I have synesthesia AMA

[ShinyWorthKeeping]

I have synesthesia.

The way I experience it is, when I see a person I see them as colours, usually blocks of colours sometimes with lines running through. Only twice have I seen 'swirly' colours.

I also can see names, these aren't blocks of colours, these tend to be 'things' very rarely I can smell a name too!

I understand lots of people won't want to out themselves with photos and names but I'm happy to do celebs or if anyone wants to name change etc I'll read your colours or names/baby names or answer any questions.

I'm pregnant and feeling rough and have my 7 month old here with me but I'll be back and forth here today.

AMA

Synesthesia is fascinating. It's heritable too. My DH has it with musical pitch/keys and colour - a form of perfect pitch. One daughter has it with numbers, the other with letters. Not a disability at all, though I think ones with smell/taste can be problematic. I'd never heard of the people one before.

@Soporalt Neither of my parents/sister have it and DD13 doesn't either so as far as I'm aware it's just me!

Luckily I've only had nice smells so far and no taste, to me Valerie smells like cherries! I very rarely experience the smells though

This is fascinating. I am now going down internet rabbit holes.

This sounds so cool! Can you please try the name Kara? My DC 🙂

@Whatisgoingonhere Kara- Camo style army clothes and a small purple/dark pink flower

Wow, that actually sort of suits her style! Thank you!!

What colour is Sunday?

As a day I would say is yellow

My youngest son has synaesthesia. He sees letters of the alphabet as certain colours. I have read this is the most common one.

I have this with numbers, letters and days of the week, months of the year.

I thought everyone had this?! What is it an indicator of?

@mellongoose Welcome to the club! I thought everyone had it too for years! No idea what it's an indicator of

I have aphantasia too , didn't find out till my fifties that others could picture things in their mind . I was gobsmacked people could do this ! Unlike you , I'm quite glad of it, as I think after a lifetime of not being able to picture things , it would freak me out if I suddenly could !

I have a hard time imagining what aphantasia would be like. Out of interest, do you have an internal monologue?

Also if someone asked you to describe a person or object, what would come to mind? Just words? I can't get my head around it!

Same here! It is a bit disappointing in some ways. I also find that the names I have always known still retain colours, but I don't always get a colour experience with new names.

Thanks @ShinyWorthKeeping !

Obviously now googling and come across this article.

en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grapheme–color_synesthesia&wprov=rarw1

The letters here are the wrong colours for me. Also, my alphabet is set out in a certain way.
ABCDE
FGHIJKLM
NOPQRST
UVWXYZ

I can trace this back to a wooden Mr Men alphabet jigsaw I had as a 5yo.

No internal monologue . As for descriptions , I just know what I've seen .

I don't want to derail the thread , I may do one about apahantasia sometime .

I would say it's red 🤣
I only see colours for days of the week, and some numbers, no other synaesthesia - which is really disappointing because it fascinates me!
Great thread!

If you don't mind answering this: Are you or do you think you might be ND? I have it and think I am probably ND but never bothered with diagnosis. I have read there is a correlation though.

Also, are you a migraine sufferer?

Like others here, I thought everyone heard colour until I was an adult. I was in my thirties when I read an article about synesthesia and realised that's what it was.

Friday is red!

No diagnosis but I think it's very likely I have some form of ND.

No migraines really.

Hearing colours is very interesting! What do you hear?

I have this too!

My son has this with letters and numbers. Stronger with letters. When he told us about 8 I wrote them down and check every so often- they are still the same. He stills sees it now he's 17. I remember he told me that's why when he was colouring letters in or doing writing in art he chooses the colours he sees I looked and he was right. Ever since we started collecting his drawings from a toddler he always had the letters corresponding to the 'right' colours. He says he sees people as colours depending on what letter their name starts with. It's a cool thing to have- you're lucky OP. DS has migraines but so do me and his father and we don't have synethesia

Do you experience this with foreign names?

Also are all Peters the same colour?

Does the colour / image change when you get to know someone?