And last night I learned what it was. I am a synesthete. In other words, I have Grapheme-Color synesthesi. Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations whereas perception of a form (e.g., a letter, number, day of the week or the name of a month) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color). Can you tell I lifted the definition right off their website? Here is my explanation:
As far back as I can remember, I have always associated letters, numbers, days and months with a certain color. Those colors never vary. In my minds eye, I also see a 3-D ring with blocks of color indicating the days of the week. I have a larger version of this for the months of the year. I assumed that everyone did this mental visualization and continued that assumption until my adult life. One time, I mentioned to my sister, "You know how in your mind you picture each letter a different color...?" That was met with a slightly scrunched brow and a curious, "Nooo?" After I explained it further, I realized that perhaps I was somehow different than other people.
Over the last few years, I've revealed this odd fact about me to my husband and a few close friends. Actually, I find it a little embarrassing but one friend in particular is fascinated with my quirky habit. Last night, this condition was explained on the show, "Primetime, Medical Mysteries." This morning I took a battery of tests on the website, www.synesthete.org. My results indicate that I have a pretty healthy dose of Grapheme-Color synesthesi.
BTW, today, Friday, is dark blue : )
9 comments:
What color am I again? I seem to recall that you once told me that you think of me as a certain color.
TBF-I believe the actual color was bloody horse apple brown, but I could be wrong. Ennaway, that is my color for you.
I think of your name as a certain color. It is dark green.
Mrs. TBF's name is red.
I was testing you...
I clearly remember you telling me that my name was "beige".
I feel somewhat left out as TBF has a clear recollection (and it is dark green) of you telling him that he was Dk Grn and I was red. I never knew this about you. Is there any correlation between people who have this and being an artist?
By the way...this is not the only thing about you that makes you "different" than others. But there is something about you that I think is similar in TBF which causes that teasing friction.
I'm confused by your responses. TBF is saying beige, and Mrs. TBF is saying dark green. I have always pictured the name (insert you-know-what here) as dark green so I'm surprised by the beige. Is this the real test?
What's the similarity between us? Hypersensitivity? : )
It is dark green - he's trying to trip you up.
You and TBF are both quite obsessive, so if one of you teases the other it becomes an obsession causing friction. That's my theory.
I am a self-dignosed obsessive-compulsive. I think I really only have the obsessive part. Good call!
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