Comments on: Stupid brain tricks.

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:34:28 +0000

Some people say it helps them remember things like that, I’m not sure it helps me. Daniel Tammet and that guy Luria wrote about are both synaesthetes in addition to being good at memory feats, but I’m not sure whether synaesthesia caused the good memory or not.

In my case, I might remember the color of a word without remembering which word it is. For instance, I often confuse the names “Tom” and “Dan” because they’re both brown and also similar in shape in some ways.

By: Dane

Dane — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:17:34 +0000

Hi,
Would this expalin why some people can remember looong strings of numbers or words? I imagine that the colors would help keep the numbers/words in order. That would really help someone to visualize complex patterns… The above reference to “Laura” being blue makes perfect sense.
I don’t think like this but wish I did.
I wonder if children are naturals at this and it is neglected through the “normal” school system and thus atrophies..? Just thinking aloud. ( well, typing..) Have a great day everyone!

By: The Integral

The Integral — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:51:21 +0000

I don’t think this is “stupid” at all. On the contrary, it’s very fascinating! Your 2 made me think of dripping goo or sweat…..probably because of the color and the font both. Like the 2 had been out in the sun for way too long…..or someone had JUST painted it…..

Very cool. If I remember anything in particular that Athena, Ivan, or myself experienced with numbers as kids, I’ll post it. This video made me think about that……maybe numbers smiled at Athena…..can’t remember though.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:45:22 +0000

I was recommended here and since people say I experience synaesthesia I was very interested in your video. However, I had to shut it off because a) O and 1/I are ‘wrong’ in the sense that O made me almost violently nausious and b) because other numbers while not as ‘wrong’ were still consistantly ‘incorrect’ – obviously that is not so, how can a number colour be ‘incorrect’ – brain says that, stomach says wrong, wrong, wrong. So I include this in case you are tabulating responses.

By: rr

rr — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:58:50 +0000

Just today I was having trouble with a pice of music so decided to color the notes in very lightly. I colored many more notes than I usually do, just to see if it would help (it didn’t, I just don’t know the piece.) As I was playing, I wondered what I would say if someone came in and asked me “What IS that?” and the answer that immediately came to my mind was “Numbers!” Now, that would have really made the imaginary person wonder! Notes have colors, and so do numbers and letters, which is why I absentmindedly thought “numbers” instead of “notes” or even “note letters”.

One not-so-good thing about music notes being colors is that the LETTER B is blue and the letter C is orange. So if I have a piece of music that has a C-flat, I am to play the actual NOTE (or key) B, since C-flat is the same as B. I always have trouble with playing a C-flat and I finally realized this year that it’s because I am waffling back and forth between orange and blue, and it’s too late to to hit the right note once I have decided, if I ever do. What I need to do is color the C-flat blue, even though C is orange, because that way I will autimatically play a B, since B is blue. It happens faster than I can work it out consciously, which correlates with the Cytowic criteria # 1 (involuntary and automatic).

By: Willis M.

Willis M. — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:43:39 +0000

Hello,

Very fascinating, Amanda! Good job with the video :-). I have general sound = color perceptual synesthesia, and multiple synesthesia that is both conceptual and perceptual. The latter is my main thought process. I do not see any colored letters or numbers whatsoever, so this was very new and interesting to me! Thanks for posting it.

This is my first time posting here, yet I have been reading your blog for some time and find it very well-written, very thoughtful, and very great to read!

Will

By: Lex

Lex — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:33:51 +0000

I have synesthesia. Was sitting there thinking, “How could you possibly think six is orangey???” :p Mine mostly has to do with feeling sounds on my skin though.

By: Astrid

Astrid — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:23:26 +0000

Great, Amanda. I am also a synaesthete who sees colors with letters and numbers (and A is NOT blue for me, while K is).

By: Kevathens

Kevathens — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:33:04 +0000

I agree with the Goldfish: Great topic!

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:14:46 +0000

Inexpensive seems to be in the eye of the beholder.