According to the UK Synaesthesia Association, synaesthesia is ‘best described as a “union of the senses” whereby two or more of the five senses that are normally experienced separately are involuntarily and automatically joined together. Some synaesthetes experience colour when they hear sounds or read words. Others experience tastes, smells, shapes or touches in almost any combination. These sensations are automatic and cannot be turned on or off. Synaesthesia isn’t a disease or illness and is not at all harmful. In fact, the vast majority of synaesthetes couldn’t imagine life without it.’
For me, words and numbers are colours, but emotions have colours too, as well as peoples’ personalities. Occasionally a word will have a texture or feeling (e.g. the name Zara is like the static on a television)
September 5, 2007 at 9:13 pm |
Hi. My name is Ivan Diaz. I am in the U.S. ARMY stationed in Kuwait. I know two languages, and i am learning Arabic, French, and Italian. I was studing with a fellow classmate, and I told her that I feel different when I speak in different languages. I also mentioned that I am starting to see letters in Arabic in different colors. I see the letter A in arabic as red. I also see the word we in purlpe. I also see the congegation of that word also in purple. I also told her that I can see and feel different when I speak Spanish than when I speak English. In English, I feel like I an in suit and tie and I am in an office. When I speak in Spanish, I feel like taking over the world. When someone from Puerto Rico speaks spanish to me, i feel like music is coming out and like we are going to dance. I was disapointed. I had thought everyone did the same thing that I did. I didn’t even know that I had this, if she wouldn’t have mention it. I would like to know more about this contition, if i have a condition. I want to know if there are like some side-affects, or if i have like less to live than other peolple.
September 5, 2007 at 9:46 pm |
I have experienced since in my teens bursts of color with certain types of music. I also “see” every word when people are talking within ear shot or to directly to me. It is like reading a script whne someone is talking. This also occurs whne I speak.
I had wondered about this, but now I believe it is technically Synaesthesia since both hearing and “sight” are involved. Some times, I have difficulty “erasing” the text from a sentnence that “hangs” in the “air!”
This must facilitate learning or memory since two senses (hearing and visual) are involved in speech communications.
I might expect that a more persons have this particular variant of Synaesthesia, but are probably not aware of it.
By-the-way, I was diagnosed as dyslexic in elementary school (4th grade).
Daniel Van Gent
March 7, 2008 at 7:17 am |
February 16, 2009 at 2:38 am |
hi Lauren – have only just stumbled onto your site – wasn’t sure if the blog was still running – last entries – as far as I can find them – are from last year. Anyway, I very much like the ’synaesthesic friendly’ presentation of your site – very visually acceptable/ easy on the eye and therfore on the other senses that are triggered by colour/layout/font etc. I have polymodal synaesthesia and many sites on the subject are a real headache – loud colours – always in the wrong colours for letters etc, very grating – they are often ’supercharged’ with flashing texts, bad background layout – supposedly these sites are aimed at non synnies to give some indication on synaesthesic experience? But for me there are a nightmare – anyone else find that? i would think so.
Anyway, I am also living in the UK and so wanted to get in touch – I am an artist/writer/perfumier based in the south east. I was struck by your experience of the name ‘Zara’ – which amazingly matches my own – and do you know it has been bugging me for months, possibly years – i could never quite explain my dislike of it until I heard another synaesthete ’speaking my language’. Not speaking ’synaesthesically’ can be hard work and I sometimes feel that english is not my first language – despite being born here – rather, synaesthesia is my first language – it existed long before any more universally standardised language was introduced – with synaesthesia everything has its place and meaning – words, numbers, faces…in fact all objects/ experiences have their own synaesthesic ‘rationale’ and hang together ‘harmoniosly’ – languge – both spoken and written ‘rejigs’ things – they don’t match up. MMmm your description of ‘Zara’ is identical except a thin black line runs along the top of the word at the same time that the static is experienced and that line also presses against my skin – it totally explains my aversion to it.
Cheers for the website! and very much hope to hear from you,
Barbara