Buzz
Synesthesia is often seen as a condition that enhances day-to-day experiences. While this is true for most, and many synesthetes wouldn’t trade their unique sensory experiences, there are still downsides. Unlike other psychological conditions where the effects are evident to others, synesthesia is personal and typically doesn’t show in the outside world. This can lead to discouraging and patronizing reactions from those around the individual. In some cases, synesthesia can become overwhelming and even hazardous if the stimulation is too intense. As this list highlights, synesthesia isn’t as perfect as it might seem. This article is a collaboration between M. Synesthi and Nic Swaner, with most insights drawn from M. Synesthi’s personal experiences (items 10-6, 4-1), Nic Swaner’s experiences (items 7, 2-1), and research by both authors (item 5).
10. Support
For a synesthete who has never known life without this condition, seeing colors with voices or feeling emotions through numbers seems completely normal. However, for those who don’t experience synesthesia, these perceptions can appear bizarre and even overwhelming. When a synesthete excitedly shares their experiences, they may encounter confusion or even skepticism from their closest friends and family.
Synesthetes who lack the support of their friends and family may feel isolated, or even question their own sanity, believing their perceptions of the world are invalid. Furthermore, those who were mocked in their childhood for their 'strange' perceptions may become anxious and hesitant to share their experiences, missing valuable opportunities to enlighten and enrich the lives of others.
9. Mockery
In addition to explaining their condition to loved ones, synesthetes may also face mockery from their peers. Children who do not experience synesthesia often find a synesthete’s descriptions of their sensory experiences odd or intimidating, leading to rejection or ridicule. This is particularly common in childhood, when a synesthete may innocently share their unique experiences, assuming that everyone else experiences the world in the same way, only to be startled and confused when they discover they are the only one.
8. Personal Bias
Much like how a person without synesthesia might gravitate towards certain colors, synesthetes have their own set of preferences, but these are often based on sensory experiences. For someone with grapheme synesthesia, certain letters or numbers are seen as attractive or peaceful, while others seem harsh or displeasing. If you have OLP (Ordinal Linguistic Personification) synesthesia, this experience extends to the very 'personalities' of letters. For example, 'A' could be perceived as kind and warm, while 'D' might be viewed as unfriendly or distant.
For people with sound-color synesthesia, the way a voice sounds can have an immediate impact on how they feel about someone. Voices with a soothing or pleasant tone may draw them in, while those that sound grating or shrill could push them away. This doesn’t mean they’re judging people harshly; it’s just how they experience sound. However, it can complicate social interactions, limiting their comfort zone and making conversations feel awkward.
7. Stereotypes
Synesthetes often encounter misconceptions about their condition, particularly from those who are curious but unaware of the full range of experiences. It's common for others to ask what kind of synesthesia they have, assuming there's just one type, when in fact many synesthetes experience a variety of sensory overlaps. Some widespread stereotypes, fueled by the media and the internet, suggest that all synesthetes are inherently creative, artistic, or even left-handed, and that they struggle with math. However, Richard Cytowic, a leading researcher in the field, has debunked these myths. He points out that the proportion of synesthetes working as professional artists matches the general population's share of synesthetes, showing that creativity isn’t exclusive to them. Additionally, there’s no evidence that synesthetes are more likely to be left-handed. While some synesthetes might have difficulty with math, this stereotype is too broad and doesn’t apply to all forms of synesthesia.
6. Math Abilities
One prevalent stereotype about synesthetes is that they struggle with math. While synesthetes, like everyone else, vary in their mathematical abilities, some types of synesthesia can make math feel more challenging. For example, individuals with OLP synesthesia might experience discomfort when performing arithmetic because the 'mean' number feels like it's negatively impacting the 'nice' number in the equation. This can cause anxiety as the synesthete doesn't want to mix the contrasting 'personalities' of the numbers.
Another situation that arises for synesthetes when dealing with math is the experience of grapheme synesthesia, where each number has its own color. A person with this type of synesthesia can logically understand that 2 + 3 = 5, but to them, the equation might appear as pink + light blue = red. If they’re familiar with color theory, they realize that red is a primary color, which means it can't be formed by adding two secondary colors together. To solve this problem, the synesthete either has to temporarily disregard the colors or face a dilemma while working through the problem.
5. Object Perception
In mirror-touch synesthesia, individuals experience the sensation of touch on their own body when they see someone else being touched, feeling the exact same sensation in the same location. Similarly, in vision-touch synesthesia, visual stimuli are experienced as touch sensations, which can be felt on different parts of the body. While these sensations usually don’t cause issues, synesthetes with vision-touch experiences may struggle when encountering large, deep, or expansive objects like a big animal or a vast lake. For these individuals, the sensation of these objects can trigger a strong physical reaction, often described as a falling sensation or even a fight-or-flight response. Interestingly, even tiny objects can provoke similar reactions, possibly because these synesthetes can physically sense the scale and magnitude of the object.
4. Musical Abilities
Synesthetes, like non-synesthetes, have varying degrees of musical talent. However, for those with sound-color synesthesia, their musical experience may be influenced by their unique sensory perceptions. A person with sound-color synesthesia, or 'colored hearing,' perceives sounds as colors whenever they are heard. While this can sometimes enhance the experience, it can also make it challenging for musicians to focus on the music itself, as they may be distracted by the colors they 'see.' This often leads them to rely more on memory than their non-synesthetic peers when performing.
Performing in a group setting can pose additional difficulties for synesthetes with colored hearing. These individuals may perceive each person’s voice as a distinct color, and in an ensemble, such as a choir, the overwhelming influx of colors from multiple voices can lead to sensory overload. This overload can result in physical symptoms such as headaches or nausea, making it harder for the synesthete to focus or perform.
3. Illness
As anyone who has had a fever can attest, an elevated body temperature can alter one’s perception of reality. For synesthetes, experiencing a fever may cause their synesthesia to either intensify or diminish, or even cause their sensory experiences to feel 'off.' Once the fever subsides and the body temperature returns to normal, so too do the perceptions. Additionally, ear infections present unique challenges for those with sound-color synesthesia. A severe ear infection can impair hearing, leaving the synesthete feeling partially deaf. Not only does their hearing suffer, but the colors they associate with sounds can also become distorted during the infection.
As previously mentioned, some synesthetes may notice that their synesthesia weakens over time. It's quite rare for synesthesia to disappear suddenly, but individuals dealing with depression might find that their synesthesia temporarily fades away. While the exact cause of this is unclear, it can add another layer of trauma to their already difficult emotional state, often intensifying the depression and prolonging the period without the synesthetic experience.
In cases where individuals who don't typically experience synesthesia suddenly report having it, this can signal brain damage, the aftermath of a stroke or seizure, or even the effects of brain surgery, such as the removal of a tumor. Since synesthesia is a brain-based condition, it’s also understandable that a traumatic brain injury, like a concussion, could temporarily alter the way a synesthete experiences the world. A concussed synesthete might find themselves more sensitive to certain sounds or struggle to filter out distracting colors when reading or writing. As with any concussion-related confusion in a non-synesthete, these symptoms usually subside as the brain heals.
2. Life Changes
Synesthesia doesn’t necessarily remain constant throughout life. Many synesthetes experience a gradual diminishment in the intensity of their sensory experiences over time. A melody that once appeared in vivid, bright yellow might become almost imperceptible as the years pass, with the synesthetic connection fading into the background.
Occasionally, individuals who have experienced synesthesia throughout their childhood may notice significant changes as they enter their teenage years. The exact reason for this shift is not entirely clear, but many synesthetes report that their experiences become 'stronger' or more 'vivid.' This can be disorienting for the synesthete, who generally doesn’t expect such a transformation in their sensory perception.
1. Visual Obstruction
For someone with sound-color synesthesia, each sound is associated with a specific color, and often louder sounds can overpower their visual experience. Typically, synesthetes are accustomed to these extra colors and are not disturbed by them. However, in situations with intense or unexpected noise, the overwhelming sensory input can become too much to handle, leading to a sense of being overwhelmed.
Fire drills are a good example of this phenomenon. To a non-synesthete, the loud blaring of the fire alarm is simply an annoying noise, but it doesn’t alter their visual experience. For a synesthete with sound-color synesthesia, however, the persistent, deafening sound can obscure their vision, sometimes blocking parts or all of their visual field. This can be particularly challenging when navigating the building during a drill, as the synesthete might accidentally bump into objects or trip on the floor due to the impaired vision caused by the overwhelming sound.
