Phenomena by Donna M. Jackson

Author:Donna M. Jackson [JACKSON, DONNA M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JNF008000
ISBN: 9780316039888
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2008-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

Some synesthetes, such as Sean Day, experience sensations such as colors and shapes outside their bodies. When Sean eats food, his colors appear at about arm’s length, “a little higher than eye level and slightly to the left.” His musical colors usually appear about halfway between his body and the source of the music, whether that’s two feet away or fifty.

© AP Wide World Photos

In 1880, Sir Francis Galton published a report about the phenomenon, and while scientists showed a brief flurry of interest, many dismissed it until recently. Some saw it as a product of a vivid imagination, a cry for attention, or drug use. Drugs aren’t totally implausible, says neurologist Dr. Richard Cytowic, who “accidentally rediscovered” the condition in 1980 when a dinner host commented that the meal wasn’t ready because there “weren’t enough points on the chicken.” Several drugs can cause temporary synesthesia-like effects, he says, “but [synesthetes] experience this all the time, naturally throughout their whole life. As children, they’re shocked to discover that the rest of the world’s not like them.”

No single diagnostic test exists for the various forms of synesthesia. However, Dr. Cytowic has identified general clinical characteristics of the condition, which include:

Involuntary and automatic: “It happens to you, as opposed to you doing anything special” to produce it, he says. Carol recognized her blended senses at about age four. Growing up, she’d ask people questions such as, “What color is your three?” and they’d look at her confused. Until recently, when she realized not everyone had her skill, Carol thought it was something she chose to do for enjoyment. “It never occurred to me that I had no choice in the matter,” she says.

Consistent and generic: “Once established in childhood, synesthetic associations remain stable throughout life,” says Dr. Cytowic. If A is blue in your alphabet, then it’s always blue. If New York tastes like chocolate cake, then it always tastes like chocolate cake. Synesthesia also is generic in that the experiences are not complex, he says. “Where I might say listening to Beethoven makes me see sheep gamboling through a meadow . . . synesthetes would say I see zigzags, grids, or circles moving off to the right. Perceptually, it’s very elementary.”

Memorable: The sensations that accompany a particular word, shape, or piece of music generally make it easier for synesthetes to remember them. For example, some use the colors they see to recall people’s names or phone numbers or to identify keys on the piano. At times, however, the condition can complicate matters. Some synesthetes find it frustrating, for instance, when their colored numbers or letters don’t match those of the outside world. “If I park my car in a garage, and the number of the floor is [painted] in the wrong color,” says Carol, “I have to make a conscious effort to remember one [color] or the other.”

Despite such hurdles — and a few unpleasant associations — synesthesia is usually highly pleasurable for people, says Dr. Cytowic. Many integrate their experiences into creative pursuits, such as art, writing, and music.

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