Synesthesia on 60 Minutes with Richard Cytowic, M.D.

[abby1819931]

i would gladly like to read wat its like to have that gift

[Cytowic]

@abby1819931 Thanks Abby. Read "The Man Who Tasted Shapes," or "Wednesday is Indigo Blue," both in paperback. "Indigo" is more recent and covers all types of synesthesia

[ithinkcanadaiscool77]

HEHEE I HAVE THIS

[concernedanonymous6]

It's funny the way that it's so different for each person. A lot of people keep saying '3 is red', which looks so weird to me, since 3 for me is a very vivid light green, and none of the letters i, s, r, e, or d are anything close to red isolated or in combination, and furthermore contrast greatly.

[mskaddish]

I've been hearing about synaesthesia for a while and have always kept my ears open about a form of it that I have but have never heard of anyone address: the overlapping senses between touch and color. When i am touched, stroked, scratched or massaged, sometimes I only see color, or a shape, and sometimes I see immensely vivid pictures, images or even motions. Has anyone heard of this before?

[Cytowic]

@mskaddish I cited an example of this in 1989, in "Synesthesia: A Union of the senses." In the recent "Wednesday is Indigo Blue" I talk about how the shapes and colors Carol Steen sees during accupuncture inspires her sculpture and paintings.

[cinnamonstickers]

haha i love how all of the comments are about everyone's color/number or letter associations. Does anyone else see time? like, as in....each month has a place, the week has a shape (and the days have places), the year has a shape, etc.?

[alsedenmark]

@cinnamonstickers I see shapes:)

[Cytowic]

@cinnamonstickers Yes, these are called "Number Forms." the technical name is spatial sequence synesthesia.

[twiandhamlover12]

The man's voice is peach but the womans voice is whitish yellow. Also if you give letters and numbers personalities, what is 8 for you? he is modest and cool for me.

[HeyKim0012]

I only see the colored letters and numbers and I have sooo much darned yellow and orange.

[t3llularman]

"A rare condition... That is more common than we realize." Rofl.

[Keovar]

Search for talks by VS Ramachandran for more info on why synaesthesia happens.

Some blind synaesthetes, like Stevie Wonder, can still see colours when they hear sounds.

You might also be interested to read "Born on a Blue Day" by Daniel Tammet. He is not only synaesthetic, he's also a calculation and language savant, he has Asperger's, had epilepsy as a child, so I imagine his brain structure is VERY different.

[Cytowic]

@Keovar Yes, synesthesia, epilepsy and autism all share a common genetic marker.

[sparkleshine728]

I am also a synesthete! I have colored numbers and letters and I once tasted a song. 1 is white, 2 is pink, 3 is red, 4 is light blue, five is maroonish purple, 6 is yellow, 7 is lighter green, 8 is more forest green, 9 is dark dark purple, 10 is white and black since 0 is black. I would list the alphabet but it's too long! Every synesthete is beautiful! I love you all!

[bigchubby99]

@sparkleshine728 I have a few questions for you, would you be okay to talk about your really cool sounding condition?

[Cytowic]

@bigchubby99 Read either "Wednesday is Indigo Blue" or "The Man who Tasted Shapes" They'll answer everything.

[Nick23Sutton]

i see and hear my music :) its fascinating

[thunderinthevalley]

i have number form synesthesia and three has always been red and four green and seven yellow but im not sure why...., number form synesthesia allows me to calculate quick problems in my head ...i honestly used to think everyone had this "problem".

[slaytesics]

hey babes, listen to rite of spring, it looks trippy!

[blackj1988]

1 is blue 2 is red 3 is white 4 is green 5 is brown 6 is dark brown 7 is purple/pink 8 is dark purple/black 9 is reddish orange/ dark orange. Letters are colored, the vowels are more vivid. In Spanish and Portuguese, the letters are even more sharp. Flashes of light make sounds. A candle flickering or a light flashing on a construction site give the perception of sound.

[Lisette227]

I thought everyone had synesthesia, until I asked a friend what color her "T" was and she looked at me weird. It sure does help having colored graphemes because I remember every birthday, every phone number, every address, and I used to think I just had a sharp memory, but now I know it's just synesthesia giving me an extra mnemonic. I only run into trouble occasionally because my 2 and 8 are the same color.

[MsNirvanaFanatic1]

@Lisette227 Hahahah! Thats funny! Yeah, I used to think everyone had it too. My 2 is blue and my 8 is red. hahaha. What color is YOUR t?

[Lisette227]

@MsNirvanaFanatic1 - hi! My 2 and 8 are both a muted rosy red. How can your 2 be blue? =P My T is a gorgeous golden yellow, along w/ number 7 and Sunday. My other days: Monday (rosy red) Tuesday (dk blue) Wednesday (orange-pink) Thursday (gray) Friday (brown) Saturday (black). What color is YOUR T and days of the week?

[MsNirvanaFanatic1]

@Lisette227 hahah! my 2 is very clearly a royal blue, its funny how different all synestes (sp?) are. my T is a platinum silver. Sunday for me is pink with mixes of brown. monday is brown, tuesday is pink with silver, wednesday is very green, thursday is gray (yay we match), friday is brown (we match again) saturday, very pink.

[Cytowic]

@MsNirvanaFanatic1 Unfortunately, I don't have it.

[Cytowic]

@Lisette227 The "weird" look is common, and fortunately less so now that the talent is becoming more widely known.

[drherd02]

That's a stellar ascot

[Cytowic]

@drherd02 Many thanks

[BassPlayerRene9]

..lol CURE? why would i what this to go away ya know..

[Spellcaster94]

I have synesthesia, its nice i guess, but sometimes it can be a pain the ass.

Driving with the radio on? Impossible....

[BassPlayerRene9]

@Spellcaster94 hahaha same here..im driving and almost jumping outta my seat lol i need to lowering the music just to park lol cuz i cant concentrate ...hbu?

[saltymissjill]

I just finished reading 'Wednesday is Indigo Blue'...absolutely fascinating!

[CardwellProductions1]

I love having this. M is red, 3 is yellow and hyper, clam chowder is triangular and yellow, E flat on a piano is orange, but when it's on a violin, brown lines appear over it, and my friend's scream is blue!

[ImGoingToBeAnMD]

THAT DUDE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!