Words that taste like lemon sherbet, music that projects a scintillating kaleidoscope of colors, numbers with personalities and vibrant life stories—these are all forms of synesthesia, the neurological condition in which senses such as taste, touch, smell, and vision link or merge.
The Facts & Figures
Estimated to affect from 2 to 5% of the general population, the female-to-male ratio is 3:1 (75%) in terms of the amount of synesthetes in the world. The condition is considered “rare” as only 1 in every 2000 people live with it, making it incredibly statistically infrequent. Regarding gender differences, research has also revealed that the condition is more prevalent among females than males.
Why does synesthesia develop?
Considered a highly intriguing phenomenon, those investigating the condition have concluded that a hereditary basis underlies it to date. One can be born with synesthesia and be equipped with roots likely influenced by genetic factors. Acquired synesthesia is another possibility; this refers to the onset of synesthesia later in life, following an injury, illness, or other changes affecting the brain. Specialists theorize that synesthesia can manifest as a product of brain plasticity and functional recovery - your brain’s ability to modify and evolve its structure as it recuperates from damage. Yet another theory is that synesthesia is caused by an overabundance of neurons in the brain. It is surmised that individuals with synesthesia do not go through the typical “pruning” process when excess neurons are lost with age. In adulthood, synesthetes have hyperconnectivity of neurons residing in the sensory areas of the brain, which could explain why auditory input meant to stimulate the sound perception area of the brain may also pass through the visual perception area of the brain, leading to sound-color synesthesia.
Nevertheless, ambiguity still swamps its origins. Some experts judge synesthesia to derive from purely neurological explanations, while others live in such a state of bewilderment they are unable to articulate any pronouncement on the matter.
What are the symptoms of synesthesia?
Synesthesia may feel like…
Experiencing music as colours
Perceiving or associating colours with numbers or letters
Tasting words or music
Feeling tactile, physical sensations when you hear sounds
Hearing sounds when you see noiseless movements
How many forms of synesthesia exist?
There are over 60 types of synesthesia in the world, yet only a meager number of cases have been thoroughly studied and examined by medical professionals and scientists. Some of the types of synesthesia include:
Grapheme-colour synesthesia
Letters and/or numbers (graphemes) are automatically associated with colors (either seen literally or in the mind’s eye).
This is the most common type of synesthesia; it is estimated that approximately 1% to 2% of the population has this.
Chromesthesia (sound-colour)
Sounds are associated with colors or elicit visual colors.
Mirror-touch synesthesia
When observing physical sensations occurring to someone or something else, you feel the same physical sensations.
Lexical-gustatory synesthesia
Words are associated with particular tastes.
Spatial sequence synesthesia (time-space)
Ordinal sequences (such as times, days of the week, years, etc.) appear as points in space; for example, the days of the week might be in a circle, or months of the year may surround you.
Can you imagine if each word had its color, or you could ‘see’ different types of music?
Reference List
Apa.org. (2022). Available at: https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/synesthesia.
Bence, S. (2023). Synesthesia: What It Is, Types, Causes, and Treatment. [online] Verywell Health. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/synesthesia-8405029.
Cleveland Clinic (2023). Sense and Sense abilities: How Synesthesia Changes What People Experience. [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24995-synesthesia.
https://www.synesthesiatest.org/blog/author/travis (2011). Synesthesia Statistics. [online] Synesthesia Test. Available at: https://www.synesthesiatest.org/blog/synesthesia-statistics.
Synesthesia Test. (2011). Causes of Synesthesia. [online] Available at: https://www.synesthesiatest.org/causes-of-synesthesia.
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