Does anyone have some information on Synesthesia?

Question

I was recently talking to another musician about how I compose/memorize and he mentioned this. Isn't it kind of normal to see things in terms of shapes? I don't know....

Answer 1

It's crossed information by the senses. For example, when you see a person you know, as well as viusal recognition, you can also get a specific taste that relates to that person. Sounds that evoke smells, a sort of sensory mis-information process.

Answer 2

Personally, I have never heard of Synesthesia. Here is a definition that I found:

Synthesia is the medical term for the rare ability to detect numbers and letters as colors, as well as in their traditional form. Its cause is not known, but some neuroscientists suggest it might be due to the brain combining multiple senses (for example, those of sight and sound, or taste and smell) into larger, all-encompassing senses, permitting a person with synthesia to perceive the world in ways most people cannot.

Answer 3

Only that the only time I've ever heard of it was in reference to a mental factor measure by the MMPI (the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the most usual test for abnormal domain of personality), and that it somehow deals with the ideas of Pavlov, specifically with a subject attempting to resolve a contradiction in association. Nobody really uses the idea of Synesthesia anymore though, or so I have heard.

Answer 4

I've been interested in synaesthesia for a long time.

The fictional character Gully Foyle developed an extreme form of synaesthesia in Alfred bester's book, "The Stars my Destination". I became interested in the condition from reading that book. I suspect I have a mild form of the condition, because I associate certain numbers and days of the week with colours, certain metals with flavours on my tongue and certain shapes with sounds and, again, colours.

There are multiple types of synaesthesia, as explained in the fourth link below. Famous synaesthetes and pseudo-synaesthetes are also to be found on the final link below.

Answer 5

I have a friend that 'sees' colours whenever she hears a name (I'm green by the way) - so I find Synesthesia fascinating.........apparently so do the BBC - after you've exhausted this BBC link just type Synesthesia into a search engine.......happy hunting...

Answer 6

its fairly rare.. there are many TYPES of synesthesia, but they all result from cross-wiring in the brain resulting in the senses getting mixed up with extra info..

some people can taste words.. some people see colors or shapes when listening to music.. my mom associates colors with certain numbers... many types

they say that everybody has it to SOME degree

for instance, imagine a jagged shape, and a smooth blob... one is called moomba and one is called kiki... which is which?

across all cultures and languages, people say the jagged shape is kiki and the smooth one is moomba... thats a more common form of synesthesia

enjoy your gifts, not everybody gets them =)

Answer 7

It's a neurological rarity in which 2 or more of the senses are inter-connected, resulting in a more holistic experience

Answer 8

*Waves

What do you want to know?

I have not heard of anyone with the shapes thing you mention?

Answer 9

Its when senses get crossed, i remember this from question asked on QI (check it out sometime) but heres everything you need to know http://http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n17/mente/synaesthesia.htm Sounds pretty cool if you ask me!

Answer 10

have no idea...
i wish i did....