Chromesthesia: a form of synesthesia which translates or maps sound to colour.
Synesthesia is an important part of my life and experience as a musician, so I wanted to share some resources and quotes to help you better understand it.
If you also experience a form of synesthesia, I hope these may help you too. Either to help give language to describe your experiences, or to pass onto those around you to help them see things from your perspective.
LAYOUT NOTES
SYNESTHESIA AND CREATIVITY by Catherine Mulvenna (American Psychological Association)
“Synesthesia is not a disorder, but a variation of human perception”
synaesthesia – located at the interface of literature and neuroscience, sensation and ideation, mind and body – might also fruitfully be explored in relation to lyric poetry at the interface of multisensoriality and multimedia…
…what is now known as “synaesthesia” has from the outset been associated with the creative tension between sensation and ideation and with the imaginative associations, visionary perceptual states and complex mental operations central to artistic practice and aesthetic theory. This is reflected in the ways in which both the sciences and arts have for centuries attempted to understand and to exploit the creative possibilities of the blending of the senses through formal experimentation and technological innovation.
By virtue of being located at the crossroads of sensation and ideation, experience and experimentation, the aesthetic of the synaesthetic thus exploits the creative tension between perception and imagination.
English poets were primarily familiarised with the phenomenon of coloured-hearing through Erasmus Darwin’s influential The Botanic Garden of 178823. Darwin here discusses Newton’s spectrum-gamut parallel, evokes the “Sisterhood of Music and Painting”, and remarks that:
“From this curious coincidence, it has been proposed to produce a luminous music, consisting of successions or combinations of colours, analogous to a tune …”
Erasmus Darwin further suggests that the sister arts “borrow metaphors from each other; musicians speak of the brilliancy of sounds, and the light and shade of a concerto; and painters of the harmony of colours, and the tone of a picture”. Thus, he concludes, “it is to be wished that some ingenious musician would further cultivate this curious field of science…”
Phillip Lindholm https://journals.openedition.org/edl/4009?lang=it
https://journals.openedition.org/edl/4009?lang=it
Words that taste like orange candy. Music that projects brilliant shimmering colors. Numbers that come with personalities and full life stories. These are all forms of synesthesia, the neurological condition in which senses such as taste, touch, smell and vision link or merge. Historical accounts of people with synesthesia date back hundreds of years.
Julian Asher is a geneticist who helped us to understand the genetics of synesthesia. And he told me that when he was a young boy, his parents would take him to the symphony and he assumed that the house lights dimmed so that people could see the colors better. Because for him, the orchestra has colors floating above it. And he actually thought, “Why else would anybody dim the house lights apart from to see the synesthetic colors better?”
Julia Simner, PhD, is a professor of neuropsychology at the University of Sussex in the U.K., where she runs the MULTISENSE lab. Her work focuses on the psychological and neuroscientific bases of sensory differences, including synesthesia, misophonia and aphantasia. She has been published in high impact science journals including “Brain” and “Nature,” and her research has been covered in newspaper and media articles worldwide. She is the science officer for the UK Synaesthesia Association, and the author of several books including The Oxford Handbook of Synesthesia: “We’ve screened thousands of children. We’ve found the synesthetes among them. And we look at their personality, and the children don’t really realize they’re special. Their parents don’t know that their children have synesthesia, but everybody concurs that these synesthetes are higher in the trait of openness to experiences, which is linked to intellectual curiosity, but also creativity… And we can see these effects emerging if not by six, then by seven or eight. So yes, creative population….”
For example, in terms of well-being, so we find that people with these sensory differences, even synesthesia that’s sometimes considered a gift, can have impairments in their well-being, can have problems in their well-being. So for example, in synesthesia, we found that people with synesthesia, with verified synesthesia, are significantly more likely to experience anxiety disorder than other people. And we were really surprised about this.”
https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/synesthesia
“The condition is not well known, in part because many synesthetes fear ridicule for their unusual ability. Often, people with synesthesia describe having been driven to silence after being derided in childhood for describing sensory connections that they had not realized were atypical… neurologist Richard E. Cytowic, MD, published several case reports of synesthesia. He proposed, provocatively, that the condition’s cause rests in the limbic system, a more emotional and “primitive” part of the brain than the neocortex, where higher order thinking occurs. Although that theory has not received widespread support, Cytowic’s case studies and his popular 1993 book, “The Man Who Tasted Shapes,” heightened synesthesia’s prominence and prompted psychologists and neuroscientists to examine the condition experimentally…
For psychologists, interest in synesthesia extends far beyond just the study of the few individuals who experience the phenomenon.
“Synesthesia taps into a lot of other domains that are more familiar to many psychologists,” says Marks. “It tells us something about the nature of perception and what makes things perceptually similar to one another. Synesthesia may help us to understand how the concept of similarity is embedded within the nervous system….the fact that synesthetic perception interferes with the perception of physical stimuli highlights an important aspect of cognition.
“We tend to think of our experiences, and especially the visual system, as being bottom-up,” he remarks. “But there are many instances where meaning goes back down and influences our lower-order perception of the world. Synesthesia is just one very rare and exceptional example of that.” At a practical level, many researchers observe, research on synesthesia will help raise the condition’s visibility, reducing the risk that clinicians might mistake it as a sign of mental illness
https://www.apa.org/monitor/mar01/synesthesia
Synesthesia is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes 4.4% of the population to experience the world differently. For these individuals certain stimuli (e.g., letters of the alphabet) trigger a secondary experience (e.g., color perception). This process is automatic and remains consistent
over time. Tests for measuring synesthesia have successfully built on this principle of synesthetic associations being consistent over time, and using this method a number of studies have investigated the heritability of the condition, cognitive differences that synesthetes have compared with non-synesthetes, and the neurological architecture of synesthete brains. https://oxfordre.com/neuroscience/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264086-e-312;jsessionid=BA765C6F25DD406FDDFBB9A8910D4497?rskey=3dkqfs&result=3#acrefore-9780190264086-e-312-div1-6
Guitar music doesn’t just tickle Carol Crane’s fancy–it also brushes softly against her ankles. When she hears violins, she also feels them on her face. Trumpets make themselves known on the back of her neck.In addition to feeling the sounds of musical instruments on her body, Crane sees letters and numbers in brilliant hues. And for her, units of time each have their own shape: She sees the months of the year as the cars on a ferris wheel, with July at the top, December at the bottom. With the help of sophisticated behavioral brain-imaging and molecular genetic methods, researchers are coming closer to understanding what drives the extraordinary sensory condition called synesthesia.
By SIRI CARPENTER Monitor Staff March 2001, Vol 32, No. 3 https://www.apa.org/monitor/mar01/synesthesia
“Synaesthetics furthers our understanding of synaesthesia as an important, if not essential, component of artistic expression.”
Paul Gordon, Professor of Comparative Literature/Humanities at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA- Art as the Absolute (Bloomsbury, 2015)
Looking at the link between synesthesia and creative ability, especially through its prevalence in the literary and artistic professional world, one wonders at the enhanced possibilities gained from seeing through the synesthetic lens and the perceptive results if we were able to intentionally cultivate synesthesia.
Synesthesia: Opening the Doors of Perception.
Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science 2010
Still-life paintings of musical instruments, which flourished in early-modern Northern Europe, were typically associated with the theme of vanitas (Eccl. 1:2, 12:8): time, leading inexorably to death, urges us not to live at the mercy of the senses. Musical instruments embody this symbology: what could be more ephemeral than the sound that vanishes away as soon as it has been produced? Evaristo Baschenis was the first painter to make musical instruments the overall protagonists of still-life paintings. His experience as priest and musician evidently influenced his paintings, which “photograph” not only the notion of time transient, but—this chapter argues—also a ritualized “emotional time” that expands during the musical flow and stops precisely where the common naturalistic time takes over the motion. This view reverses the meaning normally given to pictorial images that depict various aspects of vanitas: alive and flowing at the time of musical performance (“emotional time”); inert as emotionless, i.e. the time when musical instruments are inactive (“naturalistic time”). This “dramaturgy of time” closely resembles that managed in the newborn Italian opera, made up of extreme and emotionally charged temporal dilatations (aria) alternating with more neutral, plot-centered accelerations (recitative).
WHAT IS CHROMESTHESIA: SEEING MUSIC IN COLOUR by Sounds of Life
“Only two to four percent of people experience synesthesia, a perception phenomenon where two (or more) of their senses are connected, resulting in them seeing and feeling things differently. Synesthesia is more apparent in women than men, and to date, over 60 types of synesthesia have been identified. The most common form of synesthesia is chromesthesia.”
Read more.
People who have developmental synesthesia are “neurodivergent.” That means their brain developed and works in a way that’s different from “neurotypical” people, whose brains developed and work as expected.Experts can’t yet fully explain why this happens, but they suspect it may involve multiple factors:
Many people with synesthesia use their experiences to aid in their creative process, and many non-synesthetes have attempted to create works of art that may capture what it is like to experience synesthesia. Psychologists and neuroscientists study synesthesia not only for its inherent interest, but also for the insights it may give into cognitive and perceptual processes that occur in synesthetes and non-synesthetes alike.
https://www.bionity.com/en/encyclopedia/Synesthesia.html
A person’s experience living with synesthesia varies based on the type they have, to what degree it occurs, and how they live their life. “Some individuals with synesthesia find that it enhances their creativity or makes certain tasks easier, while others may find it distracting or overwhelming,” says Afzal.Some individuals with synesthesia find that it enhances their creativity or makes certain tasks easier, while others may find it distracting or overwhelming.
At other times, synesthesia can be distracting or even make it harder to function due to a person being overwhelmed by so much sensory information. For example, if a person experiences overwhelming colors when listening to a song, then they may avoid concerts or even listen to the radio. Or they might find themselves giving up reading if certain words cause a strong sensation https://www.verywellmind.com/living-with-synesthesia-7482435#:~:text=At%20other%20times%2C%20synesthesia%20can,even%20listen%20to%20the%20radio.
One of the streams of the latest research is to look at how synaesthesia affects development in a child. How much of your cognitive profile, what you’re good at and what you’re not good at, is affected by synaesthesia? We are looking for benefits and deficits as well as whether we can use multisensory effects to help learning in the average child,” she says
Dr Michael Banissy, senior lecturer in psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, agrees that understanding how the condition develops in children will be a focus of future research and key to a broader comprehension of synaesthesia.
https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2014/apr/27/benefit-
It’s important to note that, despite the very different way that someone with synesthesia experiences and processes the world, it is not a form of, or a sign of, mental illness. In fact, studies and anecdotal data suggest that people with synesthesia are often highly intelligent and perform better on memory tests than those who don’t have the condition. Interestingly, there is also some evidence that people with the condition may often have a poor sense of direction.
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/people-with-synesthesia-experience-the-world-with-multiple-senses
Synesthesia can encompass a range of fascinating sensory phenomena and reveal the complexity and diversity of human perception. Many synesthetes report that their neurological differences help them see the world in a more interesting or nuanced way. However, synesthesia may also pose challenges for some individuals or make it challenging to enjoy certain experiences. Additionally, while synesthesia is not typically considered a disorder, it may be associated with mental health disorders like anxiety and PTSD. If synesthesia is interfering with your mental well-being, it may be worth connecting with a therapist through an online therapy platform. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/synesthesia/synesthesia-examples-understanding-sensory-phenomena/#
“My standard distraction for any sensory overload is an extra extra-strong mint, that burns my lips and toungue and mouth. It stimulates a different part of my brain. I measure my breathing so that I don’t get light-headed. I stop and sit until I have recovered sufficiently. Then I usually act on the fight or flight instinct. I get myself out of the situation…Sensory overload has two sides. It can muddle and fog the thinking faculties The other side can excite the senses in a most delightful hedonistic sort of way. You can lose track of what you are doing. It can take you into a zone of happy giddiness that some people never even know about. ELATION. Sometimes it is so wonderful that I feel sure it is heaven on earth. A couple of times I have had to stop the car in a state of Euphoria. I see the raindrops on every leaf, every brick on the chimney pot as we pass. My breath catches in my throat, and I taste and smell the whole scene.I cannot drive when I am like that. One of the pleasures of being taken out for the day is being a passenger. I can indulge like a visitor to an art gallery.” https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-cope-with-sensory-overload-when-you-have-synesthesia
“Another important coping strategy is knowing your triggers so you can better manage your responses before circumstances become overwhelming. Exploring what triggers your synesthetic episodes can help in recognizing patterns that allow for early detection of impending episodes – allowing you time to prepare beforehand by utilizing mindfulness exercises or other calming activities.
…Setting boundaries with yourself and others is also key in managing sensory overload from synesthesia….”
https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-cope-with-sensory-overload-when-you-have-synesthesia
Psychologists at Sussex and Cambridge universities showed both people with autism and those with synesthesia experience heightened sensory difficulties. Common to both groups were problems with sounds and lights and a heightened ability to focus on details.” Taken from an article entitled “Exploring Synesthesia’s relationship with autism”
Lived Experience
FACEBOOK POST by Quincy Jones (2015)
“As a synesthete myself, I really connect with the feeling of seeing shapes and colors with sounds. I often hear people say that “music is an art,” but when I create music, it’s not just a form of art, it IS art. When I write down musical notes, they’re not just dots on a page; the combination of colors that correspond to the different notes create a colorful masterpiece. When you create music, you create art—and visa versa. If you’ve never seen colors played or sounds painted, here you go!!”
To me, that song sounds green. Every time I hear it, I see green in my mind’s eye.
So I said to my sister, “Have you ever noticed how sometimes songs sound like certain colors? This song sounds green!”
My sister, who is clearly not a synesthete, said no, and looked at me like I was nuts. That was the end of our conversation.
Later, I think this was when I was maybe in my early twenties, I read on the Internet that hearing music as colors, and seeing letters and numbers as colors (I do that too), is a symptom of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia runs on both sides of my family, and I’ve long been concerned that I have it, so I took this as confirmation that I do have it, that there is something fundamentally wrong with me, and that I am on the verge of a complete psychotic break and there’s nothing I can do about it. And I spent about a decade going around with that thought in my head….
https://medium.com/@amynicholewilson/my-experiences-with-synesthesia-ada8e17b1835
“At my sound-color peak, I could see patterns and vibrant colors corresponding with the sound around me, literally in front of me. Or decorating the ground like a moving rug, or disco ball lighting up the floor.
An example of this is a vivid memory of mine in band class one time (I played trombone), and while other sections were playing, I could see vibrant circles spreading out and fading out, foggy lights next to me, and an array of colors above the entire band. This was like, peak synesthesia … on two occurances i have teared up or bawled…both with band, once in concert band in middle school where everyone playing just synesthesically decorated everything around me in such a beautiful manner..so i teared up middle of the class- and the second time with the marching band on the field. it was viva la Vida, and the last show of the season. I’m sure my emotions made it more of a vivid experience but that was something I can’t even begin to describe, but I sobbed afterwards for both the beauty the synesthesia brought me in such a touching moment, and the moment itself…” Thoughtfully-sublime, Reddit user
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