Any Fellow Synesthetes?

[Robert Ewing]

A Synesthetic personality is incredibly interesting to me. I sort of have the same thing, but it's not as you described. I can see sounds, but only on certain wavelengths, and there is a pretty accurate cut off point as well. Anything under 15.KHz and anything over 17.KHz I cannot see. Anything in between is visible, the color depends on the pitch.

It can be quite beautiful, but it also can be quite jarring to see a ribbon of colour randomly in the sky...

 

[Something Amyss]

Sunday: Prim and proper young lady who carries herself in an aristocratic manner. She is secretly very lonely and sad.

Monday: Shy and awkward boy who avoids social situations and hates parties but he's observant of other people.

Tuesday: An energetic man with a passion for learning new things. He spends a lot of time reading non-fiction books. Some people find him to be rather odd.

Wednesday: The type of person who likes to hear himself talk. He's the businessman you see at the airport talking on a bluetooth headset. Also, the type of person that says "knock knock" after they have already entered your room or office. He is very irritating.

Thursday: A brooding and cynical man. He is very intelligent and is very stuck up about it. He has the "I am holier than thou" air about him.

Friday: Overly bubbly, and a bit on the stupid side. She is also very clumsy. She's nice enough but most people can only take her in small doses.

Saturday: Very catty teenage girl. She lashes out at people for no real reason. She is actually covering the fact that she is very weak and vulnerable and has a looming self hatred.

And now, David Bowie's "Thursday's Child" is fighting the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties" for the dominant spot in my head. Oh, and a Cure song is hanging around somewhere.

>.>

I don't have senesthesia, but I have a tendency to associate things in what would probably count as a similar fashion.

 

[Random Fella]

This sounds very interesting and very cool. I wouldn't even call it a bad thing haha, would probably make life a ton more interesting.

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

I have a mental condition (although the word condition has kind of a negative connotation)called Synesthesia. So to me, every letter and number appears to be a specific color, sounds also have colors, and I find that I see people's voices as shapes as well as colors. Also, in my mind, days of the week have very specific personalities. I don't really like calling it a condition because I feel like that makes it a bad thing, when it really isn't. It doesn't affect how I function at all, I just see things in odd ways.

It's a funny thing to have because I wasn't even aware it wasn't normal until like 2nd grade when I was talking to my mom about how I remembered how to spell "create" on a spelling test because the colors of the letters reminded me of a sunset, which obviously didn't make much sense to her..

I don't really know where I was going with this little ramble, I just kind of thought it was an interesting subject. So feel free to post thoughts, or experiences

I'm a little confused. When you say sounds, numbers and letters have colours, does that mean that, for example, when you hear a musical note, you see the colour you associate with it? Does the same hold true for letters and numbers? It's just I've heard a fair bit about synesthesia but I've never fully understood it.

 

[michael87cn]

Not I, I have a rather boring mind. 1 represents the image of a '1' in my mind. Likewise with pretty much everything else.

And yet, I am unable to successfully pull images from my mind and accurately draw them on paper.

 

[JoesshittyOs]

If you're interested, don't say "no one really cares." You can't have it both ways.

Well I disagree. No one cares that you called someone out for... faking a mental defect? No one cares that he may be lying. I care that someones being an "internet bully". Caring about two different things.

I don't go calling someone out because I "think" they don't have down syndrome. You can't prove it, probably a good idea not to shout it out. I'd honestly be worried about being wrong and looking like a complete asshole.

And I'd be very, very, very surprised if what that guy said wasn't complete bullshit. Especially considering how he described MPD... Because, that's not how it works.

So no, I wouldn't say there's an 'awfully good chance' he really does have both MPD and schizophrenia. They don't tend to be things you just casually drop into conversation. People who have those conditions usually suffer greatly for it.

Actually uh... that is how it works. That thing you highlighted? From what I can tell, he's probably referring to derealization, something that's a side effect of MPD.

Multiple personality disorder and Schizophrenia come hand in hand. It's a very common side effect of MPD. And did you maybe think that he might actually be aware of the disorder? Would explain a lot. Parents tend to notice if you act like 3 different people from time to time. Good chance they'd have taken him to get it checked out.

(did some medical classes, in case you're wondering. Didn't go well)

They're not token pieces of trivia to be dropped into discussion as a conversation piece. And I find it really offensive when people do that because they think it makes them sound interesting.

Because God forbid someone try to take something that prevents you from leading a normal life and talk about it.

You're damn right. Keep your disorders to yourselves people.

But no, you're perfectly right. I should have just ignored the guy because I've done exactly what he probably wanted me to do and re-enforced his bullshit with the attention he wanted.

Or, maybe, and this is just a maybe, mind you...

He's actually telling the truth, and you just called out a guy who probably has a hard time functioning? Let's just hope he doesn't have a computer expert/serial killer alter personality. Because you may have just made his shit list.

 

[Hamish Durie]

I have a mental condition (although the word condition has kind of a negative connotation)called Synesthesia. So to me, every letter and number appears to be a specific color, sounds also have colors, and I find that I see people's voices as shapes as well as colors. Also, in my mind, days of the week have very specific personalities. I don't really like calling it a condition because I feel like that makes it a bad thing, when it really isn't. It doesn't affect how I function at all, I just see things in odd ways.

It's a funny thing to have because I wasn't even aware it wasn't normal until like 2nd grade when I was talking to my mom about how I remembered how to spell "create" on a spelling test because the colors of the letters reminded me of a sunset, which obviously didn't make much sense to her..

I don't really know where I was going with this little ramble, I just kind of thought it was an interesting subject. So feel free to post thoughts, or experiences

quick question
have you played Child of eden for the Xbox Kinect?
My friend described synesthesia to a point (but he didnt know the name for it) and said that child of eden replicates it to an extent and since you have it I was wondering what your verdict was
sorry if im being to nosy this just intrigues me because it actually sound pretty awesome

 

[Mr Thin]

That's... that's a power. If there is no discernible downside, it's not a condition, it's a power.

Hang on, what's this?

I don't see it as a good or bad thing, either. It's never been particularly useful, but if anything it's gotten in the way of my enjoyment of music because I can't keep my brain from constantly analyzing the notes I hear. I don't listen to much music. :C

A-hah! I knew there had to be something.

But seriously, it's like you're cheating at life. You've been born with a natural predisposition towards artistic genius; just don a beret, dangle a long cigarette from your mouth, paint what you hear and you're golden.

It doesn't even need to be a good painting. In fact, you'll get points for doing a crappy job. They'll call it a bold experimental style, and you'll make millions.

 

[Adellebella]

snip!

This sounds so interesting...I wish I could see the world through your eyes. It sounds a lot more magical then my world! It sounds like a beautiful "mental condition".

With that being said, has it ever been a burden? Or frustrated you? Does it make it harder to learn things at all? What I mean is: Does it ever suck?

 

[Chemical Alia]

That's... that's a power. If there is no discernible downside, it's not a condition, it's a power.

Hang on, what's this?

I don't see it as a good or bad thing, either. It's never been particularly useful, but if anything it's gotten in the way of my enjoyment of music because I can't keep my brain from constantly analyzing the notes I hear. I don't listen to much music. :C

A-hah! I knew there had to be something.

But seriously, it's like you're cheating at life. You've been born with a natural predisposition towards artistic genius; just don a beret, dangle a long cigarette from your mouth, paint what you hear and you're golden.

It doesn't even need to be a good painting. In fact, you'll get points for doing a crappy job. They'll call it a bold experimental style, and you'll make millions.

Haha, I actually did. When I was in college, I entered some digital paintings on the subject of my auditory synaesthesia into a juried show and was accepted to the exhibit. Though I didn't win. One downside is that it's completely different for different people, so there's only consistency within an individual's head. I'm sure there's some creative and interesting ways of expressing what it's like, but I'm far out of fine art these days, lol.

Also, to the OP, have you been to the Synesthesia Battery? There's a test you can take that measures the types of synesthesia you have and it helps researchers who are studying the condition. It's a bit long, but it saves your results for you so you can go back and look at them later. http://www.synesthete.org/

 

[museofdoom]

snip!

This sounds so interesting...I wish I could see the world through your eyes. It sounds a lot more magical then my world! It sounds like a beautiful "mental condition".

With that being said, has it ever been a burden? Or frustrated you? Does it make it harder to learn things at all? What I mean is: Does it ever suck?

It can be really nice! The only time I would ever say it's a "burden" is if I try to read and listen to music at the same time. The colors get all mixed up and it gives me a headache. But mostly it's really nice, and it helps me remember things sometimes too, especially in French class! It helps me remember vocab words and how they're spelled

 

[museofdoom]

I'm a little confused. When you say sounds, numbers and letters have colours, does that mean that, for example, when you hear a musical note, you see the colour you associate with it? Does the same hold true for letters and numbers? It's just I've heard a fair bit about synesthesia but I've never fully understood it.

Well as for numbers and letters, like the letter J to me is blue. I will know what color it's actually written in, but it will always "feel" blue. As for sounds, it's hard to explain but I will try my best. What colors I see really depends on the song. For instance: Mumford and Sons songs tend to appear water colored, while Hot Chelle Rae songs appear neon. Also, voices appear in shapes as well as colors. Mumford & Sons' singer's voice appears in white swirls, while Hot Chelle Rae's singer's voice appears in a electric blue triangular formation. As for how the colors appear: Drum beats appear in paint splotches, guitar chords make firework formations, piano chords tend to make water ripples etc. The colors vary, and I can't really pin them down to specific musical notes.

This was a pretty awful explanation, but I hope this helped somehow haha

 

[deleted_by_strongbad]

I have this thing with numbers, I always figured it was more strange associations I made as a child but I really have no idea, numbers have a tone, 0 is a pause, 1 is deep and low, 2 is a quick beep, 3 is more of a whine, 4 is like a wop sound, 5 is high and light, 6 is hissing, 7 is rumbly, 8 is like a ya sort of thing, 9 is screechy. Any more than one digit number is a combination of those sounds. It has taken me about 20 years to try and not make the noises when working with numbers, but I find if I don't it is really hard to memorize strings of them like addresses, phone numbers, etc.

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

I'm a little confused. When you say sounds, numbers and letters have colours, does that mean that, for example, when you hear a musical note, you see the colour you associate with it? Does the same hold true for letters and numbers? It's just I've heard a fair bit about synesthesia but I've never fully understood it.

Well as for numbers and letters, like the letter J to me is blue. I will know what color it's actually written in, but it will always "feel" blue. As for sounds, it's hard to explain but I will try my best. What colors I see really depends on the song. For instance: Mumford and Sons songs tend to appear water colored, while Hot Chelle Rae songs appear neon. Also, voices appear in shapes as well as colors. Mumford & Sons' singer's voice appears in white swirls, while Hot Chelle Rae's singer's voice appears in a electric blue triangular formation. As for how the colors appear: Drum beats appear in paint splotches, guitar chords make firework formations, piano chords tend to make water ripples etc. The colors vary, and I can't really pin them down to specific musical notes.

This was a pretty awful explanation, but I hope this helped somehow haha

So then it's more something you see in your mind's eye than an actual colur change in your vision? (That's what it sounds like to me.)

 

[SckizoBoy]

snip

Hmmm... as much as I 'thought' I did... nope, not at all. Instead, I generally associate common words, digits, sounds, notes etc. with abstract imagery. Though with the days of the week, I do associate 'temperaments' as it were with them, as well as certain hours of the day. I suppose this is fairly common and just an... 'imaginative quirk', I suppose...

 

[museofdoom]

quick question
have you played Child of eden for the Xbox Kinect?
My friend described synesthesia to a point (but he didnt know the name for it) and said that child of eden replicates it to an extent and since you have it I was wondering what your verdict was
sorry if im being to nosy this just intrigues me because it actually sound pretty awesome

I have never actually played it myself, but from what I've seen of it, it does seem to replicate the kind of things I see when listening to music, but not exactly. I should probably actually play the game before coming to a final conclusion on the matter though.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

That is absolutely fascinating. I've never heard of this before and I am completely fascinated by it. I can kind of grasp what you're saying, I associate colors with emotions I feel, and not just the standard "green with envy" or "sad blue" sort of thing. Nervous is an icy blue-gray, excitement is hot pink, intrigue is yellow. That actually might stem from when I had art therapy for my depression and anxiety. Nowhere near as epic as what you have, OP.

Goodness the brain is a fascinating thing.