Week Word- Synesthesia

Week Word- Synesthesia

Ever since learning about this 'condition' I have been fascinated.  I always wished that I would find the ability within myself to mirror some form of synesthesia.  I find the whole idea that one can involuntarily combine sensory information to create a whole new compound of information (that would not 'normally' be combined) extremely poetic and beautiful.   Synesthetic metaphors, colors as/numbers/words/sounds, tastes as sounds , music as color---- and the fact that they come so automatic- all amazing.  I am jealous.

I first read into the subject when I heard about a gentleman named Daniel Tammet .  Click this link and see him painting his numbers.  He happens to have Asperger's Syndrome and has written two books (going on a third) that beautifully articulate what his individual experience is like to be born and to live everyday as a person with Asperger's and Savant capabilities  He describes his struggle with every day tasks and how emotional communication and social interaction with others around him is extremely difficult.  He explains how he had to teach himself to look people in the eye when speaking to them even though it felt physically painful for him to do so at times.  He often speaks of sensory overload, for example he explains that he has trouble visiting certain places like the beach because he has an immediate, obsessive, compulsion to count the grains of sand.  Here is a clip of Daniel on the David letterman show  Daniel talks about how he recited pi to 22,514 decimal places in 5 hours and 14 minutes, from memory and he raised money for the epilepsy foundation.  This is Daniel's Official Website
His books are -

Born on a Blue Day
Embracing the Wide Sky- A Tour Across the Horizons of the Mind


He is an amazing and brilliant man.  Please see for yourself.   Then check out Joye's blog for more interpretations of Week Word- Synesthesia