How do people with synesthesia see

Perhaps every time you bite into a food, you also feel its geometric shape: round, sharp, or square. You may be reading these words with a series of accompanying voices in your head, characterizing each sentence with an identity of its own as you would a person you were speaking to on the street.

People who experience synesthesia are usually born with it or develop it very early in childhood. Research indicates that synesthesia can be genetically inherited. Each one of your five senses stimulate a different area of your brain.

Looking at a bright neon yellow wall, for example, will light up the primary visual cortex, at the rear of your brain. If you have synesthesia, you may also feel like you can taste the color of the wall while you look at it. So not only will your primary visual cortex be stimulated by the color, your parietal lobe, which tells you what something tastes like, is stimulated, too.

Some substances can cause you to temporarily experience synesthesia. The use of psychedelic drugs can heighten and connect your sensory experiences. Mescaline, psilocybin, and LSD have been studied for their ability to induce this phenomenon. But other stimulants, like cannabis, alcohol, and even caffeine, have also been shown to cause temporary synesthesia. There are multiple types of synesthesia, all with different symptoms.

Grapheme-color synesthesia, where you connect letters and days of the week with colors, may be the most well-known. You may have only one type of synesthesia, or a combination of a few kinds. If you have synesthesia, you may be more likely to be left-handed and have a strong interest in visual arts or music. It would appear that synesthesia is more common in women than in men. Anecdotally, many people seem to enjoy perceiving the world in a different way than the general population.

On the other hand, some synesthetes feel that their condition isolates them from others. They may have trouble explaining their sensory experiences because they are very different. Finding communities of other synesthetes online may help ease this feeling of isolation. Speaking with a mental health professional may also help you to see the value synesthesia can add to your life. You can take a free online assessment to see if you have synesthesia, but this should be approached with caution.

You can also ask yourself a few questions to begin the diagnosis process if you believe you experience the condition. Go through the entire alphabet, envisioning each letter, observing the color it appears to you in your mind and writing it down. Repeat the exercise an hour or two later. Do the individual letters appear to be mostly the same color every time you envision them? If they are, you could have synesthesia.

Put on classical music and close your eyes. What color is the music? Do the instruments each seem to have a different color? If you do, you could have synesthesia. You can live a full and normal life with synesthesia. Lots of famous and successful people experience this phenomenon.

Examples include:. Hearing in color and reading colors into words on a page adds a level of dimension to life that many of us can only dream of. If they believe that it is something serious, they might refer you to a neurologist. Keep in mind that people with synesthesia typically pass all standard neurological exams and are considered normal in that way. Head trauma, post-concussion syndrome, brain tumors, brain infections, migraine headaches, seizures with auras, epilepsy, cerebral stroke, toxic reactions, LSD "flashbacks" and experimentation with hallucinogens peyote, mushrooms can all produce sensory phenomena similar to synesthesia.

Synesthesia is usually present from birth, so developing it as an adult is extremely rare. See an eye doctor. Some visual sensations of synesthesia can also mimic certain eye diseases and conditions, so it's a good idea to see an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to get your eyes examined. Eye trauma, glaucoma pressure in the eye , cataracts, retinal or vitreous detachment, corneal edema, macular degeneration, and optic nerve dysfunction are all eye conditions that can produce visual phenomena and color distortion.

Understand that some doctors do not believe in synesthesia. You may encounter some doctors who do not believe that the condition exists. Furthermore, some insurance companies may not cover treatment. You should still visit a doctor to rule out any underlying conditions that might be causing your symptoms, but be aware that your doctor might diagnose it as something else entirely. If your doctor says you do not have synesthesia but have a different condition entirely, trust their advice, and follow their instructions for treatment.

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Accept that synesthesia is unusual, but not a disease or disability. Don't feel or think that you're weird.

Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0. Ask relatives about their sensation perceptions — they may have similar experiences to you and can offer their support. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Join online groups geared towards synesthesia so you can understand more about it. This article doesn't show all types of synesthesia. Any association across senses, including pain, that is inborn and not created consciously is synesthesia. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0. Consult a doctor if these experiences are new to you and are accompanied by any discomfort.

Related wikiHows How to. How to. More References 1. About This Article. Medically reviewed by:. Co-authors: Updated: June 30, Italiano: Capire se Hai la Sinestesia. Nederlands: Weten of je synesthesie hebt.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. After reading this article — and others I've read since reading this — I have never felt so relieved in my entire life!

I can see colours lines: straight and curved when hearing sounds. When I try to concentrate on it, it happens with all sounds - not just music. I have spoken to people about this a few times throughout my life, but it never really went anywhere and kept trying to ignore it, especially at work. I found a diferent article explaining about 15 types of Synesthesia and I can honestly say two of them have been with me always: seeing lines with music and other sounds; and feeling and seeing colours from the pitch in people's voices.

More reader stories Hide reader stories. Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Tom Snell May 5, Marilyn Meyer Aug 15, I always choose cats in this colour range. I am a person who sees things as either black or white.

There is rarely a grey area for me. My friends do not get this at times. Laura Oberle Dec 3, I love painting, and I am also being evaluated for tetrachromacy. This article really helped me to see that there are so many others like me! Ava Brooks Jul 19, I never thought I was crazy because some of my family members have it, too, but describing my experiences can be difficult for people without synesthesia to understand.

Rated this article:. Tracy Lutton Aug 17, I just get called all kinds of crazy, to the point of being misdiagnosed as bipolar and being medicated. Share yours!