What is synesthesia in psychology causes and types

Normally, human beings associate colors and shapes with the sense of sight, textures with touch, flavors with pleasure ... but maybe we have met with people who claim to savor the numbers or smell the colors. We may arise many doubts related to that issue. We can think that these people are lying to us or that they have some kind of illness. However, the reality is very different.

What happens to these subjects is not a hallucination or mental illness. Synesthesia is a curious characteristic that mixes the senses, creating a mental cocktail that translates into a somewhat different world perception from what others see. This phenomenon is studied from many points of view. In this Psychology-online article, we will talk about What is synesthesia in psychology: causes and types.

1. Synesthesia in psychology
2. Causes of synesthesia
3. Characteristics of synesthetic people
4. Types of synesthesia
5. Examples of synesthesia in psychology

Synesthesia in psychology

We can define synesthesia within the field of psychology as the involuntary capacity of relate stimuli to senses that do not correspond To these sensations. This unconscious relationship can occur at many levels and between the different senses of the body.

A synesthetic person is capable, for example, relate a number to a sound acute or to see a certain color in the bitter taste. At first glance, this seems strange, typical of a mental pathology or the effect of some substance, but this phenomenon should not be confused with a medical ailment. Synesthesia is not a disease, This is a curious capacity and that does not usually lead to any problem. We could affirm that we are all a bit synesthetic.

Let's give an example, two forms will be shown below, one of them is called Bouba And the other is called Kiki. Without knowing which one, we must try to put their corresponding name:

Causes of synesthesia

We usually associate Kiki to the pointed figure on the left and Bouba to the one on the right.

¿Why this phenomenon happens to us?

There are many theories about origin and causes of synesthesia. However, it is a constant study phenomenon and exactly the reasons for this have not yet been identified. Some experts say that all neurons specialized in processing our stimuli are connected to each other and that, sometimes, involuntary circuits occur.

Other people claim that synesthesia is a limited capacity And only a few people can develop it. These experts claim that there is a strong genetic component and that specific mental characteristics must be had to experience this phenomenon.

Another reason contributed by social psychology is that, as we have all been educated in a similar context, we associate sensory stimuli despite the fact that they do not have a real relationship. This theory argues that if we associate black with sadness, it is because we have been raised within a culture where this color has always had negative connotations. If you want to know more about colors and their meaning, we recommend you read the following article about the psychological effects of colors.

Characteristics of synesthetic people

It is true that everyone can experience small synesthetic samples. However, there are individuals with much more capacity to relate the different senses to each other.

These people usually have the imagination very enhanced, they are very creative and capable of processing many more stimuli than normal. Synesthetic people, for example, not only see the color red, but they smell or can savor it. It is said that they are smarter and that they have more developed memory, but there are no studies that demonstrate these theories. What has been shown is that they have a different way of seeing the world and relating to it.

It is difficult to define exactly how synesthesia in psychology is if we are not people with this type of developed characteristic. However, we can get an idea looking at the artistic creations of these individuals, such as poems, songs or paintings. In fact, in the literature There is a resource called synesthesia. This literary resource It is based on attributing a sensory adjective to a stimulus to which it would not normally correspond to it.

Types of synesthesia

Although they share the same origin and a similar definition, there are different types of synesthesia according to the interaction between the senses. The main types of synesthesia are the following:

• Associate Numbers and colored letters: how to see the green or red letter A red 8.
• Relate Musical sounds in colors: Commonly known as musical synesthesia, this type is quite common among painters and other visual artists, these individuals usually put musical pieces to make their creations.
• Put flavors or colors at times: This phenomenon is quite common, we all understand what a bitter situation or a gray day.

Other less common types are based on defining people or living beings with colors, relating sounds to odors or, in some cases, savoring colors.

Examples of synesthesia in psychology

• Pink
• Smell bitter while listening to a sad song
• See a bright color when we read something entertaining
• Relate the number 4 to the blue color
• See words in a conversation
• Taste a cheerful situation
• Associate acid smell at a cold temperature

There are many varieties of synesthesia and multiple sensory combinations, they are all part of a phenomenon in constant study and that we still do not know much. With the passage of time and advance in research, we will be able to answer the question of "¿What is synesthesia in psychology?"In a satisfactory way.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is synesthesia in psychology: causes and types, We recommend that you enter our category of neuropsychology.