American Synesthesia Association. Synesthesia. Figure 1: Number-color associations for one of our synesthetes. Notice that the numbers 7 and 8 are composed of 2 colors each. Synesthesia is a condition in which a sensory stimulus presented in one modality evokes a sensation in a different modality. Introduction In the 19th century Francis Galton observed that a certain proportion of the general population who were otherwise normal had a hereditary condition he dubbed "synesthesia"; a sensory stimulus presented through one modality spontaneously evoked a sensation experienced in an unrelated modality.
Synesthesia used to be regarded as a rare condition but recent estimates suggest an incidence of 4%; the most common of which appears to be grapheme-color (Simner, Sagiv, Mulvenna, Tsakanikos, Witherby, Fraser, Scott, Ward, 2006). Bearing all this in mind, we can ask several important questions regarding the phenomenon. Is the phenomenon authentic (“real”) and hence worthy of study? Sensory nature of synesthesia Physiological basis. Watch TERRA 606: An Eyeful of Sound | TERRA: The Nature of Our World Episodes | Learning Videos. Now in its 8th season, TERRA: The Nature of Our World is the preeminent science and natural history podcast series that explores the natural connections that propel life on Earth.
Overseen by graduate students in the MFA in Science and Natural History Filmmaking Program at Montana State University, TERRA distributes independently produced science, nature, and environmental films. We are proud to bring you these unique stories from around the globe that celebrate the wonders of the natural world. We invite you to enjoy these vignettes of the people, places and animals that make up the heart and soul of life on Terra. Since TERRA’s inception, our thought provoking films have reached over ten million viewers. With each new episode we feature powerful storytelling that showcases the diversity of our planet. Synesthesia: Some People Really Can Taste The Rainbow : The Salt. Hide captionA select group of synesthetes can truly "taste the rainbow. " Photo illustration by Daniel M.N. Turner/NPR A select group of synesthetes can truly "taste the rainbow. " Plenty of us got our fill of green-colored food on St.
Patrick's Day. These people have synesthesia — a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sense (e.g., taste) produces experiences in a totally different sense (e.g., sight). Hide captionFor Jaime Smith, a synesthetic sommelier, a white wine like Nosiola has a "beautiful aquamarine, flowy, kind of wavy color to it.
" For Jaime Smith, a synesthetic sommelier, a white wine like Nosiola has a "beautiful aquamarine, flowy, kind of wavy color to it. " We've covered this phenomenon in the past. Jaime Smith is one of those people. For Smith, who lives in Las Vegas, a white wine like Nosiola has a "beautiful aquamarine, flowy, kind of wavy color to it. " This "added dimension," Smith says, enhances his ability to appraise and analyze wines. The Synesthetic Experience. Synesthesia.