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What is Synesthesia?
by Kathleen Karlsen, Author of The Color-Music Connection
The word “synesthesia” is derived from the Greek words “syn,” which means “together,” and “aisthesis,” which means “perception.” Synesthesia refers to individuals who experience involuntary cross-sensory associations. The most common form of synesthesia is “colored hearing,” or seeing colors when a sound is heard. Interestingly, Pythagoras considered synesthesia to be the greatest philosophical gift and spiritual achievement.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- What does it mean to have synesthesia?
- Is synesthesia a disease or a gift?
- How do scientists view synesthesia?
Studies of Synesthesia
Synesthesia has been studied repeatedly over the course of the last hundred years. The term has been used to describe a confusing array of sensory and symbolic associative “disorders.” In order to clarify the exact phenomena under study, Dr. Richard Cytowic has proposed criteria for a definitive diagnosis of the condition. True synesthesia is involuntary, stable over the individual’s lifetime, memorable, contains an emotional component, and is marked by discreet perceptions.
Synesthetes as Artists
Although synesthetes may be no more divine than the rest of us, a December 1999 article in Discover magazine reported that “cognitive scientists contend that these unusual people are precious windows into the ultimate mystery of human consciousness.” Mystical synesthetes in the fields of the arts including Alexander Scriabin (composer, 1872-1915) and Wassily Kandinsky (artist, 1866-1944) probably would have agreed!
Alexander Scriabin, Russian Composer and Musician
Historical Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
Scientific Explanations of Synesthesia
Current scientific explanations of synesthesia are built on the hypothesis that “early in infancy, probably up to about 4 months of age, all human babies experience sensory input in an undifferentiated way” (Andrew David Lyons, Evaluating New Tools and Techniques for Intermedia Composition and Production, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, July 2000). Adult synesthesia may be a lack of the modularization between the senses that normally develops.
Synesthesia is Highly Individual
An intriguing aspect of synesthesia is the fact that the phenomenon is highly individual. Although there appears to be a genetic link in the occurrence of synesthesia, even synesthetes in the same family associate different colors with different sounds. For example, one synesthete studied saw the color white in connection with hearing the vowel sound ‘A,’ whereas one of his daughters saw the color blue linked to ‘A,’ and another daughter saw the color black (Faber Birren, Color Psychology and Color Therapy).
Kathleen Karlsen is an author, musician, artist, and composer. She has written three books (The Color-Music Connection, Flower Symbols, and Vocal Medicine) and over 200 articles. Her YouTube channel features over 600 videos. Kathleen and her family live in Bozeman, Montana, USA.
The Color-Music Connection by Kathleen Karlsen is a comprehensive view of the parallels between sound and color from historic, scientific and aesthetics perspectives. $1.95 PDF, 60 pgs
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