Synesthesia: The Crossing of the Senses

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