Imposed Synesthesia?

[broadwaypianos]

Recently I was reading about the interesting condition of synesthesia, and I was struck with the thought about whether if it would be possible to impose the condition onto yourself. Do you think it would be possible to do this? To what extent of realism could you achieve? What sense pairing options would you be successful with merging? How would you go about doing this?

[Guest EnnervateIndustries]

Synesthesia interests me a lot, so I'm going to bump this.

 

Though I would think it would be more accurate to see if it's possible for a tulpa to simulate it, since imposing it might be an issue if you ever decide you don't want it.

[Guest ThunderClap]

Do you think it would be possible to do this?

 

I don't see why not, as long as you know what you are doing.

 

To what extent of realism could you achieve?

 

It would only be as realistic as you make it. There aren't really any boundaries.

 

How would you go about doing this?

 

I would imagine you would "impose" it the same way you would a Heads Up Display, or something of the sort.

[broadwaypianos]

Would you have to assign each individual sense collision, or could you make it spontaneous? For example, If I wanted to impose all of the notes on a piano, would I have to give a color to each note, and then impose that sight/sound combination?

[broadwaypianos]

This is definitely on my To Do list. I'll experiment with it for a while, and post results.

[Chupi]

I've been really bored reading certain things in the past, but my brain has never colorized stuff for me. There are however a few songs that trigger strong visualizations if I just close my eyes, relax and let it unfold.

 

I should think if you consciously visualize the same thing every time you get a given stimulus, it'll eventually become automatic, get more vivid, possibly eventually being truly imposed.

[Laurora]

There are however a few songs that trigger strong visualizations if I just close my eyes, relax and let it unfold.

Ditto. I was playing Minecraft the first time I listened to Living Things. Now whenever I hear Roads Untraveled I see my base...

[mouse]

I think it's definantly possible, but I fail to see the utility of it. Or atleast, I think it'd be possible to simulate it, even if you can't change your brain to cause it in the exact same manner.

But there is one case of sense pairing that's extremely possible and definantly learnable, and useful. Echolocation! Since I came across this blog ( http://learnecholocation.blogspot.com/ ) I've been practicing doing it myself, but after some quick progress at the beginning it leveled off and I think I'd need to either blindfold myself for a couple days or get someone else to help me with it to get any further.

 

I've read a few studies that show humans have limited magnetic sense, but that it's often so vague that people don't pay attention to it, especially since it doesn't tend to match up to human landmarks. But would it be possible to, say, make a red spot in your vision that always matched up to the North? The evidence isn't too good in favour of it's existence, though.

 

Humans have a good sense of time, what about imposing a clock? I'd imagine someone would have to get used to checking a watch constantly (every 20 minutes or so) for a long period, perhaps 4 weeks (since they say it takes 3 weeks average for the mind to adapt to new conditions), then impose a clock and always check the watch right before checking the clock, then after a weekor two switch to checking the clock before the watch, and then gradually weaning yourself from the watch. How long would the clock stay accurate? It would probably correct itself after landmarks (timemarks?) Like the start of work or if it's really off then base on sunrise sunset times, so I don't know how one could test it short of staying in a dark room with no stimulus for days.

[Wrath]

Sometimes when I'm reading something and I get bored. The letters will slant to the side either way, sometimes entire words. It's pretty bizarre.

[Kiahdaj]

OP, I would imagine that the only way to do that without running the risk of having it very hard to reverse, would be the hard way, aka imposing everything yourself.

But that would not be synesthesia. That would be your brain habitually imposing the same thing, based on how you've trained it to.

Giving yourself actual synesthesia could, for all I'd imagine, be impossible/near impossible to undo. Therefor, I wouldn't really recommend it.

As for how you'd do it... I really wouldn't know where to begin.

Though if you really are willing to risk it, then you might want to look more into what causes synesthesia.