occur without intention, |
| wonderfully vivid experience of colour associations. | | | | triggered by drug use or learned associations, or |
| They can see music, smell colors or taste | | | | as an act of creation expressed through literature, |
| words.Coloured-Olfaction occurs when a smell | | | | music, and art. Hashish and opium are the most |
| creates the perception of a colour. | | | | mentioned substances. A great many writers who |
| Coloured-Gustation is a taste which stimulates a | | | | used them wrote on and under the influence. |
| specific colour. Tactile-Gustation is the taste of | | | | Frequent references were made to hearing and |
| something experienced as a shape. Multiple | | | | smelling colors, seeing sounds, and even seeing |
| Sensory Synesthesia is the crossing of 3 or more | | | | feelings while they were high. The Caterpillar and |
| senses.Synesthesia may be idiopathic | | | | the hookah (a hashish water pipe with four long |
| (developmental), the person has always | | | | stems to accommodate four smokers at once) in |
| experienced synesthesia, or non-idiopathic, the | | | | "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is a perfect |
| result of a known event or condition which was | | | | example.Mescaline, peyote, LSD and magic |
| acquired and created the synesthesia.Ideopathic | | | | mushrooms can produce pseudosynesthetic |
| Synesthesia occurs in an uninhibited natural state, | | | | experiences. Peyote is sacred to many Native |
| has strong genetic factors and is felt to be a | | | | tribes and is used in spiritual ceremonies. They |
| natural state of development particularly within | | | | generally produce the coloured-hearing variety. |
| the first 4 months of life. There are three | | | | Another possible cause of pseudosynesthesia is |
| theories which try to explain Coloured-hearing; | | | | thought to be learned association. This is quite |
| unity of the senses or linkage theory, crosstalk | | | | controversial as it has also been offered as an |
| theory or the theory which suggests it occurs at | | | | explanation of actual cases of synesthesia. The |
| the higher cognitive/cortical level of the brain. | | | | theory suggests that the repetition of pairing the |
| Brain imaging tests show that words activate the | | | | sensations creates the automatic association of |
| synesthetes' brains' language, vision and colour | | | | those two sensations, i.e. repetition becomes |
| processing centres. Non-Ideopathic Synesthesia | | | | habit.The Spanish mystic and Kaballist, Abraham |
| can be caused by seizures, drugs, neuron | | | | Abulafia (1240-1291?), used a meditation on the |
| degeneration, brain damage, spinal cord damage | | | | Name of God called Hokmah ha-Tseruf, The |
| and concussions. The only symptom shared with | | | | Science of the Combination of the Letters. The |
| a schizophrenic would be the ability to see things | | | | letters of the Divine Name were to be studied in |
| others do not. The synesthetes experiences are | | | | different combinations to break the mind free of |
| not like a hallucination and it has not been | | | | mundane understanding and enhance abstract |
| considered a mental illness or disorder for a long | | | | perceptions. He compared the resulting experience |
| time.The synesthetic experience is a left brain | | | | to the sensation of listening to music with the |
| response and has been associated with a | | | | letters of the alphabet becoming musical notes. It |
| decreased blood supply to the neocortex. | | | | was meant to break the seals of the soul and, in |
| Researchers have found an increased blood flow | | | | so doing, one would discover the psychic |
| in the parts of the brain that handle colour | | | | resources of the mind and ease emotional |
| perception when synesthetes are listening to | | | | suffering.Synesthetes are "wired" a little |
| words. Control subjects did not show the same | | | | differently than a "normal" person - although the |
| pattern. This supports synesthesia as genuinely | | | | only normal people I know are people I don't |
| taking place in the brain. It may be that | | | | know very well yet. It certainly sounds like an |
| synesthetes have extra dense neural connections | | | | enriched experience. My vivid imagination seems |
| between areas dealing with hearing and vision. | | | | pale now when I try to picture what images and |
| Some ongoing research is focusing studies away | | | | sounds a concert, an art exhibit or a child's laugh |
| from Coloured-hearing in the direction of | | | | might evoke for a synesthete. Psychologists, |
| Coloured-smell and are working with children to | | | | neurologists and neuro-scientists are all hopeful |
| see how synesthesia may affect learning to | | | | that studying this unusual and extraordinary gift |
| read.The estimates of the number of people who | | | | may shed some light on the amazing capabilities |
| are synesthetes vary greatly, from one in 2,000 | | | | of the human brain and the mysteries of our |
| to one in every 25,000 people. Studies have | | | | consciousness."There are no limits to the mind |
| indicated that women are more likely to be | | | | unless we acknowledge them.""The most beautiful |
| synesthetic - again the ratio varies from 3:1 in the | | | | thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is |
| United States to 8:1 in the United Kingdom. It | | | | the source of all true art and all science. He to |
| occurs most frequently in left-handed and | | | | whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no |
| ambidextrous individuals. It is a unique brain | | | | longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is |
| experience which gets frequently linked to artistic | | | | as good as dead: his eyes are closed." |
| genius. It is considered a source of inspiration for | | | | Albert EinsteinSources |
| creative brilliance but sources disagree that it is | | | | Richard Cytowic, MDRichard Cytowic, in |
| more common in creative people or artists.Most | | | | "Synaesthesia: Phenomenology and |
| synesthetes function at a very high level, are | | | | Neuropsychology |
| highly intelligent and typically have excellent | | | | a Review of Current Knowledge"Maclester |
| memories. Trouble telling left from right and a | | | | UniversitySam Scott, Carleton UniversityA History |
| poor sense of direction are also common with | | | | of God |
| synesthetes. Difficulties with math are not unusual, | | | | The 4,000 Year Quest of |
| although noted Physicist Richard Feynman is | | | | Judaism, Christianity and Islam |
| synesthetic. It is also quite common for | | | | by Karen Armstrong 1993 |
| synesthetes to report frequent experiences of | | | | Ballantine Books |
| deja vu, clairvoyance, premonitions, the feeling of | | | | ISBN 0-345-38456-3"Ah, the Blue Smell of It" |
| a presence and precognitive dreams. Fifteen | | | | by Unmesh Kher |
| percent of people with synesthesia have | | | | TIME Magazine, May 28, 2001, page 42 |
| someone in their immediate family with autism, | | | | Canadian EditionDo you see what they see? by |
| dyslexia or attention deficit disorder. The | | | | Brad Lemley |
| experience is different for every individual. Those | | | | Discover, December 1999Omar |
| people who see letters as coloured will see | | | | KamelSynaesthesiaBibliographia Studiorum |
| different colours than another person with the | | | | PsychelicorumAn Entheogen |
| same condition. Most initially self-reference and | | | | ChrestomathyButterflies & Zebras Slide Show. |
| assume that everyone experiences the world as | | | | Norm is a synestheteWhat is |
| they do.These sensations are involuntary and | | | | Synaesthesia?Georgia O'Keeffe - biography and |
| cannot be held back or brought on, although their | | | | imagesCheryl Lynne Bradley is a mother, |
| level and intensity may vary. The sensation is not | | | | photographer, writer, internationally respected |
| in the persons imagination but is projected into | | | | professional Tarot reader and the President of |
| their environment. One woman describes it as | | | | Tarot Canada. She writes extensively on Tarot, |
| somewhat like a television screen about 6 inches | | | | Divination, Omens, Superstitions, Dreams and |
| in front of her face. The sensations are durable | | | | Reviews on Books, Tarot Decks and Music. |