See, hear: When senses combine
People who experience unusual sensory combinations might provide new insights into how our minds work.
Vladimir Nabokov had it. So did Oliver Messiaen and Richard P Feynman. What could a Russian author, a French composer and an American physicist have in common, apart from a celebrated flair for their chosen vocations? All three experienced the psychological condition known as synaesthesia, where a person experiences unusual sensory combinations. Feynman and Nabokov perceived certain letters and numbers as distinct colours. For the physicist, this meant that algebra took on a kaleidoscopic effect: the letter ‘j’ became tan, while ‘n’ took on a violet hue, and ‘x’ appeared dark brown. Nabokov’s alphabet was similarly colourful, but it’s possible that his condition took the associations a step further and certain words would evoke visual images such as a fork lying in the sun. For Messiaen, the colour associations were linked to sound. Music prompted vivid colour perceptions, which he was sometimes considerate enough to mark down on his scores for the advice of other musicians. [ ... ] Many shapes and forms As the cases of Nabokov, Feynman and Messiaen demonstrate, synaesthesia can encompass a wide variety of sensory combinations. Grapheme-colour synaesthesia, the involuntary association of colours to letters and/or numbers, is one of the most commonly reported forms. Sound-colour, as experienced by our French composer, is also relatively common. To deal with this diversity, scientists have developed a range of categories that divide the synaesthetic experience based on various combinations. But Pammer says these boundaries can be problematic. “The more I read, the more I believe those groupings aren’t informative. When you look at sound-colour synaesthetes, such broad categories start to become murky.” [ ... ] As Pammer’s case indicates, science possesses far more questions than answers about synaesthesia at present. It’s still not clear what causes the condition, if it is something hereditary or acquired, or even if it can be consistently simulated. But as well as increasing our understanding of brain function, Pammer hopes that her research could yield clinical benefits in the longer term, helping to ‘switch on’ parts of the brain that may be damaged or dormant. If this is the case, a rare condition that scrambles sensory combinations could ultimately enrich the lives of more than just synaesthetes. • Dr Kristen Pammer is always keen to hear from people who’ve had synaesthetic experiences. |
