Is hypersensitive persons do synesthesia? That's the big question we're going to ask ourselves today. The issue is simple: if hypersensitivity and synesthesia are related, then it would explain many of those sensory mixtures that hypersensitive people tell me I feel. Fortunately, I found some scientific research to help us.
My name is Paul, and my HIP was detected more than ten years ago now. On Connect The Dots, I share what I learned to help new ones.
NB: This article is the transcript of the video above
What is synesthesia?
Before going further, we will try to understand what synesthesia is. I pulled out the definition of Robert. It is a "perception disorder in which an additional sensation is felt in a region other than that which is perceived normally".
Basically, we're gonna get our senses mixed up. You hear colors, you see music, etc. So these two senses what a priori are not related trigger on the same thing.
So personally synesthesia I knew her but from another phenomenon. Finally I had seen studies on it since another phenomenon. That's what happens when you consume something that's pretty well known but I advise you a lot and I can't quote otherwise Google will scold me.
In these MRIs, for example, at the top one sees the brain of someone who took a placebo, and at the bottom one sees the brain of someone who took that Mysterious-Substance-Dont-On-Ne-Doit-Not-Pronounce-The-Name. One can notice that the guy downstairs looks like he's on a journey across the world!
But what research notes above all is that the brain fully activates. You can see at the bottom that he's completely on fire when there's just a sensation that's active. For example, just when one touches the person his whole brain went mad. It didn't just activate the place of the brain that handles the sensation of touching. We also talk about the part responsible for hearing, smell, sight and also the part of emotions. We're good at this synesthesia thing or one sense will awaken everyone else. But you'll tell me"Great all this Paul, but why are you telling us about it? "
The functioning of hypersensitivity
Well, actually, while surfing the internet, I ran into a 2011 study that was conducted by Oxford University (nothing but that!). This study made a connection that troubled me and I wanted to talk to you about. As we know, hypersensitivity (to simplify) is the cursor of the brain that is very low and reacts very quickly. If you want, our minimum stimulation threshold is very low compared to neurotypical ones (their threshold will be higher).
For example, below, in red, it is stimulation. It is very low and neither hypersensitive nor neurotypical will capture it.
On the other hand, there it is a little bigger and the hypersensitive will capture it – but still not the neurotypical.
This is why it is often said that hypersensitive people capture more things than others. In fact their threshold is lower. So all the emotional information is captured by hypersensitive and not neurotypical. There, on the other hand, this stimulation is large enough for everyone to capture it.
Discovery of synesthesia
Now let's go back to synesthesia. Oxford scientists compared synesthetes (people with synesthesia) and neurotypes. They have discovered (I greatly simplify it) that the synesthetes had a level of excitability in the visual cortex that is higher. Basically, less stimulation is needed to get this part of the brain to work. Doesn't that remind you of anything?
The higher the minimum level of stimulation, the less people have synesthesia.
There, I don't know if you see the connection. I thought it looked very similar. I thought something was going on and I wanted to talk about it.
Conclusion: What is the link between synesthesia and hypersensitivity?
But let's stay calm: for the moment there is no evidence that both are connected. It's just me who saw similarities so I point them out.
Besides, you will notice similarities (I think) between the MRIs that we saw at the beginning and others that I sometimes show you on brain hyperactivity of high intellectual potentials.
Also, care should be taken because synesthesia is regularly confused with hyperaesthesia. Synesthesia is the senses that mix. Hyperaesthesia It is generally the senses that are stronger, or that are more easily captured. Care must be taken not to mix both.
Today the search is incomplete. We'll give scientists time to do their jobs. Personally, I can't wait! In any case as soon as this happens I will keep you informed in the Chronicle that I do every Tuesday (inscription at the bottom of the page). I am sending a free e-mail to those who wish to, in which I speak about the news of hypersensitivity and high potential. I also give practical techniques to live all this at best. Don't hesitate to join us! We're a community of thousands of people, you'll see it's super nice!
See you!
Sources
University of Oxford, (Science Daily), Synesthesia linked to a hyper-excitable brain, 2011.
