{"id":5769,"date":"2021-12-09T18:20:39","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T18:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/neurology\/the-12-types-of-synesthesia-and-their-characteristics\/"},"modified":"2021-12-09T18:20:39","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T18:20:39","slug":"the-12-types-of-synesthesia-and-their-characteristics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/neurology\/the-12-types-of-synesthesia-and-their-characteristics\/","title":{"rendered":"The 12 types of Synesthesia (and their characteristics)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The human brain is, ironic as it may be, one of the great unknown to science. And in this context, each time we discover more about its nature and functioning, the more astonished we are at the secrets that the center of our nervous system holds and what we are capable of doing with it.<\/p>\n

Surely, if I tell you that there are people who taste sounds, who see colors in numbers, who listen to colors<\/strong>, that they see the smells or that they touch the sounds, you will think that I am kidding you. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is how people with synesthesia can perceive the world.<\/p>\n

One of the most curious brain phenomena and a non-pathological variation of sensory perception in which it occurs simultaneously between two different senses that are interconnected and that, although it is difficult to estimate it, could occur in up to 4% of the population with greater or less frequently.<\/p>\n

Thus, in today's article and from the hand of the most prestigious scientific publications we will explore the neurological bases of this amazing phenomenon that is synesthesia<\/strong>, while we will present the different ways in which it can be presented. Let's go there.<\/p>\n

What is synesthesia?<\/h2>\n

Synesthesia is a non-pathological variation of sensory perception in which it occurs simultaneously through two different senses that, at a neurological level, are interconnected and become associated<\/strong>. In this sense, it is a phenomenon by which two of the five senses are interconnected and the perception through one of them stimulates the other.<\/p>\n

At a more technical level, synesthesia is the involuntary and automatic experimentation of a sensory perception by the activation of an additional cognitive pathway in response to a stimulus captured by a main sensory pathway. For example, capturing a certain visual stimulus can trigger, in a synaesthetic person, the perception of a sound.<\/p>\n

Studies, despite the difficulty in establishing clear parameters to define the phenomenon, indicate that could occur in up to 4% of the population<\/strong> (some indicate that it could be up to 12%) with greater or lesser intensity, with the curious discovery that (without the reason being known) it is between 3 and 8 times more common in women than in men.<\/p>\n

As we have said, this process through which sensory perception occurs simultaneously between different senses usually occurs between 2 of the 5 senses (for example, sight and hearing), although there are occasions (very rare) in which the Simultaneous sensory perception can occur between three and even more senses at the same time.<\/p>\n

So that, we can understand synesthesia as a \u201ccocktail\u201d of sensory perceptions in which a stimulus perceived by one sense triggers an activation of another sense<\/strong>, for which sensations are experienced that are born not from the perception of the environment itself, but from what awakens, at a sensory level, a concrete sense.<\/p>\n

Each synaesthetic person perceives the sensations in a specific way (which gives it the character known as idiosyncratic), the perceptions are simple (they are not very elaborate or complex perceptions) and these perceptions have a memorable nature, which means that the secondary perception can be remembered with greater intensity than the initial perception itself.<\/p>\n

In summary, synesthesia is a non-pathological variation of sensory perception that arises from a cross-activation of brain regions linked to the processing of sensory information<\/strong> and that allows people who present this phenomenon to experience simultaneous sensory perceptions between two senses.<\/p>\n

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What kinds of synesthesia are there?<\/h2>\n

Having understood the neurological bases of synaesthetic phenomena, we are more than ready to go into depth on the subject that has brought us together here today. Explore the different types of synesthesia. In this way, we will see how this phenomenon can manifest itself and we will understand much better what it consists of.<\/p>\n

1. Grapheme-color synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Grapheme-color synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which certain symbols can be seen of a certain color<\/strong>, words, letters or numbers. It is the most common type of synesthesia, since studies estimate that it is the one that 48% of synaesthetic people present. The Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov had this synesthesia and as a child he complained that, in books, the colors of the letters of the alphabet did not correspond to what he saw.<\/p>\n

2. Chromesesthesia<\/h3>\n

Chromesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which the sense of sight and hearing are interconnected<\/strong> to allow a sensory association between colors and sounds. It occurs in about 30% of synaesthetic people (this and the previous one represent the majority of cases) and usually consists of the ability to perceive sounds and even feel melodies when we observe colors. Or vice versa. Mozart, when listening, the note Fa saw the color yellow.<\/p>\n

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3. Lexical-gustatory synesthesia<\/h3>\n

The lexical-gustatory synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which the sense of sight and taste are interconnected<\/strong>. Despite being the third most common type of synesthesia, only 4% of synaesthetic people manifest it. And, in essence, it consists of something already very strange: savoring words. In other words, reading a certain word can trigger the perception of a specific flavor.<\/p>\n

An example of this curious form of synesthesia is James Wannerton, an English computer scientist, artist and writer who, according to himself, is capable of tasting sounds. For example, it says that the word basketball<\/em> makes you clearly experience the taste of a waffle.<\/p>\n

4. Synesthesia of personification<\/h3>\n

Synesthesia of personification is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we endow symbols with a specific personality<\/strong>, letters, numbers or words. Thus, perceiving a certain word through the sense of sight makes us endow it, unconsciously and involuntarily, with a personality.<\/p>\n

Thus, it is synesthesia that makes us give symbols humanity. For example, we can perceive that the \"O\" is a letter with a kind personality; and the \"I\", a more surly letter. Approximately 3% of synaesthetic people have this form.<\/p>\n

5. Emotional synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Emotional synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which people claim to be able to know the \"aura\" of a person just by looking at their face<\/strong>. This is believed to be due to an association between the brain area responsible for facial recognition and the color processing region. Anyway, this is the most controversial of all.<\/p>\n

6. Mirror-touch synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Mirror-touch synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we experience tactile sensations when we see that another person is having these sensations<\/strong>. That is, through the visual perception of someone touching something, we can feel as if we are touching that same thing despite not being physically touching it.<\/p>\n

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7. Space-time synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Space-time synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we experience a very strong connection between time and space parameters. In this sense, synaesthetic people for this variation of the same they feel time as if it were a physical entity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

8. Touch-emotion synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Touch-emotion synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which a tactile perception awakens emotions<\/strong> in our mind. Thus, people synaesthetic for this variant can feel intense emotions when touching surfaces with a certain texture that triggers an emotional response. It is obviously a rare type of synesthesia.<\/p>\n

9. Auditory-tactile synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Auditory-tactile synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we perceive tactile sensations when listening to certain sounds<\/strong>. That is, hearing some sounds can awaken, in those who present this strange form of synesthesia, physical sensations that can range from simple perceptions to complex sensations.<\/p>\n

10. Number-shape synesthesia<\/h3>\n

The number-form synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we see shapes when we think in numbers<\/strong>. I mean, think about Certain numbers evokes the vision of forms that have nothing to do with the spelling of the number, but which we also unconsciously relate to them.<\/p>\n

11. Space synesthesia<\/h3>\n

Spatial synesthesia is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we see the numbers as if they were points in space<\/strong>. Curiously linked to levels of intelligence above those of the average, synaesthetic people for this variant perceive large numbers as if they were far away and small numbers, as if they were close.<\/p>\n

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12. Linguistic ordinal personification synesthesia<\/h3>\n

And we end up with one whose name sounds like a tongue twister. The synaesthesia of linguistic ordinal personification is that synaesthetic phenomenon through which we associate numbers or number sequences with personalities or genders<\/strong>. In other words, synaesthetic people for this curious variant give the numbers personality, giving them personalities and even determining their gender.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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