Synaesthesia, anyone?
Does anyone here have or know someone who has synaesthesia? I believe I heard somewhere that there is a crossover between autism spectrum disorders and synaesthesia, although the latter is far more rare (and I can't place where I heard that; it may have just been "someone in a community somewhere").
I'm wondering because I have some odd "sensory crosses" myself, not that I think necessarily qualify for any sort of diagnosis, but that intrigue me enough to drive me to find out more about how that whole deal works. All the information I can find, though, is about people seeing letters and sounds as different colors, and not much about other types of synaesthesia.
My experiences:
1) I smell everything wrong. I'll go downstairs while my mother is cooking and say, "Whoa, smells really cheesy in here," and my mom will say, "That would be pasta sauce, actually; where'd you get cheese from?" or "Uh, your dad's outside grilling steaks..." o_O
2) I associate people and things that are familiar or unfamiliar with the letters S and T, and have since I was little (I never understood why I did this). You know how someone's face looks different when you first meet them than it does when you're used to seeing it, and likewise a word sounds different when it's new to your ears? I associate new people and things with "S" and familiar people and things with "T". I'll remember the strangeness of back when someone "was an S" and what they "used to look like," as if it was different.
3) I read the following the Wikipedia entry: "Ludwig van Beethoven considered B minor to be 'the black key,' and Franz Schubert viewed E minor as like 'a maiden robed in white and with a rose-red bow on her breast.' In such cases of long-dead people, it is difficult to tell whether they were describing their synesthesia or using figures of speech..." I definitely identify, as a very musical person with an aptitude for picking out notes and chords by ear, with the feelings and images described... I get more of a sensation or an overall "aura" with music, like when you look into a dark room and feel sadness or foreboding. I was looking at pictures of rooms in a house for sale today and in one of them it was winter and the sun was setting, and the room was cast in blue and looked very sad and cold... and I get a very strong image of something like that when listening to certain music (that's pretty much how I perceive a B minor chord). It's very strong, but I don't know, like they said in the entry, if it's not just a powerful connection with the music evoking images. I don't think it necessarily means there are "crossed wires."
EDIT: Sorry to edit after the fact, I just thought of three more (hence the LJ cut; the list got a bit long!):
4) I see time laid out VERY visually and sort of "colored" or "shaded" in a way. I drew a map of the year once for a student (I'm a tutor for learning-disabled kids). It's hard to explain but it's very connected to lightness/darkness and colors, and it's laid out in a very specific shape and orientation. (from a comment below, if it looks familiar)
5) I love words, and sometimes when I'm reading and the writing is very good with really juicy words I feel, literally, like I am EATING the words. Seriously! Like they're so good, they're DELICIOUS and could actually be consumed.
6) Every now and then I'll smell something for absolutely no reason. It's very VERY brief, passing quickly enough that I know it was never really there but long enough for me to know I actually did smell it (or think I smelled it and not just "imagine" the whole experience, if that makes sense... the sensation of smelling did truly occur, in short). I think it's caused by visual triggers, but I don't know what they are. It's hard to know because I don't know something's about to trigger a random smell until it's already passed and too late to find out (damnit).
At any rate, I want to learn more... it sounds like a FASCINATING condition. I can't imaging feeling like I was "eating shapes;" that must be a really wild experience (although for people who are used to it, I suppose it isn't).
I'm wondering because I have some odd "sensory crosses" myself, not that I think necessarily qualify for any sort of diagnosis, but that intrigue me enough to drive me to find out more about how that whole deal works. All the information I can find, though, is about people seeing letters and sounds as different colors, and not much about other types of synaesthesia.
My experiences:
1) I smell everything wrong. I'll go downstairs while my mother is cooking and say, "Whoa, smells really cheesy in here," and my mom will say, "That would be pasta sauce, actually; where'd you get cheese from?" or "Uh, your dad's outside grilling steaks..." o_O
2) I associate people and things that are familiar or unfamiliar with the letters S and T, and have since I was little (I never understood why I did this). You know how someone's face looks different when you first meet them than it does when you're used to seeing it, and likewise a word sounds different when it's new to your ears? I associate new people and things with "S" and familiar people and things with "T". I'll remember the strangeness of back when someone "was an S" and what they "used to look like," as if it was different.
3) I read the following the Wikipedia entry: "Ludwig van Beethoven considered B minor to be 'the black key,' and Franz Schubert viewed E minor as like 'a maiden robed in white and with a rose-red bow on her breast.' In such cases of long-dead people, it is difficult to tell whether they were describing their synesthesia or using figures of speech..." I definitely identify, as a very musical person with an aptitude for picking out notes and chords by ear, with the feelings and images described... I get more of a sensation or an overall "aura" with music, like when you look into a dark room and feel sadness or foreboding. I was looking at pictures of rooms in a house for sale today and in one of them it was winter and the sun was setting, and the room was cast in blue and looked very sad and cold... and I get a very strong image of something like that when listening to certain music (that's pretty much how I perceive a B minor chord). It's very strong, but I don't know, like they said in the entry, if it's not just a powerful connection with the music evoking images. I don't think it necessarily means there are "crossed wires."
EDIT: Sorry to edit after the fact, I just thought of three more (hence the LJ cut; the list got a bit long!):
4) I see time laid out VERY visually and sort of "colored" or "shaded" in a way. I drew a map of the year once for a student (I'm a tutor for learning-disabled kids). It's hard to explain but it's very connected to lightness/darkness and colors, and it's laid out in a very specific shape and orientation. (from a comment below, if it looks familiar)
5) I love words, and sometimes when I'm reading and the writing is very good with really juicy words I feel, literally, like I am EATING the words. Seriously! Like they're so good, they're DELICIOUS and could actually be consumed.
6) Every now and then I'll smell something for absolutely no reason. It's very VERY brief, passing quickly enough that I know it was never really there but long enough for me to know I actually did smell it (or think I smelled it and not just "imagine" the whole experience, if that makes sense... the sensation of smelling did truly occur, in short). I think it's caused by visual triggers, but I don't know what they are. It's hard to know because I don't know something's about to trigger a random smell until it's already passed and too late to find out (damnit).
At any rate, I want to learn more... it sounds like a FASCINATING condition. I can't imaging feeling like I was "eating shapes;" that must be a really wild experience (although for people who are used to it, I suppose it isn't).