Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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.

OP posts:
Blandmum · 07/07/2006 16:00

\link{http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/syne.html\great site on brain function and synestesia]

The site is fab for kids of all ages, and also has lots of fun activities for kids on neurology!

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 18:08

You know I think when I said hunker was a synaesthete, I was in fact thinking of her lunatic melon tasting

I knew there are a few of you out there, though.

OP posts:
Coolmama · 07/07/2006 18:20

Sorry - am a bit of a late starter to this thread, but am also synaesthesic - I see numbers as colours and words have colours for me (though they don't alway match the individual colours that a particular letter may have) eg. the letter 'm' is a pale green colour, but words with 'm' in them are dark vivid luscious cool grass green. My emotions have colours and people have colours -
Interestingly enough, I am also left-handed which is supposed to have some bearing on everything -
Kandinsky developed this theory of "Simultinaity" or the idea of trying to "paint the music" - hence the syn. speculation.

Fauve · 07/07/2006 18:23

So was Proust a synaesthete? Cf 'you can smell something and it tells you a story'?

Other creative types who were synaesthetes?

Still here

Coolmama · 07/07/2006 19:24

Am not sure that is true synesthesia - or just sensory memory - like hearing a song that brings some memory back to you.

Rosieglow · 07/07/2006 20:23

Coolmamma, interested to hear that you are left-handed as this is often associated with creativity.
How many of you other synaesthetes are also left handed?
Very BTW - I have difficulty visualising anything (esp numbers or words) let alone in interesting colours!

Saker · 07/07/2006 20:45

I am very right handed - however I am not very synaesthetic (see further down thread) - just days and some months in colour and also very clear timelines and numberlines. I can't imagine how anyone can cope with time without seeing it in their head. If you say to me e.g. next Tuesday I immediately see it there a bit to the right ahead of me over a sort of hill which is the weekend. It really helps me to organise things in my head. I see numbers similarly and it has always helped me with mental arithmetic.

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 21:21

After reading about all the synaesthetic children on here I thought I would check out ds. So during tea time I casually asked him "Ds, what colour is Friday?" He looked at me as if to check if I was really being serious, thought for quite a while, then said cautiously "Blue."

"Ah, and what colour's Saturday?"

"Green. And I'm not telling you any more."

OP posts:
Pruni · 07/07/2006 21:24

Message withdrawn

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:31

I am synaesthetic, but very,very right handed.
I also see time as linear, but in a kind of line which stretches from left to right and from the back coming forwards.

I know this sounds silly, but I often wish my real name wasn't yellow, as it is my least favourite colour.

hunkermunker · 07/07/2006 21:33

lunatic melon tasting indeed...

hunkermunker · 07/07/2006 21:33

Amanda is a yellow name.

Pruni · 07/07/2006 21:33

Message withdrawn

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:37

Well, Amanda is dark blue to me! No, I chose my MN name because sometimes I would say to my ds "I love you so much" and sometimes "I love you to bits", and one day he came up and said "Mummy, I love you so much to bits", and the saying has now kind of stuck.

So my MN name is mostly red and brown. But we gave ds a nice blue name.

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 21:38

Hunker are you synaesthetic, or just a loony melon taster?

Can I also ask what colour is my MN name, please, and why do you all see Saturday as black? I thought Saturday was generally seen as the best, most fun day of the week, and black as a miserable and depressing colour?

OP posts:
SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:38

Pruni is brown (largely because U is brown.)

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:40

Well, the word Saturday is black, but that doesn't mean I don't like Saturdays! Franny is green to me and Zooey is purple. And is dark blue.

southeastastra · 07/07/2006 21:41

this is really interesting are you all artistic too?

Pruni · 07/07/2006 21:43

Message withdrawn

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 21:44

So it is the letters that make up the word, or the symbol of the word, rather than the object or concept it stands for, that has the colour? (that is really badly expressed, but I hope you see what I mean)

OP posts:
SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:46

I don't do anything artistic for a living - I'm a SAHM and before having ds I was a nurse. But I have always enjoyed drawing, and although not brilliant at it, have managed to produce some reasonable drawings at times. I have also always been very interested in colours, and the colours of things in my surroundings and environment are quite important to me. A lot of my memories are triggered by colour, e.g. I can remember the colours of a lot of clothes I had as a child, and colours of rooms etc. in houses I've lived in. It seems quite an important thing to me.

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:49

Yes, Franny, its the letters, certainly for me, nd for my sister, that make up the colour of the word. Not the meaning at all. So the word blue is actually brown, and the word red is green.

I can't help it that Pruni is brown, any more than I can help it that my real name is yellow!

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 07/07/2006 21:53

there is something brown about her, now you mention it

OP posts:
Pruni · 07/07/2006 21:54

Message withdrawn

SoMuchToBits · 07/07/2006 21:56

Oh no! What have I started here???

I should have said Pruni was pink or something...but it just isn't!