Temporal dissociation of neural activity underlying synesthetic and perceptual colors

Grapheme-color synesthetes experience color when seeing achromatic symbols. We examined whether similar neural mechanisms underlie color perception and synesthetic colors using magnetoencephalography. Classification models trained on neural activity from viewing colored stimuli could distinguish synesthetic color evoked by achromatic symbols after a delay of ∼100 ms. Our results provide an objective neural signature for synesthetic experience and temporal evidence consistent with higher-level processing in synesthesia

Colors in linguistic meaning processing: proverbs and synesthesia

Os fenómenos de sinestesia são entendidos e referidos de forma diferente dentro da Psicologia e da Retórica clássica. Ambas as áreas entendem a sinestesia como uma perceção que cruza estímulos de diferentes áreas sensoriais, verificando-se quando o indivíduo refere determinada perceção através de estímulos de uma área percetiva habitualmente ligados a uma outra área de perceção (associar, por exemplo, letras a cores). Dentro da Psicologia, a sinestesia é habitualmente ligada às patologias, considerando-se as ligações sinestésicas como ligações não normais; dentro da Retórica clássica, é entendida como um artifício da linguagem (uma “figura de estilo”) que permite embelezar a expressividade verbal. Os estudos mais recentes dentro da cognição, no entanto, parecem evidenciar a não aleatoriedade completa das sinestesias, mesmo dentro dos chamados cérebros sinestetas. A ser assim, os fenómenos ditos de sinestesia, como associar uma cor a uma letra, a um som, a uma palavra ou frase não diretamente referentes a cor, não serão tão aleatórios como aparentemente pareciam ser. Para tentar perceber a maior ou menor arbitrariedade e aleatoriedade da associação entre cores e estruturas linguísticas de signifcado relativamente autónomo como os provérbios, realizamos 843 inquéritos que incluíam 9 provérbios não diretamente ligados a cor (como por exemplo “quem tudo quer, tudo perde”). Pedia-se que o inquirido associasse uma cor ao provérbio apresentado. A finalidade será a de, desta forma, verifcar até que ponto se pode encontrar alguma sistematicidade no processamento linguístico-cognitivo de associação entre a cor o significado de palavras e frases que não incluem referências diretas a cores.Synesthesia phenomena are understood and referred to differently within Psychology and Classical Rhetoric. Both areas / regard synesthesia as a perception that crosses stimuli of different sensorial areas. This can be verifed when the individual refers to certain perception through stimuli of a perceptual area usually linked to another area of perception (associating, for example, letters to colors). Within Psychology, synesthesia is usually linked to pathologies, considering synesthetic associations as non-normal connections; within Classical Rhetoric, synesthesia is understood as a fgure of speech (a "fgure of style") that allows to decorate verbal expressiveness. Recent cognitive studies, however, seem to evidence in so many cases the non-randomness of synesthesia, even within the so-called synesthetic brains. In so doing, the so-called synesthesia phenomena (such as associating a color with a letter, with a sound, a word or a phrase not directly referring to color itself) may not be as random as previously thought. A set of 843 surveys was conducted involving 9 proverbs not directly linked to color ( like for example "Who wants everything, loses everything") in order to understand the greater or lesser arbitrariness and randomness of the association established between colors and linguistic structures of relatively autonomous meaning such as proverbs. The respondent was/ Respondents were asked to associate a color with the presented proverb. The purpose is to verify if some / whether or not some systematicity can be found in the linguistic-cognitive processing of the association between colors and the meaning of words and phrases not including / which / that do not include specifc direct references to color.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sensing synesthesia

Sensing Synesthesia is an exhibition of experiments, carried out through the medium of graphic design as an attempt to generate a synesthesiac experience by visualizing sound. Since many elements within the realms of sound and sight are relative, creating a genuine synesthesiac experience for a viewing audience proved challenging. To address this problem, I created visual elements that corresponded with personal convictions, emotions and proclamations and presented them in a way congruent to the sounds being heard. Through these experiments, I discovered the personal growth of myself: the sharpened skills as a graphic designer, initiated interest in hand-rendered type as well as graffiti art as a style. Furthermore, I aimed that the interrelated, impactful relationship between sight and sound we all encounter on a daily basis generates a deeper experience despite our level of awareness

Music Notation-to-Color Synesthesia and Early Stages of Music Education: A Grounded Theory Study

Problem Synesthesia is a neurological condition characterized by over-abundant neural connectivity between commonly highly specialized areas of the brain. The developmental form of the condition often results in automatic and consistent cross-sensory associations between perceived stimuli and commonly unrelated brain regions. This research contemplates the specific form of music notation-to-color synesthesia and its impact on early stages of music education. Synesthetes with this mode of the condition tend to involuntarily yet consistently associate music-notational concepts with colors, thus rendering their assimilation of these concepts unique and individualized. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of these individualized experiences from original narratives. Method This study entails a grounded theory qualitative approach, through which 12 from participants were interviewed cross-culturally (7 featured nationalities). All participants were adults with music notation-to-color synesthesia who experienced music instruction in a Western cultural context. Data collection methodology involved a written survey, inperson (or live Zoom) interviews, and shared document analysis. Qualitative analytical methodology was used via coding strategies to discover surfacing themes, emerging issues, and commonalities among the narratives. Results Five overarching categories of commonalities were identified in this study. Firstly, participants shared generalities of synesthetic perceptions of music notation involving color, such as their awareness about their condition, the qualities of their experiences, the conceptual basis of their associations, among other characteristics. Interviewees also alluded to the mechanisms involved in the perception of music notation, such as the positive impact of their music notation-to-color synesthesia on memory as well as the negative implications of synesthetic incongruence. The spatial location of synesthetic perceptions varied among participants. Interviewees reported projecting on the page of music and associating in their mind\u27s eye —two common themes in the literature. Some participants, however, have also mentioned a middleground location that does not fit only one of these categories. Finally, this study analyzed themes relating to the implications of this form of synesthesia for music education, with attention to awareness on the part of educators, instructional intentionality, validation, reinforcement of student individuality, and conscious use of the condition. Moreover, other themes and future research possibilities were analyzed. -- Conclusion This study arrived at two grounded theory models. The first comprises a grounded theory of the experiences shared by participants. This theoretical model articulates the salient themes, such as positive and negative traits of notation-to-color perceptions and spatial location of perceptions. In special, this theory argues for a tendency for conceptually-based notation-to-color synesthesia among participants. The second grounded theory model advanced in this research entails an educational approach that would benefit awareness and intentionality in addressing students with music notation-to-color synesthesia. It discusses philosophical foundations, a theoretical framework, and methodological considerations that may transform how music notation-to-color students are accounted for in curricula. The study concludes by offering pedagogical suggestions derived from the methodological considerations. Firstly, it advances a linear process for identification, verification, and addressing of synesthesia. Secondly, it proposes the elimination of excessive notational information and gradual learning as initial strategies that could benefit music notation-to-color synesthetes in learning new notational elements

Misophonia and Potential Underlying Mechanisms: A Perspective

There is a growing research interest in the diagnosis rate of misophonia, a condition characterized by a negative emotional/autonomic reaction to specific everyday sounds. Diagnosis of misophonia requires a thorough case history and audiological test procedures. Associative and non-associative learning models for understanding the underlying mechanisms of misophonia have been presented. Currently, there is no cure or pharmaceutical agent for misophonia; however, therapy programs addressing misophonia and its characteristics do exist. Investigation of comorbid conditions and other psychological therapy strategies might help to reveal more about the underlying mechanisms and potentially lead to a successful treatment method

As cores dos provérbios: significado linguístico e sinestesia

A Linguística Cognitiva procura ver uma língua natural como uma janela para a mente. Os usos das línguas interessam, assim, para, na investigação científica, procurar descobrir-se como funciona a mente humana. Dado que, na perspetiva cognitiva, o significado linguístico é a base fundacional da organização da linguagem natural, tentar perceber como funciona o significado permitirá entrever como funciona a mente. Assim, esta comunicação pretende mostrar que os provérbios acionam variadas estruturas de significado, quer a nível lexical, quer a nível frásico, que implicam não apenas as palavras que os compõem mas modelos mentais complexos. Dentro desses modelos mentais que os provérbios evocam, as sinestesias de cor parecem funcionar como indicadores de múltiplas relações culturais e cognitivas para a constituição do modelo mental que cada provérbio aciona. Através de algumas centenas de inquéritos que tiveram por base 9 dos mais conhecidos provérbios da língua portuguesa, feitos a falantes do Português Europeu e Português do Brasil, prova-se que os falantes identificam alguns provérbios com cores dominantes, enquanto outros apresentam uma paleta de cores mais diversificada; prova-se igualmente que as cores acionadas evidenciam padrões de coerência que nos permitem adivinhar interessantes aspetos do funcionamento do significado linguístico e da mente.Cognitive Linguistics seeks to see natural language as a window into the mind. Therefore language utterances have a great interest in scientific research to find out how human mind works. In the cognitive perspective, linguistic meaning is the foundational basis of the organization of natural language, and trying to understand how it works allows us to see how human mind functions. Thus, this paper intends to show that proverbs activate a variety of meaning structures which imply not only the component words but also some complex mental models. Within these mental models evoked by proverbs, color networks seems to function as indicator of multiple cultural and cognitive relations for the constitution of the mental model that each proverb triggers. Through hundreds of surveys (which involved thousands of answers) based on 9 of the best known proverbs, surveys answered by European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese speakers, we will try to prove that speakers identify a set of proverbs with some dominant colors, while other proverbs have a more diverse color palette; We will also show that the evoked colors evidence interesting patterns of coherence that allow us to guess relevant aspects of the functioning of linguistic meaning in human mind.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio