Synaesthesia Research

Synaesthesia Research

Synaesthesia Research

What is Synaesthesia?

Do you see colours when you think of letters? Or remember music by the visual patterns you see? Do you smell sounds, feel tastes, or hear colours? If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes', you may have synaesthesia. This fascinating phenomenon can link any of the senses, although most commonly it is seen in vision and audition, and provides an unusual perspective on perception.

In synaesthesia, a stimulus in one sensory modality results in an unusual additional experience. For example, when hearing a sentence, a synaesthete may also see vivid colours accompanying each word. In other cases, the taste of certain foods might evoke specific tactile sensations. Estimates of prevalence within the adult population vary from 1 in 500 for the more common types of synaesthesia (e.g., letter-colour synaesthesia), to 1 in 25,000 for rarer forms (e.g., sound-odour synaesthesia).

As synaesthesia rarely interferes with daily life (it is not a disorder!), many people do not realise they are unusual. The extra experiences typically occur from a young age, and are usually consistent over time.

Here is the alphabet of one well-known synaesthete, artist Carol Steen (New York, USA).

She has generously given us permission to display an image of one of her paintings, which is inspired by her synaesthetic experience from music.

"I made this painting one winter's evening after I heard a musician play an untitled piece on his Shakuhachi flute. Unlike the fast-tempo songs I usually work to because I like to watch the colours change quickly, the song he played had a very slow tempo. I call this painting "Clouds Rise Up" because this is exactly what I saw as I listened to him play his flute. Each note he played had two sounds and two red colours: red and orange, which is why the two colours you see move together as one shape on the slightly metallic green surface which is the colour of the flute itself when he played it."

- Carol Steen

Our Research

We have been studying synaesthesia since 1999. Initial studies were carried out at Monash University (with Profs. John Bradshaw & Jason Mattingley), and then further studies at the University of Melbourne (with Prof. Jason Mattingley). We have been studying synaesthesia at Macquarie University, where Professor Anina Rich heads the Synaesthesia Research Group in the Department of Cognitive Science, since 2007.

Synaesthesia provides a unique opportunity to explore how we perceive the world. By looking at the way the synaesthetes' unusual experiences arise, we can find out more about how the brain processes incoming information from the senses, and puts together our conscious experience of the world. Synaesthesia may also provide insights into the role of learning and experience in our perception.

We use questionnaires, computer-based tasks, and non-invasive brain imaging to explore the experiences of synaesthetes. These techniques allow us to examine the characteristics of synaesthetes, regions of the brain involved in their experiences, and a host of other important questions, such as the role that attention and consciousness play in this fascinating phenomenon.

Journal Publications

  • Teichmann, A.L., Grootswagers, T., Moerel, D., & Rich, A.N. (2021). Temporal dissociation of neural activity underlying synesthetic and perceptual colors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(6), e2020434118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020434118
  • Smit, S., Rich, A.N., & Zopf, R. (2019). Visual body form and orientation cues do not modulate visuo-tactile temporal integration. PLoS  ONE, 14(12), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0224174
  • Teichmann, A.L., Nieuwenstein, M., & Rich, A.N. (2017). Digit-colour synaesthesia only enhances memory for colours in a specific context: A new method of duration thresholds to measure serial recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 43(8):1494-1503. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000402
  • Russell, A., Stevenson, R., & Rich, A.N. (2015). Chocolate smells pink and stripy: Exploring olfactory-visual synesthesia. Cognitive Neuroscience, 6(2-3), 77-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2015.1035245
  • Teichmann, A.L., Nieuwenstein, M., & Rich, A.N. (2015). Red, green, blue equals 1, 2, 3: Digit-color synesthetes can use structured digit information to boost recall of color sequences. Cognitive Neuroscience, 6(2-3), 100-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2015.1056519
  • Giummarra, M.J. Fitzgibbon, B.M., Tsao, J.W., Gibson, S.J., Rich, A.N., Georgiou-Karistianis, N., Chou, M., Bradshaw, J. L., Alphonso, A.L., Tung, M.L., Drastal, C.A., Hanling, S., Pasquina, P.F., & Enticott, P.G. (2015). Symptoms of PTSD associated with painful and nonpainful vicarious reactivity following amputation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(4), 330-338. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22030
  • Chiou, R. & Rich, A.N. (2014). The role of conceptual knowledge in understanding synaesthesia: Evaluating contemporary findings from a ‘hub-and-spoke’ perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 105. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00105
  • Rich, A.N. & Karstoft, K-I. (2013). Exploring the benefit of synaesthetic colours: testing for “pop-out” in individuals with grapheme-colour synaesthesia. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 30(2), 110-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643294.2013.805686
  • Chiou, R., Stelter, M., & Rich, A.N. (2012). Beyond colour perception: Auditory-visual synaesthesia induces experiences of geometric objects in specific locations. Cortex, 49(6), 1750-1763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2012.04.006
  • Fitzgibbon, B.M., Enticott, P.G., Rich, A.N., Giummarra, M.J., Georgiou-Karistianis, N., & Bradshaw, J.L. (2012). Mirror-sensory synaesthesia: exploring 'shared' sensory experiences as synaesthesia. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(1), 645-657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.09.006
  • Fitzgibbon, B.M., Enticott, P.G., Rich, A.N., Giummarra, M.J., Georgiou-Karistianis, N., Tsao, J.W., Weeks, S.R., & Bradshaw, J.L. (2010). High incidence of 'synaesthesia for pain' in amputees. Neuropsychologia, 48(12), 3675-3678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.07.029
  • Rich, A.N. & Mattingley, J.B. (2010). Out of sight, out of mind: The attentional blink can eliminate synaesthetic colours. Cognition, 114(3), 320-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2009.10.003
  • Rich, A.N., Williams, M.A., Puce, A., Syngeniotis, A., Howard, M.A., McGlone, F., & Mattingley, J.B. (2006). Neural correlates of imagined and synaesthetic colours. Neuropsychologia, 44(14), 2918-2925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.06.024
  • Mattingley, J.B., Payne, J.M., & Rich, A.N. (2006). Attentional load attenuates synaesthetic priming effects in grapheme-colour synaesthesia. Cortex, 42(2), 213-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70346-0
  • Edquist, J., Rich, A.N., Brinkman, C., & Mattingley, J.B. (2006). Do synaesthetic colours act as unique features in visual search? Cortex, 42(2), 222-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70347-2
  • Mattingley, J.B., Payne, J.M., & Rich, A.N. (2006). Attentional load attenuates synaesthetic priming effects in grapheme-colour synaesthesia. Cortex, 42(2), 213-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70346-0
  • Rich, A.N., Williams, M.A., Puce, A., Syngeniotis, A., Howard, M.A., McGlone, F., & Mattingley, J.B. (2006). Neural correlates of imagined and synaesthetic colours. Neuropsychologia, 44(14), 2918-2925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.06.024
  • Rich, A.N., Bradshaw, J.L., & Mattingley, J.B. (2005). A systematic, large-scale study of synaesthesia: implications for the role of early experience in lexical-colour associations. Cognition, 98(1), 53-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2004.11.003
  • Rich, A.N. & Mattingley, J. B. (2003). The effects of stimulus competition and voluntary attention on colour-graphemic synaesthesia. NeuroReport, 14(14), 1793-1798. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200310060-00007
  • Rich, A.N. & Mattingley, J.B. (2002). Anomalous perception in synaesthesia: a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(1), 43-52. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn702
  • Mattingley, J.B., Rich, A.N., Yelland, G., & Bradshaw, J.L. (2001). Unconscious priming eliminates automatic binding of colour and alphanumeric form in synaesthesia. Nature, 410(6828), 580-582. https://doi.org/10.1038/35069062

Media

ABC: All in the Mind 2019

In this ABC podcast/radio mini-series, Professor Rich joins two synaesthetes and another researcher in a discussion of the lived experience of synaesthesia.

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/synesthesia:-seeing-sounds-and-hearing-colours/10571908

ABC: Our Brain 2022

In the new ABC mini-series "Our Brain", Professor Rich provides her expert knowledge on synaesthesia as well as some behind-the-scenes snippets of past synaesthesia research.

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/our-brain/series/1/video/DO2013H001S00

ABC - Triple J's Hack: Do you see sounds as colours?

As part of the ABC podcast segment "Hack", Professor Rich provides comments on the experience of synaesthesia.

https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/hack/13730622

American Scientist: Synesthesia's Altered Senses

In 2020, Professor Rich was interviewed by Corey S. Powell to recount her journey as a synaesthesia researcher.

https://www.americanscientist.org/article/first-person-anina-rich

https://soundcloud.com/sigmaxi/synesthesias-altered-senses

New Scientist: First Evidence That Synaesthesia Gives Colour to Sign Language

In this New Scientist article, Professor Rich comments on research of synaesthesia in sign language.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2095783-first-evidence-that-synaesthesia-gives-colour-to-sign-language/

Paul Bourke Lecture 2014

As part of receiving the prestigious Paul Bourke Award in 2013 from the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, on 1st May 2014 Professor Rich discussed her research on synaesthesia and the mappings we all have between our senses, giving insights into the way the brain integrates information for conscious perception of the world.

https://socialsciences.org.au/events/mauve-mondays-and-orange-odours/

Sydney Morning Herald: When Helen Reads a Sentence, the Words Each Have Their Own Colour.

In this Sydney Morning Herald article, the experiences of synaesthete Helen are described. Comments from Professor Rich are interspersed throughout the article.

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/when-helen-reads-a-sentence-the-words-each-have-their-own-colour-20190130-p50ui7.html

The Lighthouse

Macquarie University's The Lighthouse is the first stop for new and exciting research taking place at the university.

VIDEO: What is synaesthesia?

'Mind reading' test validates remarkable world of synaesthesia

The Power Institute: The Taste of Purple

In 2018, alongside Sydney Medical School, the Synaesthesia Research Group hosted a public event The Taste of Purple at the Power Institute to discuss the latest synaesthesia research.

https://www.powerpublications.com.au/14-march-6pm-the-taste-of-purple/

Research Participation

We are constantly conducting research to understand the mechanisms underlying synaesthesia and the people who experience it. Our research includes ongoing online questionnaires as well as new online and lab-based studies. If you would like to participate in our research, you can find more details about our research below.

Ongoing Questionnaires

You can join our online participant register by completing a short survey:

We also have a study involving a more detailed and comprehensive questionnaire that can be completed online:

If your child has synaesthesia and would like to share their experiences with us, you can fill out our child-friendly (appropriate for young children) online questionnaire together, or, for older children, they can use the extensive questionnaire link above (if you give your permission):

We are looking for people with mirror-touch synaesthesia who feel touch on their own body when seeing another person being touched. If you think you experience this, please complete our short 10-minute mirror-touch synaesthesia screener:

Study of auditory-visual synaesthesia! We are currently seeking people for whom sounds of various types give visual experiences to complete an online questionnaire:

Online and Lab-Based Studies

Watch this space for new research participation opportunities.

Contact Details

If you have any queries, please email us at synaesthesia@mq.edu.au

(or you can call Professor Anina Rich on 02 9850 9597)

Synaesthesia Research Group @ MQ team.

Director: 

Current students:

  • Sophie Smit
  • Nora Holmes

Alumni:

  • PhD: Dr Rocco Chiou (now at Cambridge University, UK)
  • PhD: Dr Lina Teichmann (now at National Institutes of Health, USA)

Associates:

Interns:

  • Marleen Stelter (Germany; Masters)
  • Karen-Inge Karstoft (Denmark; Masters)
  • Doreen Jakob (Germany; Undergraduate)
  • Francesca Woolgar (UK; Undergraduate)
  • Geoffrey Gonzalez (France; Medical undergraduate)
  • Jenny Wu (USA (MIT); Undergraduate)
  • Lina Teichmann (The Netherlands; Masters)
  • Nora Holmes (Macquarie University, Australia; Masters)

Research assistant:

  • Nora Holmes

Useful Links

If you would like to learn more about synaesthesia, click on some of the following links:

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