Synaesthesia is a neurological condition in which one sense triggers another to stimulate an additional sensory response.
Imagine if every time you heard a sound, or a musical note, you saw a colour? That’s just one possible form of Synaesthesia. This totally natural neurological phenomenon creates something of a multi-sensory party for those who are lucky enough to have it in their lives.
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- Composer Andrea Tarrodi on her synaesthesia, using electronics and writing for ballet
On a basic level, living with Synaesthesia means that the experience of one sense triggers another – at the same time. And it’s not just restricted to sounds and music. Some people feel touch when they see someone else being touched, others see numbers as shapes, see people as colours, or feel words. Shapes can also be numbers, words can be colours and sounds can be feelings.
Sound-to-colour synaesthesia is also known as Chromesthesia, and it sees the acoustic and visual senses uniting. For those who have never experienced it, just imagine seeing – quite literally – a symphony of colour… Amazing!
Anything is possible and many who live with it turn to the creative arts as a means of sharing and expressing their unusual gift, from painters to musicians.
Do you have synaesthesia? Let us know how it shapes your world
Visit our musical terms dictionary to find out about other musical definitions you may not know.
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