Synesthesia affects approximately 10 out of every 1 million people it is characterized as a cross linkage of the senses and usually appears in early childhood. People who have synesthesia have a 50 percent chance of having a second or third type of synesthesia and it has been found to be very common in artists and composers. Perceiving the days of the week as colored is the most common type of synesthesia people experience. Some individuals “see” letters and numbers as colored (See Alex Dainis link below) while still others have what is called colored hearing (See Elizabeth Sulsa link below) where the individual “sees” color in response to reading or auditory stimuli. Individuals who have synesthesia also have amazing memories or even photographic memories.
In our book we read about the synesthesia case of Michael, his sense of taste was linked to his sensations of touch. Depending on what flavors or the intensity of flavor Michael would taste, he would feel different geometric shapes having weight, texture, size, shape, and temperature on his face, hands, and shoulders. It was very specific that when he tasted sweets he only felt the shapes on his hands. Being a chef, Michael created recipes according to the shapes he felt such as pointed vs rounded rather than spicy vs sweet. Michael’s unique abilities were studied and documented by Dr. Cytowic in the book The Man Who Tasted Shapes.
What is Psychology? (Page 86)
Course Video: Drs. Cytowic and Frakowiak on Synesthesia
Interesting Links:
Alex Dainis gives a detailed explanation of her synesthesia, she sees numbers in color…it is very interesting!
Elizabeth Sulsa is special in that her colored hearing synesthesia is also linked to her taste senses…when she hears music, she sees colors and also experiences taste.
Re:
I edited your post so everyone can easily get to the videos you cited by clicking on the icon with the little chain and then pasting in the URL and pulling down the menu to "open in new window."
These are excellent additional resources that you found.