2_E-PHI_30_118-119_2021_Oblak-et-al..pdf (961.85 kB)
“Becoming the color”: synesthetic gesture in a case study of multiple forms of synesthesia
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 02:06 authored by Aleš Oblak, Hanna RandallHanna Randall, David SchwartzmanDavid SchwartzmanPhenomenological investigations of participants with grapheme-color synesthesia—a condition wherein an inducer consistently and automatically triggers an additional concurrent perceptual experience—have revealed an apparent paradox. Namely, they describe the automaticity of their synesthetic experiences as being both willed and automatic. Here, we apply in-depth interviews and signal-contingent experience sampling to investigate the lived experience of a single case (HR) of synesthesia to address this paradox. Our results suggest that for HR an inducer elicits a non-visual, spatially-localized, immediate, and intuitive knowledge about the concurrent. Critically, HR reports that in order to experience the concurrent visually, she must perform a specific mental gesture. We suggest that reporting on the former yields descriptions of concurrent experience as being automatic, and reporting on the latter yields descriptions of concurrent experience as being willful. Our findings demonstrate the need for detailed phenomenological investigations of the experience of synesthesia, in order to develop more accurate descriptions of this experience.
Funding
DREAMACHINE - FESTIVAL UK 2020; CABINET OFFICE
Dreamachine - R&D period 2 - Festival 2022; G3355; CABINET OFFICE
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
PhainomenaISSN
1318-3362Publisher
Phenomenological Society of LjubljanaPublisher URL
External DOI
Volume
30Page range
35-68Department affiliated with
- Informatics Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-01-05First Open Access (FOA) Date
2022-01-05First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-01-04Usage metrics
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