I have synaesthesia...

[ermitonto]

So the other day I heard something interesting about synaesthesia (where people's senses get mixed up, like they can hear colors and smell shapes), so I decided to read up on it more since it seemed like an interesting subject.

First I learned that it is more common in people with autism, which is interesting because I'm pretty sure I have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism that isn't a totally bad condition to have. It has its up sides (like higher intelligence, intense focus on one's interests, and good memory) and its down sides (usually an atypical social life due to hindered ability to read and convey emotion).

So anyways, as I read further I find out that the most common type of synaesthesia is something I've experienced as long as I can remember! It's called grapheme-color synaesthesia, where every letter and number has a particular color associated with it in my head, and sometimes if I glance at a letter it will appear to be tinted that color, and I am strongly reminded of the color when I look at a letter or a word starting with that letter. For example, A, G, M and 2 are all red for me. D, F, J and P are green. R, X and 9 are purple. C, I and O are yellow, and so forth. They will often combine and a whole word will be a certain color. For example, the word "the" is orange because T and H are both orange letters. I had no idea most people do not read like this. What is it like to perceive every letter as boring old black all the time?

ermitonto Reviewed by ermitonto on 07-10-2005. I have synaesthesia... So the other day I heard something interesting about synaesthesia (where people's senses get mixed up, like they can hear colors and smell shapes), so I decided to read up on it more since it seemed like an interesting subject. First I learned that it is more common in people with autism, which is interesting because I'm pretty sure I have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism that isn't a totally bad condition to have. It has its up sides (like higher intelligence, intense Rating: 5

[mlleyeuxbleus]

Me too!!!

I also have synesthesia, & have wondered about Asperger's, but not been tested or anything. It sure would explain a lot! I would post about the colors of my letters & numbers, but I've just been out dancing & am a bit drunkish... maybe tomorrow.

[ermitonto]

Yes, it's even interesting that it sort of carried over into my Russian when I started studying it, even though they have a totally different alphabet. For example ,the Russian alphabet has a letter that looks like an English P but it is pronounced like an R, and I see it as purple like an R rather than green like a P, which helps me keep them separate in my head and I don't get them mixed up!

[st0n3r]

wow how interesting 2 boast about urself.........i have a disease which makes me clever and can remember things. can ppl honestly b more stubborn?

[ermitonto]

Hey, it's not all fun and games. It's nice to have a good memory and shit, but the atypical social life sucks. Imagine hardly having any friends, and never getting laid.

[Red King]

wow thats pretty crazy. Just good ol black text for me.

[mlleyeuxbleus]

Synesthesia isn't a disease... it's an overlapping of the senses. For example, in addition to seeing letters & numbers as colors, I also see/feel music as color/texture.

It's actually kind of cool to talk about, in that once you become aware of it, you realize it's not totally normal, & there comes a desire to talk about it, & see if others experience the same thing.

[ermitonto]

Actually it's more like this. Weird, huh?

Actually, it'seven more like this, taking into account that colors like to assimilate to the first letter of the word.

[general]

one time i was high on something icant remeber but i could taste the color blue it was crazy

[GHoSToKeR]

Hmm..