Synesthesia – Hearing Colors
Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense involuntarily triggers an experience in another. In chromesthesia — often called “hearing colors” — sounds automatically evoke the perception of color.
Questions you may have include:
- What is synesthesia?
- What is “hearing colors”?
- Is it a disorder, and how common is it?
What synesthesia is
In synesthesia, one sense or concept reliably triggers another. The experiences are involuntary and automatic, and they tend to stay consistent over a person’s lifetime — the same note always evoking the same color, for instance. Scientists have described dozens of types.
Hearing colors
Chromesthesia, in which sound triggers color, is one of the better-known forms, experienced by a large share of synesthetes. The colors are personal, though higher-pitched sounds tend to be linked with brighter colors and lower pitches with darker ones. Another common type, grapheme-color synesthesia, links letters and numbers with colors; the writer Vladimir Nabokov described having it.
A natural variation, not a disorder
Synesthesia affects roughly four percent of people and is not a disease or disorder but a natural variation in how the brain is wired. It often runs in families, develops in childhood, and is associated with benefits such as stronger memory and creativity. Notable synesthetes include the painter Wassily Kandinsky, the composer Franz Liszt, and the musician Pharrell Williams.
Summary
Synesthesia is an involuntary, consistent crossing of the senses; in chromesthesia, sounds evoke colors. It affects about four percent of people, is a natural neurological variation rather than a disorder, often runs in families, and is linked with enhanced memory and creativity.