Is It Possible To Teach Yourself Synesthesia?

Individuals with synesthesia, sometimes called synesthetes, are able to produce multisensory experiences by stimulating one sense. But what causes the phenomenon of synesthesia, and is it possible for those who weren’t born with it to teach it to themselves? We will explore the answers to these questions and more in this article. 

What is synesthesia?

Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which a sensory experience—for example, a particular sound, color, or physical sensation—stimulates unrelated senses. A synesthete may be able to hear colors, taste sounds, smell words, or experience other sensations that blend more than one of the five senses. 

There are various forms of synesthesia. A few of the more well-known forms include:

• Sound-to-color synesthesia: Those with this form of synesthesia perceive colors when they hear sounds.
• Grapheme-color synesthesia: Individuals with grapheme-color synesthesia perceive colors in response to letters, numbers, or words.
• Lexical gustatory synesthesia: In this form of synesthesia, words produce the sensation of different tastes.
• Auditory-tactile synesthesia: This form of synesthesia associates sounds with physical sensations.
• Mirror-touch synesthesia: This form of synesthesia may cause an individual to perceive a tactile sensation when they see someone else experiencing that same sensation (for example, seeing someone else having their arm touched). 

What causes synesthesia?

Research into the causes and mechanisms behind synesthesia is ongoing, with some scientists theorizing that the different subregions of the brains of synesthetes have increased cross-communication. When it comes to the causes of synesthesia, a variety of possible explanations have been identified. These include:

• Genetics: Typically considered the most common cause of synesthesia, hereditary factors may often account for the phenomenon. In these cases, synesthesia may begin early in life and continue into adulthood.
• Brain injuries: It may be possible for those who sustain brain injuries to begin to experience synesthesia afterward, as the healing process may lead their brains to start forming new pathways. 
• Psychoactive substances: Those under the influence of certain substances, such as psychedelic drugs, may experience temporary synesthesia as a result. Other substances, such as cannabis and caffeine, have also been proposed as possible inducers of temporary synesthesia. 

These are several of the potential causes of synesthesia that have been identified. However, developing synesthesia later in life may also be possible. Research on the topic is evolving. 

Is it possible to teach yourself synesthesia?

Those without synesthesia may be interested in learning it for a variety of reasons. For example, certain studies, such as one from the journal Vision Research suggest there may be a correlation between synesthesia and improved sensory memory. For other individuals, the diverse sensory perceptions caused by synesthesia may lead to increased creativity. 

Although it has been theorized that synesthesia is primarily inherent and typically cannot be willingly learned, research is being done into whether it is possible to teach oneself synesthesia. One 2012 study published in the journal PLOS Onefound a possible correlation between reading books with colored letters and experiencing letters in color. Note that scientific research is constantly evolving, so older sources may contain information or theories that have been reevaluated since their original publication date.

If you are interested in teaching yourself synesthesia, the following techniques may be helpful:

Decide which sensory categories you want to connect

You might begin by selecting the sensory experience you want to have and determining which sensory categories the related sensations fall into. For example, if you want to associate sound with color, then sounds would form a single category, and colors would form the other category. 

Start making connection

It may then be helpful to start associating things in one category (for example, specific sounds) with things in the second category you’ve chosen (for example, specific colors). You might consider choosing specific connections you want to form, such as a certain shade of blue with a certain musical tone, and then consciously associating the two concepts each time you encounter them.

Practice

Finally, it may be helpful to continue to practice forming the connections you’ve chosen each time the opportunity emerges. In doing so, you may be able to train your brain to make those sensory associations until the process becomes more automatic. 

Is it harmful to learn synesthesia?

Synesthesia is generally not considered harmful, nor is it considered a mental health condition. However, certain forms of synesthesia may be distressing to the individual experiencing them. 

One prominent example is mirror-touch synesthesia, in which a person seeing someone in pain may also experience a physically or emotionally distressing sensation of pain. However, a variety of resources are available that may be helpful for managing the potentially unpleasant effects of synesthesia. 

Therapy is one possible resource that may be useful for those experiencing unpleasant sensory experiences due to synesthesia. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in particular, has been studied as a potential treatment for chronic pain, with studies indicating that it may be effective at reducing measures of pain and pain-related disability. In-person therapy, however, may not always be available, with factors like scheduling conflicts potentially making commuting to a therapist’s office challenging. Additionally, those whose synesthesia causes distressing symptoms in daily life may need more support than they can get in a single weekly session. 

In both these cases, through a platform such as BetterHelp, online therapy may be a helpful resource that offers the option to attend counseling from wherever is most convenient—and to send asynchronous in-app messages to a therapist outside of scheduled therapy times. 

Studies suggest that online therapy may be an effective treatment for a variety of mental health conditions. One 2017 study found that internet-based CBT was effective at treating conditions including chronic pain, potentially making it an attractive option for those experiencing unpleasant effects of synesthesia.