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Eidetic memory - photographic memory

8/12/2013

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Here is where words come largely amiss: the eidetic equivalent for sounds, shapes, volume and weight of 'space', structures and patterns (physical, psychological, dialectical, operational, musical, behavioural).

A synesthete may have this type of automatic recognition mechanism set at a variable level, meaning that whether it is highly active or just a slight habit it usually covers more than just reading a page and remembering the printed words in their exact location. Many synesthetes aren't even aware of how many perception sectors are influenced by said mechanism, it is usually very simply taken for granted and it is one of the aspects that are by them wrongly believed typical of every person, syne or not. Evidence that this is obviously not so tends to baffle the synesthete individual who, again automatically, finds other ways to get his message across. It is interesting to underline that many synesthetes excel at chess or any activity which involves any level of puzzle solving not because of a superior and complicated memory mechanisms but because they are so used to finding multiple expressions for any required solution: this happens because since early age the synesthete strives to be understood and to mingle comfortably with everybody else. Thus said, synesthetes are probably the best teachers on any given subject they may be fascinated by, with this ability of using such a wide selection of ways to communicate which is bound to hit home one way or another and score.

The eidetic mechanisms in the synesthete cover the five basic senses just as much as they cover every single interlocking sense-pattern he or she may have. For example, a syne artist can remember the exact amount and location of what ordinary eyes see as 'empty space' of a specific image or memory and recreate the image by drawing out everything but the image itself. The outcome is the identical reproduction of the specific image, but was put together with all the elements that were not part of the image itself. Any other artist would concentrate on the details of the image and recreate it - the synesthete does it the other way around.

A synesthete athlete will think of his task in hand back to front, concentrating on how the end part of his race or competition should ideally be, and choosing the previous step to accomplish the final part as he thinks its best. He will then work out the third last step in such a way that will cause the second last will be ideal for the last - and so on, all the way to the start. On top of this, he will have a series of options readily available for each step just in case something goes wrong or different to his perfect choices, so as to get back on the original track as quickly as possible for a successful finish. It is a mechanism, the sport in question is not relevant.

The eidetic memory for these mechanisms make it very easy for a synesthete to remember what works and what does not, but it also brings along a ridiculous amount of information that has to be sorted out and placed in some logical form, which makes concentrating on the initial  issue rather hard. It is for this reason that some synesthetes need repetitious music or any sort of external input that needs sorting out only once to be able to concentrate properly: this allows part of the brain to 'feed' off a favourite piece of music, for example, instead of being open to constant info input tampering with the part of the brain which is trying to sort out the best way to reach a set goal. Curiously enough, music will do for some, scents will do for others, coloured walls or specific pictures, sounds, words or even sitting in a train will solve the attention deficit (should this be attention overload, I wonder) situation for others still.

Back to square one, the memory patterns for set mechanisms are stored and used/looked at by the syne person whenever needed, but mainly what happens is that a detail or a sequence of details may trigger the memory and the mechanism of what's in hand understood in a flash. It is then much easier for the synesthete to categorize multiple informations under one heading, so to speak, no matter which senses are called into action during the process. What's fascinating is the finding of identical patterns within completely different environments, for example, the structure of a piece of music found to be identical to the structure of colour choices in a painting, or the characteristics of the texture of an object found in its identical 'formula' within the sound structure of a friend's speech at one said point in a conversation, or the depth of a frequency heard or unheard vibrates in the same way the core of a particular fragrance or taste does. This explains rather aptly how easy it is for a syne to store an apple, the number 5, a drop of rain on the back of the hand, a thin sheet of transparent metal flat on the tarmac, a linear, bright sound, a frozen pine needle and so on all under the same roof.


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Brain sides dominance

8/3/2013

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What is often failed to be mentioned in all superficial and in most in-depth studies regarding synesthesia, to date, is the fact that the basic procedure of info-trespass between synapses (and between different areas of the brain) depends largely on the individual present set-up of his or her brain automized activity. In simpler words, everyone knows that most human beings have one side of the brain dominating over the other, which in turns tend to lead to specific characteristics and personality traits - mostly, these characteristics converge towards specific choices of interests and professions, and it is these which 'label' a person, at least in our society. To simplify even more, an artist may be a synesthete just as much as a synesthete may never become an artist. It is wrong to label a synesthete with a set of specific professions, because it is not the process itself  that causes a choice of interests: it is the way information leaks and overruns boundaries within the various areas of the brain that causes choices, and the specific activity of each individual in his or her various areas of the brain allows access and manifestation via all senses in a stronger or weaker way.

Now, the interesting part is when both major sides of the brain are active in a levelled way, which is rather rare, and even rarer if the whole brain is completely balanced in its activity: it is under these circumstances that synesthesia thrives at its maximum, of course, and this state cannot in any way be defined as a mere 'condition', like if it was some sort of pathology.  Terminology in all that regards synesthesia must be renewed from A to Z (or from full red to sharp red, as you will...) because many people are still hammered with sentences such as 'suffer synesthesia' or 'brain disfunction' or 'under this condition', which causes the weaker willed individual to become even more withdrawn and, at times, paranoid.
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Semantics and ideaesthesia 1

8/3/2013

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On sorting numbers: anything that regards numbers, values, clock hours, months, years, maths, lengths and widths described numerically, degrees or any measuring value which may have a numeric correlation is literally thrown together and gasps for other senses to give it a comprehensible identity. Only after this process, which is automatic and usually almost instant, does the specific element get recognized and sorted out. Filtering colours off the numbers is in fact possible if the synesthete relies on other senses more instead of less, which in fact clears away much confusion instead of creating clutter as one might think.

On sorting out letters: shapes and sound (induced) influence considerably the synesthete's perception of, say, a single alphabet letter.
Induced semantics and single linguism is often the foundation for specific grapheme-colour synesthesia aspects. These are wildly overturned when the individual is fluent in more than one language and has a solid mathematical background education. To simplify, the larger the pool of information the synethete has obtained the more variations of the same symbol he will perceive. Unfortunately, it is the basic, unexpanded perceptions that are considered suitable when developing so many so-called synesthesia tests.

On given personalities: strong personality traits are found in everything except in humans, among which such traits are often weak. Inanimated objects have each a different appearance, strength, weight and personality according to position, light, sound, space used and so on, even if similar or even identical to each other (for example, each cigarette in a packet is totally different from the next, coins in a wallet or cutlery in a drawer cause a riot when opened and viewed, or even just thought about without opening their container at all. Even each vertical iron bar in a sidewalk fence differs substancially from the next, every single wave in the sea, coloured particles that make up the air we breathe - from planets to molecules and atoms, everything differs from its equivalent, but there are always a few which tend to stand above the rest).
Automatic discernment focused onto a specific set of objects or area picks the 'best' elements, so to speak, reducing choice times. In practical terms, it would take hours to make a cup of coffee if this mechanism wasn't available. Regarding this, only lived-out experience teaches the synesthete what is understood by the general public (and accepted by general consensus) and what is not, or not even perceived, so as to ease the everyday blending among others.
Perfectionism over one or more activities is a trait that stands out in the synesthete, because of the above mentioned picking options.
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The Syne of the Times

8/3/2013

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This is no easy task. Much has been researched yet not much has been defined when it comes to synaesthesia (or synesthesia). Often I find that many aspects of differing ramifications of the synaptic activity are almost thrown together in an unique cauldron, to simplify. But there is nothing simple about synesthesia if examined and studied it from 'the other side' and not merely from a flat, confined and purely scientifical approach. This, mostly, results in belittling the nature, the varieties and  the mechanics experienced by the synesthetes themselves. At some point it has been labeled as a 'mental disfunction', shoving synesthesia into the pit of incomprehensible illnesses so dear to all who were once so aptly described as 'ignavi' in Dante's Divine Comedy, meaning the major part of the neutral brains that insist in populating our tiny planet. This neutrality must not be misinterpreted as objectiveness in opinions, perceptions and understanding, for those are the traits that a non-synesthete researcher must have to scratch the mere surface of the huge amount of apparently disorderly info reaching the synesthete's senses. In two words, at present I find that the knowledge on synesthesia is referred to by the equivalent of a wholly sighted person's research on blindness: he or she simply cannot fully comprehend what the entire issue is about.

Although I may sound bitter in my personal opinion of synesthetic research to date, I have reason to do so. Ever since I was a kid I was (luckily) understood to be syne and supported. Realizing to be able to achieve basically anything very well dramatically reverted the initial confusion into something appreciated and I grew up sorting out what is comprehended by others and what is not, easing natural social interactions. Being capable of mingling among others has never meant actually seeking it, and as many other synes I personally tend to be withdrawn. Speed of reasoning usually clashes with one's knowledge pool too, both ways: this causes a sensation in the syne individual that ranges from inadequacy all the way to arrogance, which socially tends to label a person with one or two major recognizable and commonly understood characteristics. An influencible synesthete may learn to believe that what others pin him or her to be must be correct - but I am 100% certain that 100% of the times it is 100% not: it's simpler to understand that the synesthete finds it too complicated, tiring or aggravating to try and explain who he or she really is. However, this digs into human personality aspects and it goes way off topic.


Focusing on what syne research usually defines as 'correct', the individuals are classified with a numeric form of 'fold' measuring system. Along with this, some set characteristic are acceptable, such as seeing numbers and letters in differing colours for example, and many tests are run under these set rules. But there is only one rule about synesthesia, and that is that there are no rules. Anything that has any defined boundary cannot coexist with synesthesia. Again, an influencible syne individual may force himself to believe he should 'fit' into these set rules and accomodate his natural sensations as much as possible to be 'part of a group', which again digs into simple human nature and wanders off topic.
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On Synesthesia

8/3/2013

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There is so much more to say regarding synesthesia and most of the words needed to  describe evident correlations among senses are yet to be invented. Most excerpts I find on the net focus on the colour/hearing and sometimes tasting parameters, yet I find that closing in on those characteristics alone belittles the issue. For such reason I am in the process of writing an in-depth study from a synesthete's point of view alone, which may or may not be wholly comprehensible by researchers but by all means shall be fully understood by other synesthetes around the world, and may be of useful support to them, beside being an interesting read. This is my contribution to what I consider a beautiful gift, experienced by a few and wrongly considered a mere weird tweak of brain functions.

Said text shall be viewable on this blog, once I manage to herd all that incomprehensible antimatter into some sort of intelligible language - Gabriel.


NB: the following notes, descriptions and personal opinions are constantly uploaded and developed, as the subject is way too grand to lay out without taking forever and a bit. Feedback from synesthetes and researchers is always welcome.
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    Author

    Pointlessly diagnosed as 122+ fold synesthete due to equal brain dominance, artist, musician, sci-fi addict, equine empath and sportsman, I believe it's high time to speak out for synesthetes from the same side of the river - Gabriel.

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