Thursday, April 16, 2009

Hearing Colors, Tasting Shapes

I came across this article under Dr. Ramachandran's publications, which gives an overview of synesthesia, a phenomenon found in many normal people whose senses are distorted. It has been known to scientists since 1880, however many have disregarded it as the product of drug trips (especially mescaline and LSD).

There are several explanations for the condition; some scientists believe synesthesia is a product of childhood memories and associations occurring in the brain, others see it as synesthetes being metaphorical when they describe sounds in color or tastes in shape. To discover the roots of the phenomenon, scientists used a simple test called pop-out or segregation, which concludes that only certain primitive features (color, line orientation) can provide for basic grouping. When using numbers to create a shape such as a triangle, synesthetes correctly reported the shape formed, unlike nonsynesthetes. 

The next question is why do synesthetes experience what they do. A common answer is cross-wiring in the brain, and studying this helps scientists better understand sensory processes, language, and cognitive thinking. Looking at a number evokes a specific hue, which occurs because brain areas that normally do not interact when processing numbers or colors do activate each other. This process is thought to be genetic, and perhaps a mutation occurs, causing connections to emerge between brain areas that are usually segregated. The fact that it occurs in different areas explains why some people taste numbers and others feel shapes. 

In conclusion, synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense interferes with the expression of another. Its abandonment in the 20th century and revival in the 21st have led scientists to further investigate cognitive thinking and all the aspects that affect it. 

6 comments:

Danielle Heard said...

Like all of Dr. Ramamchandran's cases this one is by far the most bizarre and interesting. I do not agree that this can condition could be associated with being a product of childhod memories and associations occuring in the brain. The best explanation is clearly that synesthesia is another situation that is best explained in neurologist terms. Neurology helps to explain almost all disorders because the brain is the source and provider of all our information dealing with our emotions and movements. Synesthesia is a result 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)"(synesthe.org).

David An said...

This symptom is very interesting and convinces how human body is formed scientifically. About the brain parts' connection and how they are wired all together then how one parts send signal to stimulate the other parts. I feel sorry about the patients who have this mental disorder but it is very interesting to me as I imagine what's gonna happen if I can manipulate this brain connections. For example, if I can connect my brain parts that govern my vision with a brain parts that govern my smelling sensory parts. Then when smell something I can draw that smell because I can see it. Also as I see something I can smell that view. How exciting would it be.

KYU said...

This was very interesting. Hearing Colors and tasting shapes.. I can't imagine what it feels like.. And this case is also the cause about the brain. Learning of Dr. Ramamchandran's theoris was really new thing and interesting for me.

Anonymous said...

Hi there.

Danielle and David An,

As someone who has synaesthesia, I should like to correct your belief that we are "patients" with "mental disorders". The condition is in fact not a disorder at all, just a harmless perceptual difference, which many people see as a gift. Some researchers, Ramachandran included, see it as contributing to creativity, and it can certainly aid memory. It's not that weird, either– it now seems it's very common and that many people have it without knowing, since it doesn't usually cause problems and seems perfectly natural if you have it. (Do YOU by any chance often think letters or numbers have colours? You don't have to actually see them– just making the association in your head is enough!)

There is unfortunately a common perception that it's a form of mental illness or something, probably because it's "neurological" and has a long name that sounds a bit like "schizophrenia". Also, media treatment is often very sensational and gives the impression that people's senses are totally messed up so that they can't interpret sensory impressions. This is entirely wrong. Please look up the Wikipedia page on synaesthesia and related links if you don't believe me.

Or you could try these:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/synaesthesia1.shtml
http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Synesthesia
http://www.naropa.edu/consciousness/synesthesia.cfm
http://www.uksynaesthesia.com/
http://www.syn.sussex.ac.uk/
http://www.maccs.mq.edu.au/research/projects/synaesthesia/index.html
http://med.uth.tmc.edu/comm/alumniMag/2006-Spring/articles/article-03a-brain.html

Authoritative enough for you?

I am not trying to be rude here, but you must understand how unpleasant it is to have people casually assuming there's something wrong with your head!

On the upside– there's no need for you to feel sorry for anyone! This is no more a mental disorder than being left-handed is.

Regards,

RR,

P.S. I'm going to assume you're a nice person and won't come to my blog and harass me for saying this. Just in case you were thinking of it, please don't. I've had a very nasty experience like that, and I don't want a repeat.

Anonymous said...

I just thought I'd come back and say a few more things about synaesthesia, which is a very misunderstood phenomenon.

Contrary to what people seem to think, it's not like one sense replaces another– you don't hear instead of seeing, or anything weird like that. Also, most people who do this don't actually see the colours physically– that's very rare– they just associate colours with sounds or letters or numbers– L is pale blue, F is green, M is red etc. (However, now and then I have for a moment seen very black or white text as being tinged with "my" colours.)

The only drawback I have ever found to it are that I can get a slight feeling of disquiet from seeing words written in the "wrong" colours, and that I can sometimes get distracted by music and musical tones, just because I start listening to the colours.

It's not harmful, and really not that bizarre... in fact some researchers think just about everyone experiences certain basic forms of synaesthesia, and that it has influenced the development of language and especially metaphor.

(All the above applies to "developmental synaesthesia", the kind thought to be caused by a gene mutation. You can also get it from brain damage, in which case it is a pathological symptom.)

Diane said...

I also have the condition, and have had for as long as I can remember. People's names have taste and colour. When I used to tell my mum that the name Kathleen tasted of mint caramel and was green she used to tell me to stop telling tales. I learned to be quiet about it. It was only when I was in my 40's that I found out it was a recognised thing.All numbers and letters have colour. Names have colour and taste and sometimes shape. Eg. my name is red, tastes of medicine and is a pair of red spectacles. I do have to say that the intensity of this is less as a get older. When I was a child some words would make me feel sick if I thought about them long enough. Sometimes peoples voices have colour or taste and smells can have colour. I don't look on it as a problem, in fact it's quite interesting. My kids think I'm bonkers!