Imagine a world in which you hear colors. Or maybe you feel music in your skin. Perhaps you taste sounds. If these kinds of

experiences sound familiar, you may be one of the few people with a

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unique sensory condition called “synesthesia.”

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Sharing the same root as the word “anesthesia,” meaning “no

sensation,” “synesthesia” means “joined sensation.” It’s a condition

in which the stimulation of one sense (for example, taste) stimulates

a totally different sense, like sight. Consequently, individuals with

synesthesia (about one in every 27 people) have “mixed senses.”

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People with synesthesia might hear sounds in response to smell,

experience a smell in response to touch, or feel something in response

to sight. One of the most common forms of synesthesia is seeing

letters and numbers in different colors. For example, a synesthete (a

person with synesthesia) might see the letter “T” as always colored in

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blue, or the number “4” as dark brown. Once a form of synesthesia is

established in childhood, these associations remain fixed for life.

Scientists who study synesthesia use brain scanning technology

to show that the brains of synesthetes are “wired” differently than

people without the condition. According to research, synesthesia

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occurs when areas of the brain that process different senses (such as

color, sound, or taste) are “cross-wired.” So for a synesthete who

perceives colors when hearing words, the part of the brain involved

with vision activates in response to sound.

One of the most fascinating aspects of synesthesia is that

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everybody who experiences it does so differently. No two

synesthetes share the same associations. For instance, one synesthete

may see the number “9” colored purple while another synesthete

may see “9” as bright red. In this way, synesthesia provides insight

into how each of us perceive and experience the world uniquely.

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We can infer that the author most likely mentions scientific research on synesthesia to

cast doubt on whether the condition is real.

show why scientists are most likely to experience the condition.

provide external evidence to support the author’s claims.

explain that the condition occurs as a result of using brain scanning technology.

demonstrate how having synesthesia can offer advantages.