Difference between revisions of "Synesthesia"

From Cyborg Anthropology
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 1: Line 1:
{{stub}}
 
{{cleanup}}
 
  
The condition of meaningfully experiencing stimuli that do not correspond one-to-one with perceptible physical properties of one's environment. - Nim Wunnan
 
  
A blending of senses. Cyborg transactions. There's very little touch. But visual stimulus can instigate a physical response. A shift to photo and video culture that's very synesthesic. The ocular senses creating a somewhat haptic response. The property of the Internet right now that we would be working towards. The implants one puts in their fingertips -- synthetisia is somehting technology can help prpoduct and thus help explore new forms of sensing. Basically new forms of connectivity are synethesic machines. If you think aobut the possibilities of this basically open up new symbiotic horizions that open up new possibiilityies. Like a song that opens ups new feelings. When at a show, subfrequency bass -- is psychologically working on it. IA very embodied experience where the bass you can feel it touching you. it seems like there is a lot of opporutities to expland the horizons of synthetiza .  
+
Synesthesia is the property of one sensory input causing a reaction in another sensory input. Classic cases of synesthesia are people who smell colors, see smells, hear colors, feel images, etc. Many people throughout history have reported experiencing this phenomenon, including a good deal of artists and musicians.  
  
 
+
The term is especially relavent to advances in digital technologies. Most things in "reality" engage us on multiple sensory levels: the experience of an orange includes the brilliant color, the feel of the soft skin, the smell of the sharp citrus, and the taste of the tangy sweetness. Indeed, the very fact that a smell can be "sharp" shows how pervasive the mixing of sensory metaphors can be. In the digital world, sight often reigns supreme, with the ocasional auditory supplement. Yet digital art often combines different senses to create art that engages us on many levels. An interactive installation piece can produce sound, stunning visuals, tactile feedback, and even smells and taste. A common example of the possibilities of computers in producing synesthesic art is the visualizer that comes standard with iTunes. The program takes the music and visually represents the music in real-time. Add a powerful subwoofer and one can literally feel the bass on one's skin, adding another sensory dimension. If the art of the past tended toward uni-sensual experience (a painting, a song, etc.), the art of the future seems to be moving in the direction of immersive multi-sensual experience.  
 
+
===Definition===
+
'''Modern English'''
+
 
+
<blockquote>
+
synesthesia (noun) — a mixing of the senses
+
<blockquote>synesthesia  —  sih-ness-THEE-zhuh  ()
+
''rhymes with "anesthesia" ''</blockquote>
+
 
+
synesthetic (adj.) — the quality of synesthesia
+
<blockquote>synesthetic  —  sih-ness-THEH-tick  ()
+
''rhymes with "anesthetic" & "synthetic" ''</blockquote>
+
 
+
synesthete (noun) — a person with synesthesia
+
<blockquote>synesthete  —  SIH-ness-theet  ()
+
''rhymes with "esthete"''</blockquote>
+
</blockquote>
+
 
+
[http://mixsig.net/about/index.php]
+
 
+
"syn-es-the-sia n. Physiol. Sensation produced at a point other than
+
or remote from the point of stimulation, as of a color from hearing a
+
certain sound (fr. Gk, syn = together + aisthesis = to perceive)" [http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/].
+
 
+
<blockquote>"Synesthesia is an involuntary joining in which the real information of one sense is accompanied by a perception in another sense. In addition to being involuntary, this additional perception is regarded by the synesthete as real, often outside the body, instead of imagined in the mind's eye. It also has some other interesting features that clearly separate it from artistic fancy or purple prose. Its reality and vividness are what make synesthesia so interesting in its violation of conventional perception. Synesthesia is also fascinating because logically it should not be a product of the human brain, where the evolutionary trend has been for increasing separation of function anatomically.</blockquote>
+
-R. Cytowic, "Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses" Springer-Verlag, NY (p.1) as quoted in [http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/].
+
 
+
===About the Condtion===
+
"Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which a stimulus in one sense modality is involuntarily elicited in another sense modality.  For instance, someone with synesthesia (called a synesthete) may be able to see sounds, taste shapes, or read otherwise black-and-white printed words in color".  
+
 
+
"Synesthesia is thought to occur in anywhere from one in as few as 1:2 to 1:2,000 people.  In infant (and younger) humans, it has been shown that synesthesia could even be standard up until three months of age, in that infants may at least see sounds, if not have other synesthetic perceptions.  Synesthesia is also thought to commonly occur in other types of animals as well" [http://mixsig.net/about/index.php].
+
 
+
 
+
===List of Synesthesia Types===
+
The following list of synesthesia types was created by Lisa Emerson.  Most of the included terms were also created by her.
+
 
+
'''sight -> syn'''
+
*chronopsia - sight  syn [unit of] time
+
*esthesiopsia - sight  syn emotion
+
*facetopsia - sight  syn personality
+
*geusopsia - sight  syn taste
+
*optopsia - sight  syn sight
+
*chromopsia - sight  syn color (sight)
+
*kinesiopsia - sight  syn movement (sight)
+
*morphopsia - sight  syn shape (sight)
+
*osmopsia - sight  syn smell
+
*phonopsia - sight  syn sound
+
*tactopsia - sight  syn touch
+
*algiopsia - sight  syn pain (touch)
+
*baropsia - sight  syn weight/pressure (touch)
+
*thermopsia - sight  syn temperature (touch) [http://mixsig.net/about/list.php]
+
 
+
View the [http://mixsig.net/about/list.php full list of synesthesia types]
+
 
+
===Related Reading===
+
*[[The Man Who Tasted Shapes]]
+
 
+
===External Sites===
+
*[http://mixsig.net/ Mixed Signals by Lisa Emerson]
+
*[http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/ The Synesthesic Experience]
+
 
+
===Sources===
+
#Emerson, Lisa J.  synesthesia:  mixed signals.  23 Jan. 2011. <http://mixsig.net/about/index.php>.
+
#http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/
+
#R. Cytowic, "Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses" Springer-Verlag, NY (p.1)
+
#Emerson, Lisa J.  synesthesia:  mixed signals.  23 Jan. 2011. <http://mixsig.net/about/index.php>.
+
#Emerson, Lisa J.  synesthesia:  mixed signals.  23 Jan. 2011. <http://mixsig.net/about/index.php>.  
+
  
  

Revision as of 20:01, 17 June 2011


Synesthesia is the property of one sensory input causing a reaction in another sensory input. Classic cases of synesthesia are people who smell colors, see smells, hear colors, feel images, etc. Many people throughout history have reported experiencing this phenomenon, including a good deal of artists and musicians.

The term is especially relavent to advances in digital technologies. Most things in "reality" engage us on multiple sensory levels: the experience of an orange includes the brilliant color, the feel of the soft skin, the smell of the sharp citrus, and the taste of the tangy sweetness. Indeed, the very fact that a smell can be "sharp" shows how pervasive the mixing of sensory metaphors can be. In the digital world, sight often reigns supreme, with the ocasional auditory supplement. Yet digital art often combines different senses to create art that engages us on many levels. An interactive installation piece can produce sound, stunning visuals, tactile feedback, and even smells and taste. A common example of the possibilities of computers in producing synesthesic art is the visualizer that comes standard with iTunes. The program takes the music and visually represents the music in real-time. Add a powerful subwoofer and one can literally feel the bass on one's skin, adding another sensory dimension. If the art of the past tended toward uni-sensual experience (a painting, a song, etc.), the art of the future seems to be moving in the direction of immersive multi-sensual experience.