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Original poster

Anyone know about synaesthesia?

110 replies

FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 12:27

I know there are a few synaesthetes on here - I wondered if anyone could point me in the direction of a good book or other materials to learn more about the subject. I was told yesterday that our brains all work synaesthetically up to the age of about 4 months, but I need a reference for this piece of information, and am interested in learning more about it in general.

Thanks in advance if you can help.

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 12:36

Bumpety bump

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Twiglett · 07/07/2006 12:36

hearing in colours
seeing in sounds

NomDePlume · 07/07/2006 12:40

Booba & Kiki

NomDePlume · 07/07/2006 12:41

Apparently Jimi Hendrix was synaesthetic

zippitippitoes · 07/07/2006 12:43

I have this..never read a book on the subject but this looks interesting
here

I might even get it myself

Twiglett · 07/07/2006 12:44

do you zippi .. what kind?

zippitippitoes · 07/07/2006 12:52

words and letters as colours mainly, but also music colour to some extent and some smell crossover..difficult to describe because it is "normal" so never realised it really until I went to art college

I was surprised to discover that it wasn't normal to see a colour for the days of the week for example when i was at school

LSD and some other hallucinogens can temporarily cause/increase the effect so i think there must be a cross over of neurone connections (synapses?) maybe in babies they are not fully formed so that makes them synaesthetes?

You can tell I'm not a scientist

I do however have a brain which makes obtuse connections!

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 13:12

Yes zippi I agree, I know eff all about the brain but I think it must be that there are more connections, or perhaps more interaction, between the parts of the brain in babies. I know we lose the ability to even distinguish a lot of things that babies can - e.g. the differences between faces of other animal species (and to a lesser extent, the differences between members of another race). We have specialised so much in recognising differenced between members of our own species that we can no longer recognise different monkeys, for example, although a baby can do it easily.

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 13:13

I have seen music as colours on the wall, similar to the Northern Lights, when on LSD.

Very nice

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festiveface · 07/07/2006 13:14

omg theres a name for this???

it was only last week that i said to dh about different days of the week being seen as a colours in the mind asssuming everyone was like that and he kept laughing at me calling me a weirdo!!

zippitippitoes · 07/07/2006 13:16

there was a thread on here not so long ago and quite a few people contributed..I have it in my head that miauo was one but might be wrong

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 13:16

LOL every time I have seen a thread about synaesthesia on MN there are people coming out of the woodwork going "OMG! That's me!"

Oh zippi, forgot to say the book looks fab but what a price. Will try to order it via the library.

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 13:17

Yes I think miaou and hunker are both synaesthetes. I had forgotten you were too, zippi. Must admit to feeling a little jealous, along with Twiglett

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Twiglett · 07/07/2006 13:18

LOL Franny .. blinkin' hippy

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 13:19

Who?

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festiveface · 07/07/2006 13:22

well i never i am not that freakish after all!!!!

festiveface · 07/07/2006 13:25

and by the way friday is black lol

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 13:30

Hi, I really must join in this convo, as I am a synaesthete. I see letters and numbers as colours.
My identical twin sister also has the same type of synaesthesia, but interestingly sees each letter and number as a different colour from me. No-one else in my family seems to have it at all.

By the way, Friday is actually yellow!

Pollyanna · 07/07/2006 13:33

I have this too! mainly different words conjur up colours or foods (or textures too sometimes), but also see alot of things in grid form (quite weird really).

SoMuchTobits - Fridays are yellow for me too!

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 13:38

What colour are Thursdays for you, then?

zippitippitoes · 07/07/2006 13:38

Sunday silver
Monday blue with a violet hue
Tuesday Pink
Wednesday Brown with black
Thursday Pale Yellowish
Friday Brighter yellow
Saturday Red with black

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 13:41

Nooooo....

Sunday - brown
Monday - dark green
Tuesday - reddish pink
Wednesday - yellow
Thursday - dark pink
Friday - yellow, but more orangey than Wednesday
Saturday - black

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FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 13:43

"yellow, but more orangey than Wednesday"

LOL loving this thread

So can you have a stab at explaining how you experience these colours? I guess lesser mortals like me will have a hard time understanding. I mean, do you see them in your mind, or do you feel them, or what?

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Pollyanna · 07/07/2006 13:44

Sunday Dark Blue
Monday Emerald
Tuesday Pink
Wednesday Grey
Thursday Red
Friday light yellow
Saturday Black.

SoMuchToBits - some of ours are the same!

Percival · 07/07/2006 13:45

You might all want to try and catch the Wassily Kandinsky exhibition then! Apparently he was a synaesthete too.
Couple of articles recently in broadsheet papers talking about synaesthesia on the back of this exhibition opening. V interesting and left me rather of those of you with this heightened perception!