Photo: Azendia
Synesthesia came from the Ancient Greek words “syn” (means “together”) and “aisthēsis” (means “sensation”). The term “Synesthesia” means “union of the senses”. According to Wikipedia:
Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
Here is a Ted-Ed video explaining what Synesthesia is:
There are people who can see certain colors in certain letters and numbers. This is the most common type of synesthesia. Some people can taste the sound. They get the physical taste for certain words. The experience of synesthetic perceptions varies from person to person.
Here are some quick fun facts about Synesthesia:
- Recently it was found that Synesthesia is not that uncommon as previously thought. Probably, up to 4% people have some form of Synesthesia.
- Synesthesia is heritable.
- Most synesthetes do not know that they are seeing reality in a different way than others.
- Synesthesia is not a disorder, because there is nothing wrong. It is a trait, like having blue eyes.
A synesthete explains how she experiences numbers:
If you want to know more, here is a wonderful documentary:
Sources:
1. Wikipedia