Synesthesia: that number is orange-red

What does September, green, and the number 6 have in common?

People with synesthesia can link one sensory concept to a different sense. Think of it as one part of the brain spilling-over into another. The most common connection is between shape and color recognition;  letters and numbers can take on different hues and shades. Try looking at this number pattern; can you see the words?

Each person has a unique set of associations. The letter A may look red to one person, and yellow to another. Both would feel uncomfortable if you show them a blue colored A.

Some people can see time laid out as a track or a line, and each month as a different shape: June may be longer and thinner than December, the future and past stretch in different directions, and the weeks and the days stack up in detailed compartments.

Some can see the colors of different sounds and notes, or associate spoken words with shapes. The concepts and senses mingle together like a rich metaphor. Neurologist Ramachandran mentioned that synesthesia is eight times more likely in artists, and may form the basis of creativity and metaphoric thinking.

So your brain can wire itself to link between two different senses, or two modes of input. How can we use that?

To repair and replace senses for people with a damaged sensory organ! Someone could be blind, or color-blind, because of a defect in her eyes, but the visual centers of her brain could still be fully functional. More on that in the next post.