Difference between revisions of "Synesthesia"

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===Definition===
 
===Definition===
"syn-es-the-sia n. Physiol. Sensation produced at a point other than
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Synesthesia is the involuntary union of one sensory input causing a reaction in another sensory input.<ref>R. Cytowic, "Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses" Springer-Verlag, NY (p.1) </ref>. Classic cases of synesthesia are people who smell colors, see smells, hear colors, feel images, or even associate personalities with objects.<ref>Smilek D, Malcolmson KA, Carriere JS, Eller M, Kwan D, Reynolds M (June 2007). "When "3" is a jerk and "E" is a king: personifying inanimate objects in synesthesia". Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 19 (6): 981–92. doi:10.1162/jocn.2007.19.6.981. Retrieved 2012-11-09.</ref>
or remote from the point of stimulation, as of a color from hearing a
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certain sound (fr. Gk, syn = together + aisthesis = to perceive)" [http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/].  
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<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>
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The term is especially relevant 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. T,he 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 occasional 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. In contrast to the uni-sensual experience of traditional artwork shown in paintings, multimedia art dissolves viewers into immersive, multi-sensual experiences.
-R. Cytowic, "Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses" Springer-Verlag, NY (p.1) as quoted in [http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/].
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===Related Reading===
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==References==
*[[The Man Who Tasted Shapes]]
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*[http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/ The Synesthesic Experience]
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==Resources==
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*Cytowic, Richard E. (2003). The Man Who Tasted Shapes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
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*Hearing Colors, Tasting Shapes - Ramachandran, V.S. and Hubbard, E.M., Scientific American, Vol 288 Issue 5 (May 2003), 52-59.
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Latest revision as of 21:21, 9 November 2012

Synesthesia-maggie-nichols.jpg

Definition

Synesthesia is the involuntary union of one sensory input causing a reaction in another sensory input.[1]. Classic cases of synesthesia are people who smell colors, see smells, hear colors, feel images, or even associate personalities with objects.[2]

The term is especially relevant 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. T,he 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 occasional 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. In contrast to the uni-sensual experience of traditional artwork shown in paintings, multimedia art dissolves viewers into immersive, multi-sensual experiences.

References

  1. R. Cytowic, "Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses" Springer-Verlag, NY (p.1)
  2. Smilek D, Malcolmson KA, Carriere JS, Eller M, Kwan D, Reynolds M (June 2007). "When "3" is a jerk and "E" is a king: personifying inanimate objects in synesthesia". Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 19 (6): 981–92. doi:10.1162/jocn.2007.19.6.981. Retrieved 2012-11-09.

Resources

  • Cytowic, Richard E. (2003). The Man Who Tasted Shapes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
  • Hearing Colors, Tasting Shapes - Ramachandran, V.S. and Hubbard, E.M., Scientific American, Vol 288 Issue 5 (May 2003), 52-59.