Comments on: Synesthesia or Ode To Being Human

By: michael

michael — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:31:49 +0000

Michael Two — I’ve updated your name in past comments. In terms of whether you’re making things up, the easiest way to convince someone (whether you want to do this is another thing) might be to let them record a few of your colour/name associations and then ask you again in a few weeks. Consistency in answers suggest you really are having the experience.

The best one I remember is a podcast host whose wife associated numbers with very specific tastes (ie. first name and I think last name translated to something like “smoky cheese” or “fresh car scent” etc)

Alan — not sure if such things are different. Whilst Michael Two has the stronger version of synesthesia, it need not be private — it’s possible that when people do associate say numbers and colours that 8 tends to be purple etc. This is something to look up — I’ll do it later.

By: michael

michael — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:27:18 +0000

Alan — so that’s basically 2:2 on my sweet/sour one. The Kiki/Buba thing is almost completely universal (over 90% I think) — but I don’t think it’s obvious in terms of logical (try explain it to an alien!). It may have something to do with the shape of the mouth but you can make up different pairs where the mouth is shaped in a lot more of a similar way where it’s still quite clear (eg. KIKI/LALA)

By: Michael Two

Michael Two — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:28:03 +0000

Yeah, I understand that. I just mean that if someone’s asking you about your unique perception, it can be surprisingly difficult to explain.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:21:38 +0000

“I’ve tried explaining this to many people but they either think I’m making it up or don’t understand how things can be colored but not necessarily look like their color.”

The trouble is that things like that are different for everybody. The spiky shape compared to the rounded shape is an easy association, but your own perceptions of synethesia will rarely gel with other people’s.

By: Michael Two

Michael Two — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:21:39 +0000

Btw, I’m not the Michael from a few posts ago. I forgot the name was in use.

By: Michael Two

Michael Two — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:20:49 +0000

How about colors?
Like, my name is red.
Alan is orange.
The word ‘above’ is red/blue.
The number 8 is purple.
T is dark green and 3 is light green.
Sour things are also light green,
whereas sweet things are dark green.
etc, etc…

I’ve tried explaining this to many people but they either think I’m making it up or don’t understand how things can be colored but not necessarily look like their color.

I think this topic is fascinating, especially sound synesthesia. For me sounds are blends of colors dependent more on the key than the notes or chords, but I think it’s incredible that some people can use this to learn or remember music.

Actually synesthesia in general is quite a fascinating subject.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:33:26 +0000

Sorry about that – the above comment is from me. That’ll teach Michael to use my computer!

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:49:24 +0000

# What weighs more, the note on the right end of the piano or the left?

The left – it’s deeper, bassier, therefore implies weight.

# I made this one up so it could be just me: what’s higher, the taste of a sweet apple or the taste of a sour apple? I’d be interested to hear about this one especially in the comments.

Sweet – no idea why. Maybe because it’s cleaner, sharper, uplifting. Sour is often a downer.

# Finally, my favourite example from the Ramachandran talk. Look at the images below. One is named KIKI and one is named BUBA. Can you decide which one?

The sharp image is obviously KIKI as the name implies spiky. BUBA implies roundness and softness. Even the shape of the mouth when saying KIKI or BUBA shares the attributes.

By: egogramme

egogramme — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:49:46 +0000

For me, the note on the right end of the piano weighs less than the note on the left end of the piano.

More than probably because of the musical notation and the notion “hight pitch” is linked to this note.
In other hand, I guess that high pitches are usually associated to a child or a small animal (small weight)
and a low register to a big man or a elephant.

I imagine the taste of a sour apple highter than the sweet apple’s one.

Angular figure, kiki ; round figure, buba.

Have you ever spontaneously attribute a specific gender to the colors ?

By: egogramme

egogramme — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:06:12 +0000

All my life, I have found even numbers boring, not able to be on their own, afraid to be alone and needing company, agglomerated, gregarious.
Odd numbers are for me independent, special, interesting, aventurous, with a personality, irreductible, resistant (to the first decivise division), making the difference.
Being divided by 2 denotes stability and also to be reduced into something smaller.
Of course, I have more balanced views now but still a strong preference for odd numbers.
The “+1 or -1″ preventing the odd numbers to be divided by 2 may be viewed as something missing (by
those who prefer the even numbers) or someting in addition (by those who prefer the odd numbers).

I have three suggestions about what may influence our perception:
- the language (as Shly said) “Odd” is not really a neutral adjective. (in French, even=pair and odd=impair= “not/even” – so the word “impair” may be perceived with a negative connotation).
- our way of thinking the human relationships (extravert/introvert, …) ? for social harmony or being
rebellious ?
- preference for the numbers you’re familiar with like our birthday date ? (articles on implicit egotism: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-social-thinker/200907/would-you-marry-
yourself
and http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/07/are-your-initials-holding-you-back.php)

What do you think about this ?