Synesthesia

Synesthesia... now how KEWL is THAT!!

This is a word/condition that I only just heard about on NPR. It is a condition where someone sees or hears something and it brings up a color or ???. I know, I know. What kind of description is that, but I'm stumbling along anyway.

Its a neurological condition, apparently. A person with this ability looks at a letter and sees a color. This quote is a good explanation:

"One day," I said to my father, "I realized that to make an 'R' all I had to do was first write a 'P' and then draw a line down from its loop. And I was so surprised that I could turn a yellow letter into an orange letter just by adding a line."

– Writer Patricia Lynne Duffy, recalling an early experience


I found the above quote on wikepedia in the article about synesthesia. Reading the whole thing may help in explaining what it is... but whatever, it sure sounds wild. And its a good demonstration of just how little we know about how our minds/brains work. Just think how different this world may be if you were someone who could experience this.

I know my explanation here is lacking, but if it piques your curiousity, I suggest you google the word.

Update: Here's a place where you can hear about two people's personal experiences.