Short introduction
Which color is A?
Synaesthesia is the simultaneous perception of different senses. There are a lot of people who carry this ability.
There are different Types of synaesthesia. Not every synaesthete obligatorily has to have all types. One of the most common synaesthesia is called grapheme synaesthesia. This is a matter of involuntary associations of colors with letters or numbers. For some synaesthetes these symbols also can have a gender or a personality. The calendar synaesthesia is also very common. Concepts of time like "week" or "year" are seen as a spatial shape, for example a 3-dimensional oval. The synaesthetes can orientate on this mental image.
Another frequently occurring form of synaesthesia is when music elicits colors and forms. It is sometimes accompanied with a taste or the sensation of touching a surface.
There are a great numbers of different possible synaesthesias.
Synaesthesia
In the last years a huge interest on this issue emerged. The research enlightens neurological and psychological aspects of synaesthesia. In the past, it was wrongly categorized as "illness", "drug induced" or the result of "mental imagination". Fortunately, nowadays a better view is provided and science clearly points out that synaesthesia is a real phenomenon which is very common. Probably not only human beings are synaesthetes.
Surely, while hearing music every person can imagine pictures, for example a forest. But this is not the same. There are some criteria defining what true (genuine) synaesthesia is and what is not. Synaesthesia is involuntary. This means that while giving concentration on a stimulus like music, one cannot turn off the colors. Furthermore the synaesthetic perception is constant. The colors of the shapes do not change. Synaesthesia is considered to be unidirectional: thinking of the number 5 elicits the perception of orange. But seeing orange does not always lead to an association to the number 5. Some scientists claim that synaesthesia might be bidirectional. It is said that synaesthetes are creative people, but this might not be true for all synaesthetes.
Research showed that synaesthesia is a heredity trait. But genetics alone cannot explain synaesthesia. There remain a lot of question, for example about the exact processes in the brain. A theory describes, that specific connections between different brain areas could be the cause for the "linking of senses". It is assumed that synaesthesia is the result of too less inhibition in the postnatal phase (time after birth) of a child. In this period there the brain is dramatically rearranged.
Perceive synaesthesia.
Some years ago the general idea existed that synaesthesia was something very special and rare. Newer research showed contradictory result. Nowadays it is estimated that around 5% up to 10% of people could have at least one form of synaesthesia. Despite of having synaesthesia, many synaesthetes are not aware of that. This is because of the fact, that synaesthesia is something subtle and requires attention. If one is not aware of it, one won't perceive it.
Some synaesthetes note, that their perception is slightly different compared to that of other people. Some of them might have had bad experiences trying to explain it to other people. Therefore they are relieved when learning that this "being different" has a name. Others never thought about colored letters and therefore need an input to get aware of it.
Providing information about synaesthesia and social interactions is indispensable. (more)
Synaesthesia and school
Synaesthesia gained a lot of medial interest. But the aspect of children mainly excluded. One could aidsynaesthetes little in using their synaesthesia as an aid for learning. Wrongly colored letters and numbers can have a detrimental effect for them. So synaesthesia should find a place in school. (more)
Mächler M-J. Synaesthesia and Learning; a differentiated view of synaesthetic perceptual awareness. Zürich: Swiss federal institute of technology Zurich; 2009.
