Neurophenomenology of induced and natural synaesthesia.
David J. Schwartzman, Daniel Bor, Nicolas Rothen, Anil K. Seth
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences December 9, 2019 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0030 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Consciousness Perception Plasticity Synaesthesia Training |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | A number of aspects of synaesthesia can be artificially induced in non-synaesthetes, suggesting developmental and learning components in its acquisition. |
Abstract
People with synaesthesia have additional perceptual experiences, which are automatically and consistently triggered by specific inducing stimuli. Synaesthesia therefore offers a unique window into the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying conscious perception. A long-standing question in synaesthesia research is whether it is possible to artificially induce non-synaesthetic individuals to have synaesthesia-like experiences. Although synaesthesia is widely considered a congenital condition, increasing evidence points to the potential of a variety of approaches to induce synaesthesia-like experiences, even in adulthood. Here, we summarize a range of methods for artificially inducing synaesthesia-like experiences, comparing the resulting experiences to the key hallmarks of natural synaesthesia which include consistency, automaticity and a lack of 'perceptual presence'. We conclude that a number of aspects of synaesthesia can be artificially induced in non-synaesthetes. These data suggest the involvement of developmental and/or learning components in the acquisition of synaesthesia, and they extend previous reports of perceptual plasticity leading to dramatic changes in perceptual phenomenology in adults. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Bridging senses: novel insights from synaesthesia'.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Consciousness: A Philosophy of Mindfulness and Somaesthetics | 2008 | Review article | |
| Phenomenology, Structure, and Dynamic of Psychedelic States | 2016 | Review | |
| Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. | 2018 | Review | |
| The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics. Individuals with lived experience of psychosis, family members, and carers | 2022 | Co-written bottom-up review | |
| From autopoiesis to neurophenomenology: Francisco Varela's exploration of the biophysics of being. | 2003 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Consciousness as an intelligent complex adaptive system: A neuroanthropological perspective Anthropology of Consciousness August 7, 2023
- An Exploratory Study into the Correlates of Exceptional Experiences in the Psychomanteum Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition October 6, 2026
- Inducing synesthesia in non-synesthetes: Short-term visual deprivation facilitates auditory-evoked visual percepts. Consciousness and Cognition April 1, 2019
Cites 11
- Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) PLoS One August 31, 2010
- Acute, subacute and long-term subjective effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of experimental studies Journal of Psychopharmacology September 20, 2010
- A predictive processing theory of sensorimotor contingencies: Explaining the puzzle of perceptual presence and its absence in synesthesia Cognitive Neuroscience January 21, 2014
- The induction of synaesthesia with chemical agents: a systematic review Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Presence, objecthood, and the phenomenology of predictive perception Cognitive Neuroscience April 7, 2015
and 6 more in the library