Synaesthesia – What you see is what you hear

Rob Black from Liverpool University will explore with us the overlapping of senses in affected people which is Synaesthesia. What colour is a C sharp? Synaesthesia is a fascinating positive abnormality which occurs in about 1 in 10,000 people (although some estimates put this ratio as much lower), where an overlap occurs between the senses. There are many varieties of synaesthesia. Some people might see colours when looking at certain numbers. Rob is researching people who, on hearing a particular sound, “see“, for example, the colour purple. What do synaesthetes see? Is it affected by their mood? Are we all born with synaesthesia and then subsequently lose it? Are there any practical benefits of this unique condition?