Synesthesia in Perspective
October 14, 2004 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780195166231.003.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Synesthesia Modality human–computer interaction Perspective graphical Cognitive psychology Perception Visual arts |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Synesthesia describes a variety of phenomena, most commonly cross-modal sensory experiences, but also within-modality associations, and has been linked to medical conditions, psychoactive substances, and divine intervention. |
Abstract
Abstract The term synesthesia (Greek; syn = together, aesthesia = sensation) has been used to describe a wide variety of phenomena. Most commonly, it is used to denote a condition in which stimulation in one sensory modality also gives rise to an experience in a different modality. However, conditions involving different qualities within one modality (e.g., when the sight of letter shapes evokes color) are labeled synesthesia as well. Phenomena of this sort have also been reported in patients with eye disease, brain damage, and migraines (e.g., Armel & Ramachandran, 1999; Jacobs, Karpik, Bozian & Gothgen, 1981; Podoll & Robinson, 2002). Similar experiences have been reported in healthy individuals using mescaline and LSD (e.g., Hartman & Hollister, 1963) or drinking psychoactive brews such as Ayahuasca (Shanon, 2002). Divine intervention has also been invoked as a possible trigger of synesthesia.