Do you consider yourself a synesthete? People-synesthetes, for whom the days of the week are colored in certain colors, and numbers or sounds have a taste, are about 4.4% on Earth. Synesthesia is traditionally thought to result from a malfunction of neural impulses. However, neurophysiologists from the University of Berkeley argue that synesthesia is inherent in all people. Yes, yes, and you too.
Synesthesia: minor compositions are dark blue, and major – yellow
Until recently, synesthesia was considered an aberration – nerve impulses caused by the sensation of a certain modality (for example, sound) affect the “superfluous” neurons and cause parallel sensations (for example, olfactory). But an experiment by neuroscientists at Berkeley calls into question the abnormality of synesthesia.
As part of the study, 100 volunteers – ordinary people - listened to the musical works of Bach, Mozart and Brahms. The proposed 18 pieces differed in style, tempo and tone. For each work, the subjects selected the 5 most suitable, in their opinion, colors from 37 possible options. The participants were surprisingly unanimous in choosing the color of each piece.
The participants were surprisingly unanimous in choosing the color of each piece.
Minor compositions were associated with dark blue or gray, and major fast music "shone"; bright yellow hues. In continuation of research in the chain “sound-color” included photos with the expression of certain emotions. Photographs of faces expressing joy were unanimously selected by the subjects for works in a major key, and slow minor pieces were associated with sadness and melancholy. Further, music was excluded from the chain. And emotional-color associations were still close in all subjects.
Thus, the feeling of happiness in most of the participants of the experiment was associated with a bright yellow color, anger – with dark red. Thus, synesthesia – a universal human quality, the authors of the experiment say, and to one degree or another it is characteristic of each of us. Some people with severe synesthesia find practical use for their sensory qualities – the most advanced companies specifically select bright synesthetes for extraordinary work.
For example, Ford has a position called "Synaesthetic Expert", whose job is to smell, touch and listen to cars.
Specialists call his work multi-sensor optimization of the components of technology. Thanks to his efforts, getting into the car, touching the upholstery of the seat or the steering wheel, hearing the sound of the engine running and inhaling the smell of the car interior, we feel harmony. To learn more about how synesthesia affects people's sex lives, read "Sexual Synesthesia: Watermelon Kisses and Purple Orgasm".
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