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Synesthesia
- Thread starter Red.Ink.Rain
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Yup. 
You might find some of these threads interesting, where different aspects of the topic have been discussed.
You might find some of these threads interesting, where different aspects of the topic have been discussed.
I've been told that I may have it. I don't really know much about it, really. I haven't even attempted to understand it. But I do associate things with colour and associate colour with things, feelings, etc, etc. I remember arguing with teachers and a specialist about letters having colour. But I could never explain what I meant. I'm sure this doesn't help at all.
Yup.
You might find some of these threads interesting, where different aspects of the topic have been discussed.
Wow. Looks like it's been discussed a LOT here!
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Yup.
You might find some of these threads interesting, where different aspects of the topic have been discussed.
Oh, FABULOUS. Thank you!
Well, I thought I was very synesthetic, until I took the test in one of the links and it only came up 40%! I smell things when I see them on TV (not in the test) and see colors for numbers (in the test), but I don't see colors for days of the week (also in the test.)
Susan Hubbard's character (Ariella) in "The Society of S" and "The Year of Disappearances" has this -- I'd never heard much about it. Fascinating...
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Sounds register in my mind as colors/textures/shapes. Never taken a "test" per se, but there it is. This is part of my why I don't do well writing with a lot of noise: It literally assaults my senses and is very distracting. I usually listen to music, but it has to be music that won't distract me.
Also, my sense of smell diminishes in the presence of noise. In a completely silent room, I can smell damn near anything. I can walk into a noisy coffee shop and not be able to smell the coffee.
Also, my sense of smell diminishes in the presence of noise. In a completely silent room, I can smell damn near anything. I can walk into a noisy coffee shop and not be able to smell the coffee.
I'm reading "Born on a Blue Day," a meemoir/bio by an autistic who (as you might guess by the title) has synesthesia. One might guess that the synesthesia and autism are related. Perhaps he mentions this in the book, I forget (I obviously don't have a photographic memory, at least not for this subject).
That's fascinating (I'm talking about the last paragraph here, though it's all fascinating), and it sounds like a variation of auditory masking:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_masking
You don't have to have every type to have synesthesia. If you see colors for numbers, that's syn and you are a synesthete.
Don't let a test tell you what you do and don't have - they're only useful to a point.Your sounds as colors/textures/shapes definitely sounds like syn. The smelling thing could be, but it's hard to know from just what you wrote.
I've been researching syn for the last four years (ever since I discovered I had a few types
) so I know probably way too much about it, its types, common misconceptions, stimulus-response pairs, involuntary-ness and consistency over time, etc.....
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That's fascinating stuff!
Here's the link to the test:
http://www.synchallenge.com/
[I got 57%]
I don't really do this as described, I don't think (visualize numbers... huh? ) but I have strong associations with [smell + weather] and memory, concepts like days, music, etc.
I have no idea if that makes any sense or if it's related, but whatever it is I do that in spades
Here's the link to the test:
http://www.synchallenge.com/
[I got 57%]
I don't really do this as described, I don't think (visualize numbers... huh?
) but I have strong associations with [smell + weather] and memory, concepts like days, music, etc.I have no idea if that makes any sense or if it's related, but whatever it is I do that in spades
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Interesting you mention this. My daughter has lately had a growing obsession with green. She has tantrums if I try to put any other colored clothing on her and now instead of calling a 'happy day' by the emotion, it's a green day. Others are still sad or mad, etc.
Never connected it until now. Thanks, this gives me something to research for her therapy.
That's fascinating stuff!
Here's the link to the test:
http://www.synchallenge.com/
[I got 57%]
I don't really do this as described, I don't think (visualize numbers... huh?
I have no idea if that makes any sense or if it's related, but whatever it is I do that in spades
Thanks for the test link. I'm taking it right now.
One of the things that I struggled (using struggled here in a minimalist way...isn't really a big deal) with my entire life was seeing words as colours. Well, particular words. When I see the word orange, I see blue...and when I see the word blue, I see orange. People think I'm 'special' when I try to refer to something that is one of these colours, because I say the wrong one before I have a chance to think about it. So, I'll say an orange or a pumpkin is blue. I see orange, but my mind says blue because the word orange is blue. I'm probably not even making sense. Off to do the test...
Test Result: There is a 93% chance your brain matter contains grade-A synesthesia! Your brain is 93% wired for creativity.
93%!!! Yeah, I'd say you should add that to your 'expert on' qualifications
BTW, I don't visualize mathematical or spatial things at all, but I'm very good at math. I can't think without paper is the thing.
Sorry to get off track; I just love 'thinking patterns' kind of stuff!
BTW, I don't visualize mathematical or spatial things at all, but I'm very good at math. I can't think without paper is the thing.
Sorry to get off track; I just love 'thinking patterns' kind of stuff!
@ THINKER : Do you have a fascination with the number 5? I've had a lifelong fascination with this number. I call it the number of the universe, actually. I know it holds the secrets of the entire universe. I wonder if my obsession with it has anything to do with synesthesia? I see it as vibrant red too.
I also see it as this:
That's what I see when I think of five...only in vibrant red.
I also see it as this:
That's what I see when I think of five...only in vibrant red.
93%!!! Yeah, I'd say you should add that to your 'expert on' qualifications
BTW, I don't visualize mathematical or spatial things at all, but I'm very good at math. I can't think without paper is the thing.
Sorry to get off track; I just love 'thinking patterns' kind of stuff!
I could sleep through math and still get high nineties. Patterns are a true obsession for me. They actually get my OCD in gear sometimes.
@ KTC
Do you ever need paper for anything? I can't imagine being so visual.
We have opposite thinking patterns that run in our family, and my brother has a photographic memory and went to college for art, bad at math. My dad and I are more mathematical than visually artistic, but we both have to have pen and paper at all times [he's an engineer]. My brother can't relate to the need for paper at all.
Do you ever need paper for anything? I can't imagine being so visual.
We have opposite thinking patterns that run in our family, and my brother has a photographic memory and went to college for art, bad at math. My dad and I are more mathematical than visually artistic, but we both have to have pen and paper at all times [he's an engineer]. My brother can't relate to the need for paper at all
.
@ KTC
Do you ever need paper for anything? I can't imagine being so visual.
We have opposite thinking patterns that run in our family, and my brother has a photographic memory and went to college for art, bad at math. My dad and I are more mathematical than visually artistic, but we both have to have pen and paper at all times [he's an engineer]. My brother can't relate to the need for paper at all
I guess it would depend on how complex a problem we are talking about. I would say in most cases I do not need paper. But I also have an extreme hatred of numbers...so unless it's something I have to do, I simply don't care. That used to drive my math teachers crazy. I simply hated numbers. I wasn't indifferent to them, I hated them.
Except for 5. I used to explore that number artistically...because I can find it in everything. I don't really see it as a number so much.
The "blue day" title of the book refers to color of the word for the day of the week, and it seems that sort of thing is common among synthesthists, or whatever.
I got 63 percent, which is quite a surprise. I was really expecting zero or at most something very low. Numbers don't mean colors to me, sounds and music doesn't mean color, etc. I think that test is rigged.
It sounds like it would really help to read this book! He writes about having had tantrums and crying when he was a small child due to very similar things.