Synesthesia what is it and what are its types

Synesthesia is a condition in which the stimulation of one sense triggers an automatic stimulation of other senses. The number of people around the world who suffer from this condition is unknown to researchers. However, a study back in 2006 suggested that about 2 to 4 percent of the world’s population has it.

If one has synesthesia, they may notice that their senses seem to be confused and interlaced, often getting perceptions of the world surrounding them with an additional dimension. One may taste words, see sounds, or feel something on their skin when they smell certain aromas. One may see the number 6 and think about the color yellow. It can occur between or among any number of senses or cognitive pathways. It is unrelated to memory, which implies that if one does not suffer from it, they can associate a certain number with a color, but their brain would not be able to react in the same way a synesthete’s brain would.

A psychology professor at the University of Waterloo, Daniel Smilek has identified that there are two groups of synesthetes among the ones who associate letters and numbers with colors. One group is known as the ‘projectors.’ They are the ones for whom the colors fill the letter in front of them. The other being the ‘associators.’ They see the colors in their mind’s eye. And the condition does not just apply to people who associate colors with certain images. Some of the people even have the potential to hear sounds in videos without audio.

A lot of experts believe that everyone can be born with the ability to have synesthesia. Some of them speculate that as human beings grow up, they tend to lose those connections. Synesthesia is a genuine phenomenon and the people who go through it, experience the world around them quite differently.