Very Interesting News...Synesthesia?

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Has anyone heard of Synesthesia? I ask because I recently found out that I actually have it. All of these years, I thought that my perceptions and memory tactics were normal, only to discover that they are not! I am currently in shock…it affects about 1 in 100,000 people.

For those of you who do not know, Synesthesia is “a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).”

In my case, I have always associated particular colors with particular numbers; 9 is pink, 7 is green, 8 is red, and so on. When I was little, I would play games in my head with these colors and numbers, and I have always thought it was normal. At any rate, I do not want anyone other than my family to know about it, as many consider it to be a mental illness even though it is not. And so I wanted to write at least somewhat anonymously on here about it.

I also have a photographic memory, which I think has been enhanced by this situation. However, I am not sure what other uses this condition might have. Does anyone else know anything more about Synesthesia? Please pray for me. Since the good Lord has seen fit to gift me with this ability, I want to make the most of its uses.
 
I have it too as does one of my closest friends. I don’t have the photographic memory but based on people I have spoken to that have this, it is linked to some other sensitivity. I’m an empath as well. I know you are excited but because who you expose your sensitivities to not everyone believes or respects them. Take care of yourself too.
 
lovedance4ever said:
Has anyone heard of Synesthesia? I ask because I recently found out that I actually have it. All of these years, I thought that my perceptions and memory tactics were normal, only to discover that they are not! I am currently in shock…it affects about 1 in 100,000 people.

For those of you who do not know, Synesthesia is “a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).”

In my case, I have always associated particular colors with particular numbers; 9 is pink, 7 is green, 8 is red, and so on. When I was little, I would play games in my head with these colors and numbers, and I have always thought it was normal. At any rate, I do not want anyone other than my family to know about it, as many consider it to be a mental illness even though it is not. And so I wanted to write at least somewhat anonymously on here about it.

I also have a photographic memory, which I think has been enhanced by this situation. However, I am not sure what other uses this condition might have. Does anyone else know anything more about Synesthesia? Please pray for me. Since the good Lord has seen fit to gift me with this ability, I want to make the most of its uses.
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Doesn’t sound bad whatever it is. Enjoy it and make the best of it.

Linus2nd
 
You’re not alone! :grouphug: I have color-grapheme synesthesia like you - that’s the official term for the kind of synesthesia where the alphabet and numerals have a color. There are lots of interesting forms of synesthesia, some more rare and quite curious in their manifestations.

You might enjoy visiting this website and reading the book, Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens 😉 :

bluecatsandchartreusekittens.com/

For me, synesthesia makes life interesting and is rarely a problem. The only time it is is when I use the colors of letters (and my tendency to think visually and need to see words on a mental “projector screen” instead of processing the auditory (name removed by moderator)ut directly) to try and remember something. Like a name. I can get similar ones easily confused. It drives me nuts when an author of a fiction story gives characters names beginning with the same letter that appear in scenes simultaneously. 😃
 
Thank you for your response! :grouphug: It is nice to finally be able to talk to someone who understands what I am talking about. Others (especially in my family) have been very kind, but it is always nice when you find someone who knows what it is like.

In my experience, the color-grapheme synesthesia is not constant. I can shut it out, if that makes sense. However, when I need to remember a sequence of numbers, like a phone number, I am able to use the colors to help me memorize the numbers. It has always been that way…the colors and numbers also give me certain feelings, positive or negative. It always seemed so normal to me! It may sound silly, but I am kind of in shock at the moment to realize that it is not. lol

I will definitely check out that book!
 
I am familiar with it. I have it to a mild degree… I have always seen the days of the week in terms of color, among some other quirky little things.
 
I think those of us with synesthesia tend to be more aware of the sensory aspects of our existence in general. I know I am. I feel things more intensely - like if it’s hot outside, to me it’s really hot :coolinoff: and I’m uncomfortable, while others seem to go about their business more easily.

I also have always been a picky eater. I don’t know if this was synesthesia or not, but when I was little I described overripe bananas to my mom as “spruce bananas” - because they were pungent, like the spruce needles. 😉 I still don’t like overripe bananas; I like them on the green side, just yellow but not any further than that. I save the ones I deem too ripe for making banana bread.

And lights or sounds can be too intense or distracting for me - again things that other people can tune out or not be bothered by.

But I’m also more creative and imaginative, and I wouldn’t trade that.
 
Gosh, that is so true! My family used to make fun of me (lovingly, of course lol) for how sensitive I am to certain things. Certain smells and textures disturb me for no particular reason, and some colors give me bad feelings and put me off. I never knew why until recently. It all makes sense now.

If I may ask, do you have the projection synesthesia, or association? I do the latter, according to the researcher with whom I spoke.
 
lovedance4ever said:
Gosh, that is so true! My family used to make fun of me (lovingly, of course lol) for how sensitive I am to certain things. Certain smells and textures disturb me for no particular reason, and some colors give me bad feelings and put me off. I never knew why until recently. It all makes sense now.

If I may ask, do you have the projection synesthesia, or association? I do the latter, according to the researcher with whom I spoke.
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I had to look those terms up; hadn’t heard them before - and I found them here: synaesthesia.com/en/information/state-of-science/synasthesie-generell/

From what it says, I would peg my type as “projection.” Although the association as described is similar to my need to project heard information on a mental screen.

When I was diagnosed with ADD I was also diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder. For example, in conducting complicated business, such as banking or insurance or similar things, I prefer to write things down or visit in person when possible, rather than via telephone. If I must call, I sometimes have to request that the person repeat and s l o w l y, please! My ears are fine, the info just gets scrambled between them and the brain! :whacky:

I use a lot of color coding - post it notes, colored pens, folders, etc. I hate tons of white papers lying around that pretty much look alike but pertain to different things. I have to colorize them to make sense of them. And I don’t know if this is part of my synesthetic self or not but sometimes I know what color something “should” be color-coded with! Water bill - green! Electric bill - yellow! etc.
 
I see the days of the week and the months of the year, and the years of a decade as well as centuries past and future as shapes. Tell me it’s Monday and I see it as a certain shape in a certain place in that shape, in relation to the other shapes.
I also tend to characterise pain as sound, high pitched or low…
And I often experience tastes as textures or colours.
I also have a very sensitive sense of colour and smell. I’m an artist that can smell the toast from yesterday morning!
Same thing? Or just weirdness?
 
My son just learned about this in a class. He and one other boy had “symptoms” of synesthesia; he feels the shape of words in his mouth. He told me that some words are round, some are more square, some are triangular (or pyramidal).

Maybe he inherited it from my mother, who sees people’s colors. That guy is blue, someone else is red, all her children are earth tones.
 
I sometimes see people as colours!
I think it’s linked to their smells, though. It’s their smells that are the colour…
 
Did you ever have those colored magnets as a kid that were numbers or letters?

There is a lot of evidence that this is the reason for most cases of this…
 
I think I have it too. Songs have colors. But in some it’s more obvious than in others.
 
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