Do you smell chrysanthemums when you drink soda? Perhaps you see yellow when you see a budgerigar (and not when its feathers are actually colored yellow!). Or is it that when you hear a telltale accordion in a polka tune, you taste chocolate? If you’ve experienced anything like these situations, there’s an unlikely to very slim chance that you have what psychologists know as synesthesia. Before we talk about what synesthesia is psychologically, let’s talk about the word itself. The word “synesthesia” comes from the Greek roots syn, meaning “together,” and aisthesis, meaning “sensation” (Wikipedia). There are different forms of synesthesia. The most common form is grapheme-color synesthesia. This is a phenomenon in which the synesthete (yes, that’s what you call someone when they have synesthesia) associate letters and numbers with colors. Quite often, A is red, E and P are yellow, and R is orange, 4 is brown, and Q is either blue or orange (Wikipedia, Neuroscience for Kids). Another common form, chromesthesia, makes synesthetes associate sounds with colors. Some people with chromesthesia have been known to be pitch perfect, as the colors seen aid them in knowing which note they’re hearing. These colors can be triggered by everyday sounds, such as those produced by doors, cars, dogs, and other people. It’s also often triggered by notes and keys heard in music. B flat, for example, is often orange or blue, just like Q; it often differs from person to person. The composers Franz Liszt and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov were known for bickering over the colors of the notes in their songs (Wikipedia). Tests have been conducted on synesthesia. A common test is the Bouba-Kiki test, devised by physician Wolfgang Kohler. The experiment involves two shapes: one angular and star-like, the other rounded and resembling a puddle. Selected people are asked which they would Bouba and which they would name Kiki. 97% of people said the rounded shape was Bouba, and the angular one Kiki (Wikipedia). This may present a form of synesthesia called ideasthesia. Another physician, Richard Cytowic, MD, studied synesthesia deeply. He says there are distinguishable characteristics, which may be a starting point for a diagnosis. There are several(Wikipedia): -Synesthetic experiences happen involuntarily. -Rather than seeing a background of a color, synesthetes see a color projected. -If a synesthete tastes crackers whenever they hear Jack White, they must always taste crackers when listening to Jack White. -A synesthetic vision is always simple, such as lines and shapes; it’s never anything like seeing a quarter or a grasshopper. -A synesthete who associates “Remi” with yellow often remembers yellow instead of “Remi.” -Synesthetic experiences often trigger emotions. Any synesthete who breaks these rules psychologically is likely not an actual synesthete. The likeliness of being a synesthete is around 1 to 500. Synesthesia occurs most often in women and left-handers. Most synesthetes are of normal to above average intelligence and normal in neurological exams. Also, synesthesia seems to be hereditary; a synesthete’s children and grandchildren are likely to have synesthesia. It appears to be a dominant trait carried on the X-chromosome (Neuroscience for Kids). Synesthesia has some influence beyond the human mind. Synesthesia is depicted in forms of literature, such as Vladimir Nabokov’s The Gift and Wendy Mass’s A Mango-Shaped Space. Some authors, such as Pat Duffy, are synesthetes themselves. Many musicians are synesthetes and have occasionally depicted synesthesia in their songs. Chromesthesia proves helpful in making melodies and making them repeat exactly. Just ask Billy Joel or Pharrel Williams (Wikipedia)! No one agrees on what synesthesia means or even is. It’s just a weird sensation--a blending of sensations, in fact--that comes and goes. No matter what it is, I have a question to ask you as a reader: do you taste Hersheys when you play an accordion? Sources Neuroscience for Kids. “Synesthesia.” Phillips, Melissa Lee. Visited 9/23/2015. https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/syne.html Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. “Synesthesia.” Updated 9/11/2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia
