Through Rainbow Glasses

Synesthesia is a fun word. Not only does it roll off the tongue in that way that only Latin can, it’s also bright orange. If that sentence made you do a double take, stick around for a while. If you understood perfectly, stick it out anyway. Never know when you’re about to learn something new.

Synesthesia is what happens when the areas of your brain overlap, causing you to see numbers as colors, or sounds are shapes. Imagine it like this: you’re looking at a black and white photo of your room. Although the picture itself is in black and white, you automatically register that the bedspread is blue, or the sweater is red. It isn’t questioned or changeable; it’s a firm fact in your mind. That’s the way synaesthetes’ minds work all the time, only instead of cloth or a bulletin board, letters, numbers, shapes, and tastes have colors, just to name a few. In addition to being “colored,” other sensations can have this “cross effect” as well; including texture, sound, “personalities” (ex- “nice” is green etc.), music, smell; anything taken in sensually.

This spans not only just letters and individual numbers, but also big picture things. Emotions, people, songs, months, everything has its set adjectives. However, not all synaesthetes experience every single sense “crossed over.” The most common “type?” Numbers/letters to color.

The trademark that separates synesthesia from over-active imaginations is that the synaesthetes’ adjective will be constant. (Four always has been and always will be purple. M is always red.) A few other traits found in synaesthetes are:
-They are more likely to be female.

- Synaesthetes are usually very intelligent. However, it might just seem this way because famous synaesthetes include geniuses such as Ludwig van Beethoven, poet Vladimir Nabakov and others listed below. Also, "intellectuals” in the scientific/artistic world are more likely to discover that synaesthesia is not normal. Many others will simply assume that the experience is usual, “everyone experiences it.”

- Synaesthetes are more likely to be left handed or ambidextrous

- Synaesthetes often have a tendency to confuse left and right, which leads to their tendency to having bad directional skills.

-They are far more likely than the general population to have ADD/ADHD, perfectionistic traits, obsessive compulsive behavior, depression, autism, eidetic memory, prosopagnosia.

- Synaesthetes may be more prone to migraines.

- Although just as socially able as everyone else, the vast majority of synaesthetes describe themselves as being very solitary people.

- Synaesthetes are often poor at mathematics.

- Synaesthetes are usually very creative, often talented at music, art or poetry.

- Synaesthetes are supposedly more prone to deja-vu, clairvoyance, prophetic dreams and other paranormal experiences.

-Famous synaesthetes include Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendri, Edgar Degas, Edvard Munch, Tilda Swinton, W.A. Mozart, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Pythagoras, Duke Ellington, and Vladimir Nabokov.

**"Synaesthesia." Index. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://synaesthesia.fws1.com/main.html>.
citation for most of my facts