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Related Concept Videos

Synesthesia01:27

Synesthesia

Synesthesia is a remarkable condition where stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with synesthesia experience a blending or crossing of their senses, such as sight and sound, leading to cross-modal sensations. In this condition, the stimulation of one sense, such as hearing a number or musical note, triggers an experience of another sense, like sensing a specific color, taste, or smell. People...
Subconsciousness and No Awareness01:15

Subconsciousness and No Awareness

The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
Sensation01:21

Sensation

Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
Altered States of Awareness01:06

Altered States of Awareness

Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain that...
Understanding Consciousness01:23

Understanding Consciousness

Consciousness can be defined as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, sensations, and surroundings. It encompasses two major components: awareness and arousal. Awareness pertains to the recognition of environmental stimuli and internal states. At the same time, arousal refers to the physiological readiness to engage with these stimuli, which varies significantly between states like sleep and wakefulness.
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced physical...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
10:27

Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color

Published on: February 20, 2014

Attention, automaticity, and awareness in synesthesia.

Jason B Mattingley1

  • 1The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute and School of Psychology, Australia. j.mattingley@uq.edu.au

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|April 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Synesthesia, particularly grapheme-color synesthesia, involves automatic color experiences linked to letters and numbers. These synesthetic colors are influenced by attention and processed early in the brain.

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Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Neurobiology

Background:

  • Synesthesia, the experience of sensory stimuli in a different sensory modality, has long fascinated artists and philosophers.
  • Modern neuroscience and behavioral techniques are advancing the scientific study of synesthesia.
  • Grapheme-color synesthesia, the most prevalent form, involves consistent color associations with letters, numbers, and words.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a cognitive neuroscience perspective on synesthesia.
  • To emphasize the characteristics and neural underpinnings of grapheme-color synesthesia.

Main Methods:

  • Review of behavioral studies on synesthetic color properties.
  • Analysis of brain imaging data related to synesthetic experiences.
  • Examination of theories regarding the neural mechanisms of synesthesia.

Main Results:

  • Synesthetic colors are automatic but modulated by selective attention.
  • Synesthetic colors gain salience early in visual processing.
  • Brain activity during synesthesia involves the ventral temporal lobe, including area V4.

Conclusions:

  • Grapheme-color synesthesia exhibits distinct behavioral properties.
  • Neural activity in specific brain regions correlates with synesthetic experiences.
  • Potential mechanisms include disinhibited feedback or altered neural connectivity.