SYNESTHESIA

Most people have five senses. They are sight, sound, smell and touch. We know the world through our senses, but we don’t sense things the same way.

Some people have a condition called synesthesia, which makes people sense differently. The brain mixes two or more senses together. For someone who has it, the letter ‘B’ might taste like chocolate. The sound of a horn may look blue.

Does it seem strange to you? If so, you probably don’t have synesthesia.

Blending senses can cause problems. Some people with synesthesia see numbers as colors. They can see three as red and six as white. What happens when you add them? The person may think the answer should be a pink number but nine might look green to them. This can make math tricky.

You cannot choose whether your brain mixes senses. It’s not something you can just imagine, either. It is real. Not many people have synesthesia. In a group of 100 people, only 4 people may have it. Many people who have it, see it as a gift.

Scientists are trying to learn more about synesthesia. We hope to know more about this mysterious condition in the future.