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Synaesthesia, a phenomenon where sensory experiences intertwine, offers a fascinating glimpse into the diverse ways humans perceive the world. Constantina Makridakis, a 28-year-old jewellery designer from Greece, discovered her own unique form of synaesthesia at a young age. She experienced voices and names as tastes, with her father's name, Nicholas, evoking the rich taste of caramel-coated chocolate, and her mother's name, Maria, reminiscent of pasta with prawns.
Makridakis, like many others with synaesthesia, assumed this ability was universal. It wasn't until her sister, Amelia, mentioned a documentary on the subject that she realized her experiences were not typical. The documentary introduced her to the concept of synaesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon where one sensory experience triggers another.
The experiences of synaesthetes can vary widely. For instance, American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish perceives the names of days of the week as colors, numbers, and shapes. Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, believed to have been a synaesthete, experienced musical notes as colors, once famously instructing an orchestra to play a piece "a little bluer."
Janina Neufeld, a researcher at the Centre of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, explained that while synaesthesia may seem unusual, many can relate to the concept of sensory associations. "When we listen to music, most people can relate to the idea that sounds could be brighter, smaller, or higher up in space," she said. It is estimated that 2 to 4 percent of the world's population experiences some form of synaesthesia, though the true number may be higher.
Neufeld herself experiences a form of spatial sequence synaesthesia, where she perceives the passage of time in a unique way. She described her "inner space" as a circle, with the year starting at the bottom of an undulating sphere, resembling a roller coaster track, and moving counterclockwise.
The neurological basis of synaesthesia remains a subject of study. One leading theory suggests that synesthetes may experience less "synaptic pruning" during childhood, a process where neurons and synapses that are not needed are removed. This theory posits that the pruning process is less extensive for people with synaesthesia, allowing extra cross-sensory connections to remain.
Constantina Makridakis's synaesthesia can be both stimulating and distracting. For example, while watching a film, if an actor's voice tastes like orange juice, it can be difficult for her to remain focused. She also finds herself craving sugary drinks when in the United States, as the American accent tastes like Coca-Cola.
Despite the challenges, Makridakis is fascinated by her perceptions and believes that studying synaesthesia could lead to a deeper understanding of the human mind. She has even pondered the spiritual implications of her synaesthesia, particularly the experience where she sees colors shimmering around people, such as her sister, who sometimes appears with a dark green halo.
Neufeld echoed Makridakis's sentiment, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the diversity of human perception. "We should always remember that everyone's mind is completely different," she said. "We could say that the same color is red, but we see different things."
Synaesthesia offers a window into the vast spectrum of human sensory experiences, challenging us to consider the unique ways in which each individual perceives the world around them.
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