The excellent Cognitive Daily covers the possible connections between synesthesia and emotion and mysticism. I also am interested in this phenomenon, and the ways in which mystical states may be initiated by, or part of what we call synesthesia. I know indigenous healers, and they say that they can “smell” certain energies, and can “see” energetic fields. That is awfully close to synesthesia.
When I teach sensation andperception, I always point out to my students how we have these limited sensory organs (eyes, ears, etc) that detect two things – energy and chemicals (eyes – electromagnietic energy; ears – mechanical energy [air compresssion]; touch – mechanical energy & heat energy; taste & smell – chemicals). Our perception allows us to create sensory experience and “reality.” Some people, who have more profound connections between sensory systems, may be able to perceive in extraordinary ways.
Cognitive Daily: When emotions make you see colors:
several other studies have shown a similar correspondence between color and emotion — people tend to associate lighter and more saturated colors like yellow, green, and red with positive emotions, and darker and less saturated colors with negative emotions. GW, he argues, may be merely experiencing an exaggerated version of this effect….
Synesthesia may also explain why so many folkloric traditions involve special people being able to see “auras” or other mystical features in others. These individuals might then be imbued by association with other “magical” abilities.
Technorati Tags: emotion, neuroscience, perception, sensation
