RedSimba Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Okay, now I know THIS is what I'd tell my 16-year-old myself. So that absolute pitch test (here in case you missed it) asked if I had synesthesia, and I did some research... Basically, I see each letter and number having "an inherit color" (even shapes too!). Apparently the general term for this is synesthesia; but more specifically, this is "grapheme–color synesthesia." I guess each synesthete is different. Most grapheme–color synesthetes see the A as a red letter, but this is roughly what it all looks like for me... (The T is black, but I made it dark gray so it could be seen lol) I pretty much see each letter, number, and shape like this no matter what the color of the text I'm reading. Sometimes, they can vary a shade depending on what context they're used in. For example, I usually see D and R as orange letters, but in a word like "red" ... they both become said color or at least red-orange. I promise I'm not making this up! I think the color refrigerator magnets I used to have growing up had a big influence on me, because these were roughly the same colors (couple differences here and there though). -------------------- Not only are the letters, numbers, and shapes unique colors to me, but they're all either male, female, or even interchangeable... * Females: B E F H I M N P R T V Z 1 2 5 6 9 * Males: A C D G J K O Q S U W X Y 0 3 4 7 8 * Interchangeable: L (<-- it depends on the font! ) As for the shapes, all except the circle and the oval (which is purple lol), are female lol. ^ I guess that's a mild case of Ordinal linguistic personification apparently. -------------------- And not only these, but I continued reading the general article and I reacted "Whoa, I have that too!" It was talking about number form synesthesia where "numbers, months of the year, and/or days of the week elicit precise locations in space." This is how it feels for me: For a minute or hour, I actually feel like I'm traveling clockwise (With 12 at the north, 3 in the east, etc.). In the scope of a day, the past is west and the future is east; but in the scope of a year, the past is southwest and the future is northeast. However, generally and for the entire history of the time, the past is north and the future is south. Apparently, these are characteristics of number-form synesthesia. -------------------- Random statistic: "Random population studies later determined that 1 in 23 individuals have some kind of synesthesia, while 1 in 90 have colored graphemes." So I'm some freak of nature! ... and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have many more idiosyncrasies, in regards to outer space for example, but I'll just keep it at that. Yeah, you're probably now looking at me like I'm some three-headed freak with one eyeball! At least I know the term for exactly what I have/am though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Well. You bringing new meaning to "know thyself" Andy Alright now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elixabef Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 The artist Kandinsky had synesthesia. That's really all I know about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSimba Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 This video I found was very informative on the subject too... I definitely have the exact same thing as the young woman who saw, for example, 1's as yellows (coincidentally I do too!) and how colorful the word "flower" looks. I believe this is a reason why I can memorize numbers, because I always had this grapheme-color synesthesis. I was actually at one point a color-music synesthete too; I found music much more colorful when I was little than I do now ... that's probably the deep reason I always prefer the 1990s over any other decade of music. For example, the song "If" is fiery passionate red (although the music video probably influenced me, but even without the video I see that color whenever I listen to it.) while "That's the Way Love Goes" is also a cool watery blue and "Again" is a foresty green. I pretty much perceive the janet. album to be the most colorful album ever. I don't have color-taste synesthesis at all though, but sounds interesting! I guess for me pepperoni pizza would have a red taste but now at this point I'm forcing it. Well. You bringing new meaning to "know thyself" Andy Alright now I definitely learned something new today. The artist Kandinsky had synesthesia. That's really all I know about it. *looks her up* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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