Synesthesia | INFJ Forum

Synesthesia

Discussion in 'Psychology and MBTI' started by mankycustard, Jan 3, 2009.

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  1. mankycustard

    mankycustard Newbie

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    Hey,

    Is anyone else on here a synesthete? Synesthesia is a cross wiring of the senses and there are many different types. In my case, I see colours (which are always the same) when thinking of numbers, letters, names, days of the weeks, months of the year etc.... I also see them set out (usually) in zig zags. Musical notes also have colours and the sound that different instruments make have colours. I also seem to associate feeling ill with objects and places. For example when I was a child I was painting scallop shells when I started to get a stomach bug. Still to this day when I see a scallop shell it makes me feel extremely nauseous. There are some people who associate names, places or numbers etc with tastes (often foods from childhood)....

    Just curious as to whether any of you are synesthetes....... :meyes:
     
    #1 mankycustard, Jan 3, 2009
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  2. Wyote

    Wyote Xenoi
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    I think there is a huge difference between synesthesia and association. I do actually all of these things you've mentioned, to a very strong degree, but I am not so sure I am a synesthete? Perhaps I am.

    Days and months of the year have colors, and jello makes me feel like I have chicken pox. Also looking at dirty metal poles causes me to have a metallic taste in my mouth.
     
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    #2 Wyote, Jan 3, 2009
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  3. OP
    mankycustard

    mankycustard Newbie

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    Hey Wyote,

    If you see days and months of the year with colours (that are always the same) then you are a synesthete. Have you looked into it? It is pretty interesting.
     
    #3 mankycustard, Jan 3, 2009
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  4. Shaz

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    Yeah I've read about it. Some people with it do cool paintings. Actually a whole bunch of famous painters and musicians had it, no?

    I'm not one myself, though it happens to me on a few letters, numbers and days of the week. I remember talking about it to a friend when I was about 6 or 7. Saying, "isn't it funny that numbers have colors? like the red 6 and.." and my friend just agreed. I wonder now if she thought I was mad.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia
     
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    #4 Shaz, Jan 3, 2009
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    mankycustard

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    Yeah, I just thought that everyone saw in colour until I heard about synesthesia. I think that non synesthetes don't see anything when they think about most things like dates, months, days, numbers and letters. Where as I see so much. It depends on how I am thinking about it but counting up through the numbers each one has its own colour up to 10. 0-white, 1-white, 2- red, 3-yellow, 4-green, 5- pinky purple (quite vague), 6-black, 7-mustard, 8-purple, 9-blue, 10-white....From there on I see double digit numbers (only if I am thinking about them on their own) as the colours above so 13- the one is white and the 3 is yellow. If I am thinking of all the numbers up to 100 then I see 0-10 in a line then 11-20 (which are all white when thinking in this way) underneath 0-10 then 20-30 (are red) and they head off in a diagonal line, 30-40 are yellow and they then zig zag in tens to 100. I was never brilliant at maths and I've heard that many mathematical geniuses are synesthetes who see their numbers in a very logical way. Perhaps in grid form and often not with colour. My strange zig zags are not so logical ;o)
     
    #5 mankycustard, Jan 3, 2009
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  6. Wyote

    Wyote Xenoi
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    Like this dude.

    [YOUTUBE]8Vs6R5YZQ3c[/YOUTUBE]
     
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    #6 Wyote, Jan 3, 2009
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  7. Poetic Justice

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    A really good NLP guy could fix that for you. I don't know how to do that yet but I hear it is quite simple to unwire a synesthesia. It would only take a few minutes. Look into it
     
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    #7 Poetic Justice, Jan 3, 2009
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    mankycustard

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    Haha, Poetic Justice, I'm sure they could rewire me with NLP but I can't imagine how dull life would be without my colours and strange zig zag structures:mno: No I'll keep my synesthesia, thanks....

    Wyote, the guy in the film is really interesting.... I have a friend (actually I'm sad to say ex friend) who is a mathematical genius and he see's his numbers in grid form and when he is calculating he has a system to do with the grid. It was amazing to see the guy in the film who seemed to have a much more emotional link to numbers but who was very mathematically gifted. It was also interesting to me that he experienced 1's as a shining light because that is how I see 0's and 1's...and also that number 9's were intimidating. I see 9's as somehow a little over powering and menacing ;o)
     
    #8 mankycustard, Jan 3, 2009
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  9. Poetic Justice

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    Oh right. So it's a good thing? I can see how this would give you a good memory. Years ago I started learning something called "pegging". Part of this is creating a picture for everything so you can "peg" other pictures on it. I have a picture for 1-20. 1 is a tree, 2 is a light switch, 3 is a stool and so on. Anything I peg onto these pictures I remember. And by remember I mean CANNOT forget. I have other pegs too. about 60 altogether
     
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    #9 Poetic Justice, Jan 3, 2009
  10. Silently Honest

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    This is where I stopped reading.
     
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    #10 Silently Honest, Jan 3, 2009
  11. Poetic Justice

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    Why? I know it sounds strange but I promise you it works.

    By ceate a picture you do know I mean in your head right. not am actual picture
     
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    #11 Poetic Justice, Jan 3, 2009
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  12. Silently Honest

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    Depends on what kind of guy you are, I don't judge.
     
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    #12 Silently Honest, Jan 3, 2009
  13. Poetic Justice

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    I'm not sure what you mean by that
     
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    #13 Poetic Justice, Jan 3, 2009
  14. Silently Honest

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    Well pegging is also a name for a sexual act.
     
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    #14 Silently Honest, Jan 3, 2009
  15. Poetic Justice

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    Ha Ha. I thought you were being mean. Never heard of it. It doesn't involve any furry animals does it?
     
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    #15 Poetic Justice, Jan 3, 2009
  16. Silently Honest

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    Nope, just a woman and man.

    In that order.
     
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    #16 Silently Honest, Jan 4, 2009
  17. OP
    mankycustard

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    I actually don't think I have a very good memory. My synesthesia doesn't really add to my mathematical abilities either but there are some who it does. I think that perhaps for me it helps my artistic side more. I don't really know if it makes me any better at anything it is just there and I like it. I wouldn't change it. It is different from the memory tricks that you mention, poetic justice, as it is involuntary. They have taken MRI scans that now show that synesthetes are accessing information from different parts of the brain to non synesthetes. Extra senses are being used to process information. No-one actually knows the percentage of people who are synesthetes but I heard it could be a lot more than was previously thought. It could even be as much as 50% of the population that are synesthete but there is no real evidence to back up the figures. I'll try and find the documentary I watched about it and post it. It was only whilst watching it that I realised there was a name for the way I saw things in my head ;o)
     
    #17 mankycustard, Jan 4, 2009
  18. Poetic Justice

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    In NLP there is something called accessing cues. When you think of something you have to access that information and your eyes give away what you are accessing. There is a different eye movement for visual remembered, visual constructed, audio remembered, audio constructed, feelings and internal dialogue. People with synesthesia use the wrong eye movements to access information (please don't try and control this, it won't work). You have to go through another area of your brain to get to the information you want. So it is actually stimulating more of your brain. Which has interesting effects
     
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    #18 Poetic Justice, Jan 4, 2009
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    mankycustard

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    Hey,

    I just found the documentary that I saw. I have to go to bed now but I'm going to watch it again tomorrow as I haven't seen it for years. I can't say synesthesia is something that hinders me in any way. I wouldn't want to switch it off. It is just there and I have always thought in this way. Anyway heres the link if you'd like to see more about it......

    http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=49043

    Night, night!!
     
    #19 mankycustard, Jan 4, 2009
  20. Poetic Justice

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    That was fascinating. I watched the whole thing. It pretty much confirmed what I already thought. With some new interesting angles too. Sounds like some types of synaesthesia would actually be useful. Though I would only have it if I could turn it off if I wanted
     
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    #20 Poetic Justice, Jan 4, 2009
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