Synesthesia
A Neurological Phenomenon is Made Tangible
As known by anyone who can hear colors or taste shapes, synesthesia isn’t a problem – it’s a superpower. It only becomes an issue if it’s misidentified and misdiagnosed. We partnered with four synesthetes, recorded their perceptions, and translated them into a digital format. Now nonsynesthetes have access to a world previously hidden to them.
Perceptions of color that are triggered through acoustic stimuli are called “colored hearing”. Every sound evokes a synesthetic image with an extremely broad range of color patterns and accents, sketched out and illustrated on paper by synesthete Molly Holst.
Synesthesia in VR is the world’s first interactive synesthetic experience. Essentially, through AR and VR technology, people now have the opportunity to see through the eyes of a synesthete.
The VR app enables completely new opportunities for sharing colored hearing with others. To take advantage of it, we recorded the sensory impressions of four synesthetes using established color charts. A 3-D artist then visualized specially selected synesthetic perceptions. He familiarized himself with their sensory impressions over multiple meetings together, a process comprising many individual steps.
The VR app enables completely new opportunities for sharing colored hearing with others. To take advantage of it, we recorded the sensory impressions of four synesthetes using established color charts. A 3-D artist then visualized specially selected synesthetic perceptions. He familiarized himself with their sensory impressions over multiple meetings together, a process comprising many individual steps.
The website tells visitors more, giving them real-life information. While synesthetes talk about their personal experiences, renowned experts such as Dr. Markus Zedler and Dr. Michael Haverkamp explain the phenomenon behind it.
I find it exciting, and I was very touched when the first pattern was finished and I was able to see it with the VR goggles. I thought to myself, that’s you, Molly, that’s really you!
