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Were you born with it or did you find out at a later stage?
Original post by 5hyl33n
Were you born with it or did you find out at a later stage?
As far as I know it's always something you're born with, but I didn't realise I had it until the 7th of this month, 10 days after my 17th birthday, and I've been fascinated ever since. I never even thought about the fact that I perceive the world in colour because it was so natural to me that I didn't even find it worth thinking about, but if I'd thought about it I'd have assumed everyone else was the same. I first heard of synaesthesia a few years ago and recently I started experiencing phantosmia (smells that aren't there) and I googled to see if it was anything to do with synaesthesia. I now know it was caused by a sinus infection but googling it made me realise what I had. But my synaesthesia doesn't involve smell, that had nothing to do with it.
What is it?
Original post by Arthur_Morgan
What is it?
Basically when our brains first develop they develop so fast that thousands of the connections formed are unnecessary, so they undergo a process called pruning where the extra connections are cut, but if some of these extra ones remain, it causes synaesthesia. These connections are usually between senses, and sometimes link to other parts of the brain. This means that when one end of this neural pathway is stimulated, the other end is also stimulated. If, for example, there's a link between sight and sound, the synaesthete (person with synaesthesia) may see sound as well as hearing it, or in other types of synaesthesia they may smell colours or taste words. In my case, my prefrontal cortex (the part of my brain for logic language and maths etc) is strongly linked to colour, so when I was younger my brain took advantage and colour coded everything as a learning mechanism. It still helps to this day and to me it's as obvious that the number 7 is orange as it is that oranges are orange. It's automatic and subconcious amd can't be turned on or off. If it extended all the way to my optic nerves, I'd actually see the colours in the form of a hazy light projected onto my vision, but I don't, I just know what it looks like without seeing it. It helps with memory.
Which type of synaesthesia? 
Original post by A_J_T
Basically when our brains first develop they develop so fast that thousands of the connections formed are unnecessary, so they undergo a process called pruning where the extra connections are cut, but if some of these extra ones remain, it causes synaesthesia. These connections are usually between senses, and sometimes link to other parts of the brain. This means that when one end of this neural pathway is stimulated, the other end is also stimulated. If, for example, there's a link between sight and sound, the synaesthete (person with synaesthesia) may see sound as well as hearing it, or in other types of synaesthesia they may smell colours or taste words. In my case, my prefrontal cortex (the part of my brain for logic language and maths etc) is strongly linked to colour, so when I was younger my brain took advantage and colour coded everything as a learning mechanism. It still helps to this day and to me it's as obvious that the number 7 is orange as it is that oranges are orange. It's automatic and subconcious amd can't be turned on or off. If it extended all the way to my optic nerves, I'd actually see the colours in the form of a hazy light projected onto my vision, but I don't, I just know what it looks like without seeing it. It helps with memory.
Ngl, that sounds pretty dope
How do you know that you have it and not something normal?
For example I imagine certain things with colours (like Monday is navy, Tuesday is bright yellow, Wednesday is dark green...) and I've argued with others about their different (wrong) colours
And 7 is a kind of orange-yellow to me as well.
For example I imagine certain things with colours (like Monday is navy, Tuesday is bright yellow, Wednesday is dark green...) and I've argued with others about their different (wrong) colours
And 7 is a kind of orange-yellow to me as well.
Original post by A_J_T
Google it if u don't know what it is.
If you where to get angry or upset would synesthesia become more apparent to you?
Original post by Paracosm
Which type of synaesthesia?
Associative grapheme-colour and associative sound-colour synaesthesia. Idk if I have any other types I think are normal or not, but people with one type of synaesthesia are more likely to have another type, and I have 2, both of which are very similar but can still arguably be divided into more categories, so maybe I experience some other forms that I think everyone else experiences, I don't know, but the 2 I mentioned I have for sure.
Original post by Arthur_Morgan
Ngl, that sounds pretty dope
It's just the norm to me lol. I can't imagine not having it. It's nowhere near as cool as some other forms of synaesthesia.
Original post by A_J_T
It's just the norm to me lol. I can't imagine not having it. It's nowhere near as cool as some other forms of synaesthesia.
Still, it's something I literally can't imagine experiencing. Like smelling colours? That sounds mad yo.
Appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me btw
Has it ever negatively affected you?
Original post by eeiiiiio
How do you know that you have it and not something normal?
For example I imagine certain things with colours (like Monday is navy, Tuesday is bright yellow, Wednesday is dark green...) and I've argued with others about their different (wrong) colours
And 7 is a kind of orange-yellow to me as well.
For example I imagine certain things with colours (like Monday is navy, Tuesday is bright yellow, Wednesday is dark green...) and I've argued with others about their different (wrong) colours
And 7 is a kind of orange-yellow to me as well.
I found out it wasn't normal when I googled it and there've been countless studies into this phenomenon. It sounds like u have it too, although I disagree with some of your colours. If u don't have to think about it and you've always just known the colours of these things as long as u can remember and it never changes, u most likely have it. It's nice to meet someone else with the same thing. I'm telling u, it's not something normal, you're like me.
Original post by glassalice
If you where to get angry or upset would synesthesia become more apparent to you?
Idk actually I've never noticed. I'll think about that next time I'm angry or upset and compare it to me thinking now and I might notice a difference, but Idk tbh.
Original post by glassalice
If you where to get angry or upset would synesthesia become more apparent to you?
Idk actually I've never noticed. I'll think about that next time I'm angry or upset and compare it to me thinking now and I might notice a difference, but Idk tbh.
Original post by Arthur_Morgan
Still, it's something I literally can't imagine experiencing. Like smelling colours? That sounds mad yo.
Appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me btw
Appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me btw
smelling colours is a different type of synaesthesia. There are thousands. It's highly unlikely anyone has all of them.
Original post by fijitastic
Has it ever negatively affected you?
Nope. Not at all and I don't see how it could. It helps my memory and I like having it.
Original post by A_J_T
It's just the norm to me lol. I can't imagine not having it. It's nowhere near as cool as some other forms of synaesthesia.
what are the other (cooler? although it sounds so cool) forms?
Original post by mpaprika
what are the other (cooler? although it sounds so cool) forms?
well I don't actually see the colours but some people can. And there's one called spacial sequence synaesthesia which I don't even really understand where they can basically see the timeline of their life going around them.
There's also mirror-touch synaesthesia where sight is linked to contact senses like touch, pain and sometimes taste. If a mirror-touch synaesthete was facing u and u tapped your left cheek they'd feel it on their right, and it'd feel 100% real to them. It must be extremely irritating though even though they're used to it but Idk I don't have it. Imagine feeling everyone's pain! Imagine every time u see a couple doing pda u feel like you're being sexually assaulted! But also imagine the upsides... You could watch someone eating and taste it yourself just from watching, and best of all, THE PORN WOULD BE ****ING AMAZING! It's absolutely fascinating but despite the upsides I'd hate to have it and I feel sorry for everyone who does.
And then there's lexical-gustatory synaesthesia where every word they speak has a taste in their mouth, so they just have to say the right words to taste whatever they want. There are too many types of synaesthesia to mention, but I don't actually see the colours, I just know them. That isn't as cool as if they were projected onto my vision and I could literally see the shape of my music spreading before my eyes as I listen. That'd be cool but also kinda annoying lol. Anyway I'm happy with what I've got.
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