phantom of the opera

synesthesia

Synesthesia is a condition of the brain when information from one sense gets mixed up and joined with false perceptions from other senses. Those who have this condition (including myself) associate sounds, letters, numbers, and sometimes tastes, with colors. For instance, the letter M is purple. The sound of Hayley William’s voice is bright redish orange. The number 17 is black and orange. I myself can’t see colors with taste.

MUSIC.

When I listen to music, I can see colors. For instance, the beginning to Regina Spektor’s song “On the Radio” is deep blue, faded fuchsia pink, some silver, and then a little yellow. Each color has it’s own shape and texture, but that’s too hard to explain over the internet, lol.

NAMES.

For names, I also get colors. ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO ASK ME FOR THE COLORS OF YOUR NAME! I’d be happy to. Here are some names that I get asked for frequently:

Emily : light blue, pastel green, faded pink, and a tinge of lavender with some light yellow.
Kate/Katie : Red and light pink, with a little yellow.
Rachel : Bright fuchsia pink, orange, a little gold, and some dark green.
Samantha : Dark red, dark velvety blue, with gold and some purple.
Kimberly : Light pink, yellow, grass green, and fuchsia.
Sarah/Sara: Peachy pink, coral red, with a bit of dark purple and a tiny bit of sea green.

INTERESTING QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS

How did you find out you had synesthesia?

well, for the longest time i didn’t think i was weird. I’ve seen colors since I before I can remember, and i thought everyone saw them too. And then i read this book, called A Mango Shaped Space. it’s about a girl with synesthesia and i realized upon reading that book when i was ten that i was wrong, not many other people saw colors. i only told my parents about it over the recent summer, and i found out that my dad has it. we researched it and talked about it, and apparently my synesthesia is stronger than his (or it affects other areas of my brain) but i guess i get it from him.

Do the colors vary from person to person, or does everyone with synesthesia see the same colors for everything?

Colors are different for every single person with synesthesia. Think of it this way: no two brains are the same, and so no two people with synesthesia see the same colors.

Is it ever overwhelming, obnoxious, or hindering in any way to your daily life?

When I’m in a large room of noisy people, like at a restaurant, it can get a little headachy. But mostly, no.

Do the colors just appear, or do you have to think for a while before distinguishing them?

Not usually. Most of the time, colors are just there. However, there are some names (Courtney, Ryan, Jacob, for instance) that the colors are confusing. This is mostly because of their shapes, because they overlap or the colors run together like paint.

Do you see colors for tastes?

No, I don’t.

Does synesthesia ever inspire you to paint or play an instrument?

All the time! I can’t paint without listening to music, just so long as the colors of that song goes along with the picture.

Have you ever thought about using synesthesia to your advantage? Like, a simpler and easier way to remember things (according to their colors or color combinations)?

Yes! That’s how I remember addresses, phone numbers, people’s names, and it even comes in handy when i’m doing math.

Are there any words with ‘ugly’ colors?

well…. that’s funny, now that you think about it…. there aren’t that many! i guess there are some words with really garish colors, like ‘create’ and ‘actually’ that aren’t my favorite.

Ask me more questions! I love answering, just as long as you are not on anon. I get so many questions about synesthesia every day, it would be great if I could answer privately. Thank you!