What is synesthesia?
Period 1 of A.P. Bio would be largely silent if not for the piercing conversation coming from table 2. Myself, Eliza Cant, Jake Shapiro, and Laura Kazdoba (plus Ciunga for the start of the year) always seem to find something new to argue about at a convenient 7:30 in the morning. One of my favorite debates happened in mid-January. Having color-coordinated my folders for the year, all my science supplies are an earnest shade of green. Laura found great issue with this as to her, science is blue and nothing else. Jake and Eliza, however, agreed with me that science is clearly a green subject, and that Laura did not have enough coffee that morning to make a genuine argument. I thought the debate would have ended there, but no - other classmates began chiming in with what color they believed science to be. Purple, brown, blue, and even chartreuse popped up from different corners of the room. The situation only diffused when Ms. Eckert interrupted our squabbling with signal transduction pathways and a much-dreaded do-now.
So why am I telling you this story? Well, this incident involved a phenomenon known as synesthesia, wherein one sense is perceived along with another. In other words, something you may see or understand, such as a science, causes a specific color to pop up in your brain. Or, for instance, a particular object is associated with a certain taste for you, one it may not necessarily produce. The fact is that this joint perception is completely unconscious and combines multiple sensory cognitive pathways.
An example of what someone with
grapheme-color synesthesia may visualize.
What causes synesthesia?
The good news is, we've all got some form of synesthesia! Just like my classmates associating different subjects with different colors, you, dear reader, most likely visualize one concept along with another, separate sense. The bad news is, scientists aren't exactly sure what causes synesthesia.
Simon Baron-Cohen, a prominent psychologist at the University of Cambridge, has proposed that synesthesia stems from an overabundance of neural connections. In the brain of a non-synesthete (person without synesthesia), each sense is designated to a specific module of the brain. However, a person with synesthesia lacks this separation, leading to increased cross-communication along modules in response to stimuli.
A similar hypothesis is that of cross-activation, suggested by neuroscience professors at the University of San Diego. This theory insinuates that synesthesia is the result of certain synaptic connections not being degraded throughout a person's development, causing increased connectivity between two areas of the brain. Some cite grapheme-color synesthesia as evidence of this theory, a form of synesthesia where specific numbers or letters register as having a certain color. Scientists have observed heightened interactions between the grapheme recognition area of the brain and visual cortex when synesthetes visualize and identify a letter's color, indicating cross-activation.
A similar hypothesis is that of cross-activation, suggested by neuroscience professors at the University of San Diego. This theory insinuates that synesthesia is the result of certain synaptic connections not being degraded throughout a person's development, causing increased connectivity between two areas of the brain. Some cite grapheme-color synesthesia as evidence of this theory, a form of synesthesia where specific numbers or letters register as having a certain color. Scientists have observed heightened interactions between the grapheme recognition area of the brain and visual cortex when synesthetes visualize and identify a letter's color, indicating cross-activation.
The Bigger Picture
Synesthesia can be an incredibly wonderful thing to have. It allows people to perceive the world in an entirely different way than those around them, and experience unique sensations on a daily basis. Having chromesthesia, an offshoot of synesthesia that causes people to see colors when hearing sound, has had an undoubtedly positive impact on my life as a musician. Some have been able to translate their synesthesia into literal works of art as a means of communicating their experiences to others. For instance, artist Melissa McCracken creates paintings of the colors listening to her favorite songs conjure. Not to mention, many figures in pop culture have synesthesia, ranging from the likes of Billy Joel to Marilyn Monroe. So the next time you hear a certain piece of music or look at a particular string of numbers, be on the look out for whatever colors or scents pop into your head. Who knows? Perhaps you're a synestheste too.
"Julia" by Melissa McCracken
What the artist visualizes when listening to "Julia" by John Lennon
I have to disagree with your statement that period 1 would be quiet without table 2... have you met me???? But anyways fantastic article!
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