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Neurophenomenology of induced and natural synaesthesia
Version 2 2023-06-07, 08:29
Version 1 2023-06-07, 06:45
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 08:29 authored by David SchwartzmanDavid Schwartzman, Daniel Bor, Nicolas Rothen, Anil SethAnil SethPeople with synaesthesia have additional perceptual experiences, which are automatically and consistently triggered by specific inducing stimuli. Synaesthesia therefore offers a unique window into the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying conscious perception. A long-standing question in synaesthesia research is whether it is possible to artificially induce non-synaesthetic individuals to have synaesthesia-like experiences. Although synaesthesia is widely considered a congenital condition, increasing evidence points to the potential of a variety of approaches to induce synaesthesia-like experiences, even in adulthood. Here, we summarise a range of methods for artificially-inducing synaesthesia-like experiences, comparing the resulting experiences to the key hallmarks of natural synaesthesia which include consistency, automaticity and a lack of ‘perceptual presence’. We conclude that a number of aspects of synaesthesia can be artificially induced in non-synaesthetes. These data suggest the involvement of developmental and/or learning components to the acquisition of synaesthesia, and they extend previous reports of perceptual plasticity leading to dramatic changes in perceptual phenomenology in adults.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Philosophical Transactions B: Biological SciencesISSN
0962-8436Publisher
Royal Society, TheExternal DOI
Issue
1787Volume
374Page range
1-10Department affiliated with
- Informatics Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2019-09-11First Open Access (FOA) Date
2019-09-11First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2019-09-10Usage metrics
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