A Summary of Current Ideas on Synethesia

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2007

Department

Psychology

Program

Bachelor's Degree

Citation of Original Publication

Rights

Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.

Abstract

I wrote this paper on synesthesia for my seminar in Cognitive Psychology with professor Carol Mills. Had it occurred to me, upon choosing my topic, that she herself conducts research on this phenomenon I might have reconsidered. However, I was intrigued when I learned that there could be an interconnection between our distinct senses. Having read Luria’s The Mind of a Mnemonist in class, I found synesthete S. fascinating. His descriptions of a male voice as crumbly yellow and of a loud tone as tasting of briny pickle with a rough unpleasant feel that could hurt your hand seemed simply unimaginable. I was envious and wanted to experience these percepts, but of course I could not. It seemed that the next best thing would be to understand them, and so I set out to do so.