DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? EXPERIENCE AND IDENTITY IN SYNESTHETES THE ROLE OF SYNESTHESIA IN THE LIFE AND ART OF SYNESTHETES

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to investigate how one’s lived experience with synesthesia informs their identity as a synesthete. Synesthesia, a psychological trait in which a perceptual or cognitive stimulus elicits a concurrent perceptual or cognitive experience, has recently undergone a renaissance of scientific research and media coverage. Although much is still not known on the subject, it has nonetheless made its way into the popular consciousness, with claims about synesthesia and those who have it (termed “synesthetes”) abounding. In order to see if certain of these claims are substantiated, I have conducted a series of surveys with and questionnaires administered to 40 synesthetes to elucidate first-person perspectives on how synesthesia manifests in one’s life experiences, and how these experiences shape one’s identity as a synesthete in general and artistic practice specifically. I have attempted to answer two main research questions through this study: (1) In what ways do synesthetes construct a sense of self based around their everyday perceptual reality?, and (2) What sorts of past circumstances and life experiences lead synesthetes to construct their identities in the aforementioned ways? Dialogue with participants has revealed that synesthesia is often something that those with it consider to be a rather important aspect of themselves and how they see the world. Positive emotions are commonly associated with being a synesthete, although this is not always the case. Despite many participants in the sample having a positive view of synesthesia in their life and art, it is not often something that is brought up in social interaction due to a general lack of understanding of it.