Scientists have developed a test called the “ synesthesia battery” to identify people with synesthesia. This type of synesthesia stops once the drugs are out of your system. Of note, psychedelic drugs, like LSD (“acid”) and psilocybin (“mushrooms”), can cause synesthesia while under the influence of their effects. In other words, when certain brain cells are activated, neighboring cells accidentally get turned on, too. If one of your birth parents has synesthesia, you are more likely to have it as well.Ĭross-activation in nearby areas of the brain also contributes to synesthesia. So far, we know that synesthesia is somewhat genetic. Scientists are still studying the exact cause of synesthesia. But it wasn’t until the 2000s that we started to understand why it happens. Humans have known that synesthesia exists for more than 100 years. How intense the sensation is varies from person to person. For example, watching someone burn their hand on the stove might cause a burning sensation in your own hand. Mirror-touch synesthesia : Seeing someone experience a feeling, like pain, causes you to feel the same thing, even if nothing is touching you. For example, hearing the word “table” might cause you to taste peanut butter. Lexical-gustatory (sound-gustatory) : Thinking about, hearing, or reading certain words leads to a specific taste in the mouth. For example, hearing heavy metal music might feel like pins and needles on your legs. It’s as if you’re being touched, but nothing is touching you. For example, thinking about a calendar might cause you to see months of the year around you in a circle.Īuditory-tactile synesthesia : Hearing sounds leads to specific sensations in parts of the body. People with this type of synesthesia see sequences like months, numbers, or letters arranged in space around them. Spatial sequence (visio-spatial synesthesia) : This one is a little more abstract. For example, hearing a certain musical note might cause you to see the color green. This is one of the most common types of synesthesia.Ĭhromesthesia : Hearing sounds leads to seeing colors. For example, the letter “B” might appear orange, but it’s just black print. Grapheme-color synesthesia : Seeing certain letters or numbers (graphemes) leads to seeing colors. Some are very rare and some are more common. There are many different types of synesthesia. Synesthesia can occur between any of the five senses (sound, taste, sight, smell, and touch). People who have synesthesia are called “synesthetes.” How many types of synesthesia are there? What are some examples of synesthesia? What’s the big deal?” The difference with synesthesia is that one sensation (like hearing music) leads to an automatic and involuntary experience of the other sensation (like seeing colors). You might be thinking: “I see and hear things together all the time. Synesthesia means experiencing two sensations - like seeing and hearing - at the same time. In this article, we discuss the different types of synesthesia and how to tell if you or someone you know has it. In the past, scientists thought that 1 in 2000 people had synesthesia. It’s unclear how many people have synesthesia. It’s just a different way of experiencing the world around you. It comes from the Greek words for “union of the senses.” Synesthesia is not a disease or mental disorder. And both sensations are experienced at the same time. Synesthesia is an interesting brain condition in which one sensation triggers another.
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