Chromesthesia

By: Yvette Fragozo

Chromesthesia is sound-to-color synesthesia, where sound evokes a sensation of color and movement for those who have it; a blend of senses, color, sound, and even taste. In other words, it is “seeing sound in color.” Those who have Chromesthesia are called “synesthetes.” It can vary from person to person, but the sensation occurs when they hear music, speech, or other sounds, and develops in individuals during their early childhood. This sensation occurs in the parietal cortex and the left superior temporal sulcus as it deals with perceptions, audio, and visual responses respectively. Many composers and musicians exist that have or had Chromesthesia, including Lorde, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Jean Sibelius. In some individuals, each note, melody, or tone has a different color. Some can see childhood memories, while others just see a solid color.

Synesthetes are known for having exceptional memorization skills for things such as phone numbers. Since they associate numbers with colors, they can memorize the colors with their corresponding numbers. WebMD had compiled a bulleted list of sensations:

• See or hear a word and taste food

• See a shape and taste food

• Hear sounds and see shapes or patterns

• Hear sounds after you smell a certain scent

• Hear sounds and taste food

• Feel an object with your hands and hear a sound

• Feel a touch when seeing someone else being touched. (This is called mirror-touch.)

Some synesthetes, however, have faced ridicule from peers and family about their abilities. This phenomenon is something that brings more color to the world, especially in music. Some of your favorite artists experience this phenomenon, and it is certainly not an ability that should be criticized. Whether it is more abstract or simple, this phenomenon is something beautiful that brings the world of colors and music together for synesthetes, creating more colorful music in the world.