Comments on: "Seeing" Sounds and "Hearing" Food: The Science of Synesthesia

By: Ashley

Ashley — Sun, 29 May 2011 09:33:50 +0000

Hey, I know this is not like an exact science or anything perfected yet, but I am really interested in knowing more about it. Is is possible to acquire Synesthesia like as you get older? I don’t recall ever associating sounds with anything other than just sounds until about two years ago. There was no traumatizing brain injury or anything, I just started to notice being almost just extra aware of the sights and sounds around me. Then I came to realize that the reason I was experiencing these things so clearly was that I was “seeing” them through more than just one of my senses.
One example, I have my eyes closed, but I am fully conscious and awake: my friend knocks on my door, an even though my eyes are both fully closed, I see a wave radiate from the source of the sound almost as if the sound were like a drop of water being dripped into a still pond. It was a dark red and almost hollow sound that radiated outward from the source in wave-like rings.
Is this something I should be concerned about? I think its a little cool, but whenever I think about things messing with my brain, I can’t help but feel a little nervous.

By: Joan

Joan — Sat, 28 May 2011 11:31:57 +0000

It is so comforting to know I’m not alone here. I have had this since I was a little girl! I have word/food synesthesia. I can’t remember all of them, since it’s mainly contextual but the ones I can recall are:
Special – tuna fish on toasted white bread
Complicated – hostess chocolate cupcake with white icing
the name Peter – peanut butter, just a random jar lol
Pound (like the weight, NOT the currency) – red and green/christmas plain M&M’s in a glass bowl, the sound of someone scooping them up with their hand accompanies
Cake – the word turns my stomach
Fault – waffles
Waffles – gives me a dry mouth

By: fashion clothing pics

fashion clothing pics — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:50:20 +0000

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By: Kendra

Kendra — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 01:01:52 +0000

I’m sitting here, stunned. Especially those of you who wrote you have the word-food kind. Ever since I was little, certain words would evoke the thought of certain foods – even though the words had nothing to do with food. I’ve never told anyone about this – even my family. The word ‘brindle” has always evoked the thought of carrots. The word “language” evokes thoughts of bologna (yes, really). If pressed, I could not tell you ALL the words that evoke thoughts of foods – it just happens when it happens (and the connection does not change – the same words always evoke the same food thoughts). And it’s not a word or two. There’s probably enough to fill an entire page. Maybe I should start writing them down.

By: Leah

Leah — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:53:39 +0000

I have developed a strange problem where I have a persistant taste of dishwashing detergent, fresh bread tasts mouldy and burnt chicken tastes undercooked. Does anyone know if there is a medical condition that might cause this?

By: nicole

nicole — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:28:35 +0000

i have synesthesia.. the letter/color kind… its the simplest version i think. i thought i was DIFFERENT, but when i told my friends about it, instead of being freaked out they said they experienced the same thing! are they just pretending, or is it getting to be much more common??? sigh.

By: Kim

Kim — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:00:19 +0000

Tamsin – I too have word-food synethesia – have had it since I was a kid. Some words make me crave foods, as does the way some people talk. Every time I talked to one friend, the sound of the words in her mouth make me crave peanut butter. The word “abrogate” makes me want divinity candy. “Scholar” makes me crave cottage cheese, “speak” = salami, “portrait” = chocolate ice cream, and so on. I have no idea why. A girl in grade school had a gravely voice with very chubby cheeks and whenever she spoke in class, I would think of Butterfinger candy bars. I’ve only recently discovered that this is synesthesia – glad I’m not alone in this!

By: Wong

Wong — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:46:03 +0000

I’m special!

By: wharfrateric

wharfrateric — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:42:12 +0000

I had instances of synthesia under the influence of hallucinogenic substances.
LSD would do it.
Hear a sound, or music, see a color or mix of colors…instead of what was right in front of me. It’s as if the optic and auditory nerves were crossed.

By: Tamsin

Tamsin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:39:56 +0000

I have a word-food synesthesia and I don’t know anyone else other than my mum that has it. Any words that I hear make me think of different foods and sometimes taste them too (Lucy = ring-shaped jelly sweets, Mario = orange smarties etc… no sense at all!) Does anyone else this? And why do so many things make me think of carrots?? Lol. Some seem to make sense (I guess?) like fudge is obviously fudge, but chicken is actually potato snacks in the shape of chickens, being roast chicken flavour. Don’t ask me to explain, I don’t get it, I just have it.