Definition of projective and associative synaesthesia
In visual types of synesthesia, the term “projective synesthesia” is used when the synesthetic concurrent is seen physically before the eyes as if it was on a screen in space, and “associative synesthesia” is when it is perceived only in the mind’s eye but not seen physically.
Taking the example of someone with
auditory-visual synesthesia who sees a yellow line when they hear the sound of
a violin:
If the person sees the yellow line physically in
external space as if it was really there in front of them, they have projective
synesthesia. This person is called a “projector synesthete”.
However, if they automatically perceive the visual
sensation of the yellow line in their mind but not physically, they have associative
synesthesia and are called an “associator synesthete”.
Associative synesthesia is much more common than
projective synesthesia.
Associator synesthetes have been known to have occasional experiences with projection, although this is not typical and seems to only happen if their synesthesia is suddenly very much intensified for some reason.
Can you have some forms of synesthesia be associative and some projective in the same person?
ReplyDeleteYes, that happens, so a particular synesthete might have, for example, grapheme-colour that is associative and they just "know" which colour the letters are but at the same time they have very strong chromesthesia and see the colours physically. I think it probably depends somewhat on whether the person has a milder or a stronger, more invasive form of each particular type of synesthesia.
DeleteSo I think I'm an associator with all my (blank)-color synesthesia types, and I've always wondered- for those who are projectors for visual types of synesthesia, is this a kind of hallucination phenomenon? like, something that could obstruct your vision? I always assumed people didn't physically "see" anything, but I suppose I do actually taste notes rather than just knowing their tastes, so I guess its something like that? It's a very interesting concept!
DeleteHi! Basically, yes, it’s like real sight, although it’s different from hallucinations as the synesthete is aware of where it’s coming from and so they wouldn’t normally believe that the photisms are actually part of reality, as happens with hallucinations. I’ve heard accounts of the projected synesthetic photisms “obstructing” people’s vision, yes, although this seems to be in stressful situations when they are particularly strong or when more concentration than usual is required, while they’re driving, for example. But I don’t think that’s the norm. This is my own personal experience with projecting (I'm normally just an associator but I projected with smells when I had hyperosmia which made my perception of smells and my synesthetic visuals with them much, much stronger): the image appears visually as if it was in real life, it’s totally visual, but at the same time you know you are not seeing it with your eyes. So you would know it was a smell (or a taste, or a sound, etc.) and not a real coloured 3D shape suddenly hanging in the air in front of you. Whether it’s obstructive, not literally, no, but then it’s a question of attention: if you focus all your attention on it you wouldn’t be perceiving the real elements behind it, so you could say that was obstructive although it doesn’t physically blot out the reality like a real object in front of your face would do. Also it comes from a different process in your brain and you know that instinctively, the real-life visuals and the superimposed synesthetic visual are on two different planes so nothing is obstructing anything else, they’re just both there at the same time.
DeleteYes, as you say about your own case, synesthetic visual projecting is kind of similar to a real taste perception of a note or sound rather than tasting it in the mind. Some people call that projection too (personally I think the term projection should be reserved for visuals, but it is a similar concept, yes).
I think more studies need to be done on the projecting/associating thing as I get the impression we still need to know a lot more about it!
I experience many forms of synesthesia. Some of them are associative, while others are projective (e.g. all of my gustatory and olfactory concurrents are projective), but if the inducer of an associative concurrent is very strong (say that I'm listening to rock music and the electric guitar gets really loud), I'll see it as if it were actually physically there (in the previous example, when I would have normally just seen red in my mind's eye, since it's so loud I see it flashing over my vision). Is there a term for this, where the type depends upon the strength of the inducer?
ReplyDeleteHi! As far as I know there is no specific term for this, and also as far as I know the studies on associative and projective all seem to have concentrated on distinguishing "synesthetes who associate" from "synesthetes who project", but my experience (personal experience and, mainly, reading many people's accounts) tells me that it is in fact possible or even quite common to do both, i.e. habitually mind's eye only but occasionally physically visually projecting, depending on the strength of the inducer, as you interestingly describe for your case with a particularly loud guitar. If I come across any studies that deal with this or if I find that anyone has coined a term for it, I will comment here in answer to your question!
DeleteHi, I am an associative synesthete, and I have a question. So, I experience lots of different sensations (song-color, sensation-color, word-color) but sometimes my speech makes no sense to people. Like, I might say: We're going to fall into the hole forever (if I'm sad). Is this normal (for a synesthete)?
ReplyDeleteHi! It can be, yes. It appears that the use of non-standard metaphor can tend to come especially naturally to us synesthetes. Here’s a link to examples from a 2018 study at the University of Birmingham that showed a more creative use of metaphor in synesthetes:
Deletehttps://www.uco.es/aelco2018/wp-content/assets/a-comparison-of-metaphor-use-by-synaesthetes-and-non-synaesthetes.pdf