What Is Synesthesia?
What if watermelon tasted like the color blue to you? Or if the number 4, to you, had a motherly personality? For people with one of the various types of Synesthesia, there is a bond between two or more different senses. The word synesthesia comes from two Greek words, syn (together) and aisthesis (perception). In short, synesthesia means "joined perception."
What Is Synesthesia?
Synesthesia is a neurological rarity in which one cognitive pathway (for example, taste) leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway (such as hearing). There are people who paint music because they see colors, shapes, and textures when they hear music. Although thought to be highly underdiagnosed, we do know that 2-5% of the US population has Synesthesia and it can run in families.
Different Types of Synesthesia
Many synesthetes are known to have more than one type of synesthesia. In the grand scheme, very few in-depth studies have been done on synesthesia and associated subtypes. One named variety is currently the most commonly occurring, it’s called grapheme-color synesthesia, in which individual letters and numbers are associated with precise shades of colors and sometimes highly colorful patterns as well. The second most common is Chromesthesia, which is where a person hears sounds and associates them with colors. Some other types of synesthesia are were texture is felt in response to sight, smells are heard as sound, and shapes are tasted as flavors.
One type of synesthesia, called Mirror-Touch, is associated with a deep sense of empathy. Mirror-Touch synesthesia creates a physical feeling when seeing someone experience something similar. For instance, someone with the condition experiencing pressure in their chest when seeing someone else undergo CPR.
The Ability within Synesthesia
Scientists such as Francis Galton started to study synesthesia in the 19th century as a means to further understand the largely unknown phenomenon which is human perception. Two people can experience the same event but through completely different lenses. When these two people try to explain to the other their point of view, they have to do it in the way that they communicate, whether that’s through sound, sight or another form of personal communication.
In some cases, synesthesia can develop later in life from head trauma, strokes, or brain tumors. Like all cognitive and physical diversities, synesthesia is an ability of the bearer to perceive the world through a truly unique lens.
If you think you have synesthesia, there’s a test named the Synthesia Battery. We do have not taken and cannot endorse this test, it was found as the go-to answer when in the process of researching this article.
About Stephen’s Place
Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).
If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information.
Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.