h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi all, this is an absolutely fascinating discussion. I don't have synaesthesia, and I do envy your perception of the world. However, I am sure that if I really experienced it, and the difficulties in communicating, I might change my mind.
I'm sure this is nothing compared to what you guys experience, but I do see/sense coloured clouds in my head, I think they are linked with my emotions and openness.
Also, I have been heightening my peceptions of the natural world for some time, which means that I now sense things instead of just seeing things. For instance, to think of grass, means also getting texture, smell and colours. This is a learned response though, I would say. Don't suppose it is anything like yours? Probably not, as I can switch mine on and off.
Thanks for the learning, its fascinating (again)

sorry if this or someting similar posts twice, I keep crashing when I hit post. Just to say that although I find I can sometimes see auras around people it is not something I try to do or interpret. I thought it might interest you all to know that sometimes people are taught how to see auras in a yoga class. I found it very reassuring to find people being shown how to adjust their vision in such a matter of fact way.

Five Dimensions of music, for Xanatic. Note: this is not at all conventional synaesthesia (but what is?)

The first two dimensions are obviously stereo effect. I have to concentrate on real life, when I hear music, in case I start daydreaming while listening, so I only have liberty to listen properly when I'm not doing anything else. The third dimension is the whole *shape* of the music - I feel like I'm floating on the waves of a sea, and I am part of the colours which make up the sea. The fourth dimension is the *shape* of the whole piece, made of notes that came before and notes that are to come. The fifth dimension defies easy explanation (you think that was easy? took me two hours to work out what I had to say!) The fifth dimension is a *state* where 'real life' is less important than the next note.

Confused?

Oh, Franacapan, and Kazzikin? since I had a bizarre self-exploratory session in 1998, I've been increasing my perceptions too. Sometimes I can convince myself I see auras (it's there in the backlog) and I'm more aware of nature (occasionally!) I'm with you there. Kazzikin, who are we to say that you are or are *not* suffering from synaesthesia? We can't even agree on the colour of the alphabet!

x x Fenny (Hoping for Zero Intolerance)

Sorry, Kazzikins. I hate it when someone gets my name wrong!

x x Fenny (Hoping for Zero Intolerance)

Don't worry Fenchurch, its a silly name, I only chose it because I didn't think anyone else would chose a fluffy name like that! I'm trying to be unique!

It's bright red.
T'other day we had to do a fantastic drawing exercise: draw studies of the market hall 'based on textures from the perception of a blind/partially sighted person'.

Wow. I had the proverbial field day (specially since I got to buy cloth.)
I don't know whether to mention synaesthesia in discussing the work though- too many people might not 'get' it and think I'm too bizarre.
(oh, did you feel the earth tremors t'other week?)

M. Welcome back, I will call you! Yes, felt them in Leicester, and have a seismological survey questionnaire still to fill out!

x x F (Universal Tolerance)

Aye- I was going to call you later, after we've been to see Harry Potter. (Hurrah!)
Seismological survey? Lucky for some. Most people here did not notice it, some think we're making it up. Fools.

We're going to see it too, at 9:30 tonight. Will see LOTR next Friday, so we're all up for a good November...

I've printed prices for laptops out and will send a copy to Q. c/o you, but I'm sure discounts will be available for good friends and corset makers so take to prices more lightly. Let me know if anything's of interest.

Sorry about speediness of message!

x x Fenny (hoping for Universal Tolerance)

So where did that earthquake happen? There was an eartquake in Denmark last week, which happens once in a lifetime or so.

Hi Xanatic

The earthquake was on Sunday, 28 October. It was only small (3.8 or possibly 4.1 on the Richter Scale), but it shook us - the epicenter was near the towns where Mandragora and I live. It was the first I've experienced, as they're fairly uncommon in Britain. Coincidence there was one over in Denmark, too! Synchronicity?

x x Fenny (spreading universal tolerance)

Well, if two earthquakes happen around the same time it is probably the same cause, not a coincidence. And certainly not synchronicity. But I don't remember when it happened in Denmark.

I have a question.

Do you folks also perceive emotional situations in terms of colour and/or sound?

I'm fascinated because of a conversation my partner and I had over what colour "confused" was. We managed to settle on a sort of luminous green/yellow (and later discovered we were associating confusion with the colour of high-visibility jackets) and went on to cover some other ideas.

I seem to gave fits and starts of Synaesthesia, in that sometimes I will spontaneously describe things or situations in terms of colour or taste or smell but most of the time I don't. I was wondering whether this means that all of us are potentialy Synaesthesiacs and what this might mean about human communication.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Synaesthesia is a fascinating subject that I would love to know more about. For example, have you asked each other if you see the same names as the same or similar colour and/or texture. Take my own name, Alan and my nickname Alji, are they the same colour or shade.

I had just finnised meditating one day when a friend approached me, as he came nearer I had a distinct impression of a certain shade of green and that it was connected in some way with the Mission Hall that he went to every Sunday. He was totally opposed to me meditating and being interested in the supernatural etc. and was unable to think of anything that could fit the bill. So on the following Sunday I went to see for myself. As I walked though the front door it hit me. Across the wall avove the dais was writen the words We Preach Christ Crucified in the green I had seen in my mind.

Alji

Does synaesthesia help you spell? If you've misspelled a word and don't otherwise notice, does it look a different color than you're used to it being?

This is a fascinating topic. Thanks to all Posters. I'm wishing I had something to add myself, but now I'm just wondering what it must be like.

Thanks to all the recent posters, too, for bringing this up again. Some of the synaesthesiates appear to have wandered away, so I'm going to try to field this one.

JEllenJ42 - what's it like to see? I mean, really see? That's what it's like to hear colours. I didn't know that 19,999 out of 20,000 people *don't*, let alone that there was a word for people who *do*! It's so normal that I don't think about it, any more than I think about seeing the words on the screen.

Oh, one major thing, on that subject: I don't seem to have any sort of synaesthesia with vertical back-lit computer screens. I'm not sure that it's not because I've looked at the letters/numbers too hard, but all interesting associations have gone. But I only ever had number/colour association with well-known telephone numbers, anyway.

How did it start for me, Gradient? We've all agreed (that is, the synaesthesiates who were discussing it earlier this year) that it wasn't an experience-built association. Scientists have proven that the sense-receptors in the brains of peoople who are synaesthesiatics (I wish there were a shortening for that word!) are closer together than in non-synaesth.s. In other word, we're short-circuiting.

Ok, Aljiis' questions next. We've compared and contrasted quite thoroughly. I've not seen anyone else who hears colours (although they may just have been reticent); I only see colours in numbers, whereas Mandragora sees colours and feels textures in numbers and letters; I forget who else sees colours in letters, but not all of Mandragora's sensations tied up with theirs; so it would appear that no two sense-associations are the same. But, then, how are we ever going to know that the sky is the same colour for you as for me? There's no 'control sample'.

Aljiis, you missed some great threads involving ESP and telepathy! I don't recall ever picking up on a colour through telepathy, although I've predicted random numbers, the next caller on the telephone, and things. I imagine I've picked up on music in the same way, but that's terribly difficult/impossible to prove! During those threads, it became obvious that some people were never going to be impressed by a straight-forward plea of telepathy - they always came back with suggestions of coincidence, subliminal impulse, or subconscious awareness. So, if you are prepared to put forward your case for the supernatural, be prepared to defend it (yes, I believe, but others don't!)

Twinkle, now. I can't answer your question. When I type, my fingers hit the right keys (I touch-type) and when they don't, I know I've gone wrong without looking. I do remember telephone numbers easily, though; partly because I like the patterns they make on a touch-tone number-pad, and partly because of the colours - even though I don't notice the colours any more. Yes, I think that on reflection, the colours help me learn the numbers and that numbers look wrong if I reorder them.

Twinkle, I thought you had some cross-sensations? I was sure I'd seen you talk about similar mix-sensations in one of the threads?

Sorry, all, that this was so long. It's a while since I've posted anything about synaesthesia, and I wanted to answer your questions!

x x Fenny (Spreading Universal Tolerance)

Sorry that that was so long, and that it was so filled with typos!

Calling any other synaesthetes! Share your experiences, now!

x x Fenny (hoping for Universal Tolerance, one day)

Hello...
Fenny would make a good spokeswoman for Synaesthesia, should we ever go and form a colony or something.
I've noticed that some of my cross-perceptions are altered by the surrounding atmosphere. Sound/texture seems to be slightly increased by dark, humid surroundings... I will look more into this.

Non-synaesthetes sometimes seem to appreciate what we're getting at, though- everyone knows how it is to 'feel blue'. Also, I was eating a Vienetta once (want a medal? and it had this red stuff on top, like very smooth jam or solidified stuff that they squirt on ice-cream cones. Anyway, I wasn't too sure about it, so I asked non-synaesthete Queex what it was like- "it tastes of red." Certainly did. Maybe because flavour is such a strong sensation, and requires more concentration because it's not going on all the time, makes it easier to appreciate. Things that taste red are sharp, usually broadly savoury rather than sweet. Sweetness diffuses into dark pink. Things that taste red include (for me) blueberries and blackcurrants, although there's a slight blackness when they sort of pop, if you bite them. This has nowt to do with colour- tomatoes taste blue.

Make sense? Hope so.

Well thank you, M! You also make a brilliant spokeswoman, full of description! Did you notice my attempt to fit that 'Do we see colours the same way' argument in above?

x x Fenny (UT)