O ur senses help us perceive and interact with our environment, whether that’s observing colour through sight or using the surface of our skin to feel the shape and texture of objects through touch.The human brain categorises these senses in different areas, but for a minority of people, they can become intertwined. Synesthesia is a neurological condition that can present itself in many forms. People with this condition – referred to as synesthetes – experience the stimulation of several senses from information transmitted from sensory organs that usually activate just one.
The sensory cues that are affected differ among those with the condition, with over 30 variations of synesthesia recorded. One type is chromesthesia, which causes an individual to see shapes of different colours when listening to sounds. For example, someone with this form of synesthesia might see a green triangle when they hear a violin playing, or associate different notes with various colours.