“Viva la vida de Coldplay, it’s yellow” … why some people see music in color

My official meeting with synesthesia was made around a banal conversation. Moreover, While a friend asked me for the definition of the word “outdated” – which completely escaped me -. Nevertheless, I wanted to guide him by giving him “his color” (powdery blue, if you ever prone you). Moreover, The misunderstanding that followed made me understand that everyone did not automatically associate words, letters or figures in colors. In addition, This link, however so organic in my eyes, was not universal.

This vast world is synesthesia, which can meet the senses. For example, And in particular touch the hearing. Consequently, Independent journalist and writer Christelle Murhula, for example, associates each song with a shade. However, “” Long live life From Coldplay, it’s a yellow song. Similarly, So that you still love me Céline Dion? Furthermore, Sky blue, very very sky, almost white! “viva la vida de coldplay, Moreover, And Bring the cup back to the house From VG Dream, for me it’s an orange song. Consequently, I only see orange, ”she lists.

These primary twins who “feel the essence” – "viva la vida de coldplay,

“Color -phonemic synesthesia occurs when words heard -. Similarly, phonemes – trigger colors,” explains Veronica Gross, who worked in Synesthesia Project of the University of Boston. However, there is a Kyrielle of other synesthesia. For example, “lexical-gustatory synesthesia occurs, as its name suggests, when a word produces a taste”. Nevertheless, Words or figures can also trigger odors in certain synesthes. Furthermore, This is what the character of Sheldon describes in Big Bang Theory When he says that twin prime numbers “are pink. feel the essence”.

As special as Sheldon Cooper is. “synesthetics are not sick,” insists Doctor Bruno Lang, professor of cognitive “viva la vida de coldplay, neuropsychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo. But what is happening in the brain of a sound-color synesthet when he hears a song? Some studies “observe unusual brain wiring”. reports Jamie Ward, professor of cognitive psychology and neuroscience at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, a specialist in synesthesia. In summary, when the brain region is activated, the brain region of colors is also activated. Functional MRI research shows that this “hyperconnectivity” between sensory areas is more marked in synesthets. But its origin is still debated.

The association. the projector – "viva la vida de coldplay,

For certain synesthesis, experience goes far beyond the allocation of a color to Don’t stop me now de Queen – Rather light red, according to Christelle Murhula. Vincent Mignerot. essayist and specialist in synesthesia, describes a particularly intense experience with “three -dimensional representations” that project around his body. For the youngest of us, it can “viva la vida de coldplay, recall the visualizations of the Windows Media player. But “these animations are extremely poor in relation to what my synesthesia shows me,” he says. The colors are much richer. nuanced, often intertwined, sometimes with pastels and gradients of several colors, with a texture, a thickness, a granularity ”. An experience very different from that experienced by Christelle Murhula, therefore.

And it’s logical, because “there are two types of synesthes. The associate, who has an over -added perception, a feeling of color. He will say for example “I feel that he [ou Don’t stop me now dans le cas de Christelle] is red. “explains Fabien Hauw, a neurologist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital. The projector sees the meaning is added directly to the real world.”

The magnetic letters of our childhood

Scientists do not know exactly why about 4 % of the population naturally make these associations. even if they have theories. “After birth, we have a maximum of brain connections. Then by maturing, a certain number is pruned in order to keep only those which are useful. One of the hypotheses is that synesthets would keep connections that do not have much to “viva la vida de coldplay, see with each other. One of the elements in favor of this theory is that many children have a synesthesia that disappears when they grow up. ”explains Fabien Hauw. It could also be a “inhibition lack”. Normally, the brain inhibits certain circuits to avoid sensory overload. And in synesthets, this inhibition would be defective and “parasitic” sensory regions would activate.

As for its appearance, “there could be a genetic link. But there is no clear hereditary model, such as hair color or Huntington’s disease, ”underlines Veronica Gross. The associations of synesthes are unique and personal. Thus, Vincent Mignerot associates the A yellow as I associate it with red. But the environment in which the growing synesthetes could greatly influence the associations it does. In 2006. researchers reported the case of a synesthet named “AED” whose letters – color associations were identical to those of magnetic magnetic letters which she had used “viva la vida de coldplay, in her childhood.

This environmental influence suggests that early experiences, such as toys or cultural contexts, can shape synesthetic perceptions. However, some correspondences were observed. “The serious sounds are often darker with warm colors. rounder shapes, and the acute sounds of pointed shapes, small in light colors”, explains Vincent Mignerot, fascinated by the idea that our “interior experiences” are so different. However, despite our uniqueness, we could almost all be a little concerned with synesthesia. “Somewhere, automatically associate an inner voice with the words that we read is already almost synesthesia,” emphasizes Fabien Hauw. Simply, as it is the most common, it is estimated that it is normal and we do not pay attention. »»