Synaesthesia

Synaesthesia is 3 times more common in autistic women than in the general population. Synaesthesia is a phenomenon that derives its name from Greek, meaning "to perceive together." It occurs in many different combinations. Some people see numbers as different genders. Others see words in different colours.

In a previous blogpost HERE, I wrote about sounds being creamy and sorbet-like, which some readers found odd. For some reason, I can translate sounds into taste quite easily. I can taste what I hear. I perceive sound and taste together.

When I do parent coaching, I can also see abstract psychodynamics of the families I coach as ribbons in the air. I can then imagine myself hold or pluck at a ribbon, and follow the vibrations along the ribbon towards the interconnecting nodes that form the web of relationships within families. Through this, I can pinpoint what to fix, and where to fix, and how the proposed fix might possibly change the web along other interconnecting nodes. This is called conceptual synesthesia.

This morning, I let The Husband have a taste of my kumquat jam. I said, "It tastes like a French château." The Husband agreed. I am myself mystified that we would both associate the taste of a jam we had never before tasted with an experience we have never had. I mean, I have visited many French châteaux, but we have never eaten one before.

I only realised today, that not everyone thinks this way.

I am curious to know which of my readers perceive overlapping senses.