Synesthesia

Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. There are multiple forms of synesthesia, which can include a variety of senses and perceptions from smelling colors, to tasting music.

I have grapheme-color and space-time synesthesia, which allows me to visualize numbers, letters, and words with unique colors and visualize abstract concepts like time in a 3D way.

I first learned about synesthesia in my high school psychology class, and it was one of the reasons I became interested in neuroscience.

How I see numbers:

How I view the English alphabet:

How I view the Japanese Alphabet (Hiragana):

How I visualize time:

How I visualize the monthly calendar:

These representations are as close to realistic as I can get with a surface book and the snip tool. Obviously, these images are nowhere near as intricate and nuanced as how I perceive them in real life. Despite that, I hope you find it interesting and can learn a bit more about how others see the world!