What is Synesthesia?

Synesthesia is a brain condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway involuntarily leads to experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Thus, an individual with synesthesia, or synesthete, might “see” sounds, “taste” colours, or associate specific colours to letters and numbers.

Some Types of Synesthesia
There are many types of synesthesia such as:

Grapheme-Colour Synesthesia – associating letters or numbers with certain colours.
Chromestesia – seeing colours when hearing sounds.
Lexical-Gustatory Synesthesia – tasting words.
Spatial Sequence Synesthesia – visualizing numerical sequences in particular spatial arrangements.

Causes & Mechanisms
Though unclear, there is perhaps a greater connectivity level between different sensory regions of the brain that does not fully explain synesthesia’s cause and mechanisms. Some research suggests that synesthesia may be genetically inherited and early in childhood, while it can also develop under the influence of specific substances, like psychedelic drugs, which may induce temporary synesthesia.

Research and Findings
Synesthesia has opened up exciting windows into research on how the brain processes sensory information. Brain-imaging studies have shown that during synesthetic experiences, the synesthete shows increased activity in multiple sensory areas, indicating that the wiring of their brains allows for cross-activation between sensory pathways.

Living with Synesthesia
For many synesthetes, the condition is just that-an odd but enriching experience. It may help in memory and creativity, as that extra sensory association provides an exceptionally richer perception of the world. However, synesthesia is not classified as an illness and generally requires no treatment.

Critch & TC

Sources:

Synesthesia: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Types & Treatment

Synesthesia: Definition, Examples, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatmen