Synesthesia is when you hear music, but you see shapes. Or you hear a word or a name and instantly see a color. Synesthesia is a name for when you experience one of your senses through another. For example, you might hear the name "Alex" and see green. Or you might read the word "street" and taste citrus fruit.

    The word "synesthesia" has Greek roots. It translates to “perceive together.” Synesthesia isn’t a disease or disorder. It won’t harm your health, and it doesn’t mean you’re mentally ill. Some studies suggest people who have it may do better on memory and intelligence tests than those who don’t.

    One of the most common responses is to see letters, numbers, or sounds as colors. You might also see or hear a word and taste food; hear sounds and see shapes or patterns; feel a touch when seeing someone else being touched. (This is called mirror touch.)

    It can be an annoyance. But most synesthetes see their condition as a sixth sense, not a drawback.

    You can’t control it. The response happens right away. For example, if you hear a new piece of music, you may see a color or taste a flavor without any effort.

    It just happens. It’s internal, mostly. The colors are just in your mind.

    It stays the same over time.

    If you see the letter "A" in green today, you’ll see it in green 10 years from now. It often starts in childhood. Studies of kids with synesthesia found that it develops over time. webmd.com.

December 17, 2024. Adaptado.