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Synaesthesia

Synaesthesia. Life’s too confusing for this stuff…. What is Synaesthesia?. Defined as “an involuntary physical experience of a cross-modal association” Crossing of the senses One stimulation of a sense causes the stimulation of another sense Greek Syn – together Aisthesis – perception

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Synaesthesia

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  1. Synaesthesia Life’s too confusing for this stuff…

  2. What is Synaesthesia? • Defined as “an involuntary physical experience of a cross-modal association” • Crossing of the senses • One stimulation of a sense causes the stimulation of another sense • Greek • Syn – together • Aisthesis – perception • Five main diagnostic features • Involuntary • Sensations projected onto environment (i.e. real) • Sensations remain the same with time and situation • Memorable (often most memorable) • Emotional – causes ecstasy

  3. History of Synaesthesia • Possibly first identified/noted by Aristotle (4th century B.C.) or Pythagoras (6th century B.C.) • First reference believed to be in John Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding • Speaks of a blind man interpreting scarlet as being like “the sound of a trumpet”. • Leibniz and Newton both mention in 1704 • Leibniz – recounted again a case of a blind man interpreting scarlet as being like the sound of a trumpet • Newton – Attributed colors to notes of a musical scale • Castel – 1735- Noticed same parallel as Newton, and created first color organ • Galton – 1883 – noticed synaesthesia seemed to be frequent in children • Scriabin – 1911 – composed Prometheus • Incorporates music and light • 1944 – attempt to teach “colored hearing”

  4. Types of Synaesthesia • Two or more senses crossed, usually unidirectional – 31 possible combinations • Two-Sensory: • Colored Hearing (Chromaesthesia) • Sound evokes perception of a color • Colored-Olfaction • Smell evokes color • Colored-Gustation • Taste evokes color • Tactile-Gustation • Taste experienced as shape • Multiple Sensory • Numbers, letters, words, dates, etc experienced as colors  

  5. What’s happening in the brain? • Idea that it’s a mental illness is no longer valid • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) shows that different areas of the brain are active for a task for those with Synaesthesia than those without • Depends exclusively on the left brain • Associated with decreased blood supply to the neocortex, resulting in enhanced limbic expression • Leads to belief that synaesthesia is influenced more by limbic system than neocortex • Supported by the fact that there are emotions felt when a synaesthetic experience occurs • Idiopathic (natural/genetic) • Rebalancing of regional metabolism (similar to migraine) • Everyone perhaps Synaesthetic at birth, and some fail to have their senses modulated • Non-Idiopathic (developed) • Seizure (electrical discharge in brain) induced • Drug Induced • Neuron degeneration • Brain/Spinal damage • Concussion induced (noises/lights cause pain – temporary)

  6. Living With Synaesthesia • Generalized Trends • Order, neatness, symmetry, balance • More prone to unusual experiences (déjà vu, etc.) • Right-left hand confusion • Math abilities and spatial navigation below average • Superior memories • Imagine: • Conversations being painful or pleasurable from flashes of color, and not being able to concentrate on what is being said • Voices blending together in a mix of colors • Fast speech bringing a confusing mix of pictures and/or colors • Remembering things, even in other languages, simply by association with another sense (pictures, for instance)

  7. References • http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/synesthesia/SYNBRA~1.HTM • Great page, lots of information

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