Sensory Confusion

It tastes like burning

Published on January 11, 2005 By chiprj In Blogging

Almost every morning I think about writing this and then never do. So today is the day. It seems that every day, when I take a shower, I never seem to rinse all the shampoo out of my face before I open my eyes. So, I get that burning feeling.

But, when I think about how it feels, it feels like coconut, because of the scent of the shampoo. I know this is my brain confusing things, but the scent is equated to the burning feeling and so I think to myself that it burns like coconut. Odd, right?

Well, when I think about it, there are other instances of this for me. For example, a freshly mowed lawn smells green to me. That's the only way I can describe the smell. Green.

Another example is when something looks loud. To some that might just be a figure of speach, but I'm telling you, sometimes, I think something looks loud. Not like a bullhorn, but something that is strongly clashing, colored or depicted.

OK, for those that are reading this and thinking I'm a bit weird, well, I challenge you with this - when you were young and drank all the flavors of kool aid, was it grape kool aid? Or did you drink purple kool aid? That's what I thought. It might be called grape, but I've yet to taste a grape that was even remotely similar in flavor. That flavor will always be purple to me. Same thing with red pop. No way does it taste like cherry to me. It tastes red.

My Ecosystem Details

Comments

Moderateman

on Jan 11, 2005

ok exactly how much lsd-25 did you use? lololo j/k

BlueDev

on Jan 11, 2005

Fascinating article chiprj.

I actually understand exactly what you mean. There are certain colors, certain sights that are indelibly connected in my mind with smells, sounds, etc. Cool article.

Ravenblack

on Jan 11, 2005

Interesting. I tend to equate colors with flavors, not so the other way around.

crimson

on Jan 12, 2005

The smell of lighter fluid to me is blue. I think I know what you mean.

dharmagrl

on Jan 12, 2005

There's actually a name for this....I'll have to go look it up, but it's a documented medical fact that some people 'see' sounds and 'taste' colors.

You're not alone, btw (as the above responses have shown). I experience sort of the same thing....

dharmagrl

on Jan 12, 2005

It's called synthesia and you can read about it here: http://www.school-for-champions.com/senses/synesthesia.htm

chiprj

on Jan 12, 2005

ok exactly how much lsd-25 did you use? lololo j/k

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Cool article.

Thanks.

I tend to equate colors with flavors, not so the other way around

I can see that.

The smell of lighter fluid to me is blue. I think I know what you mean.

Interesting.

It's called synthesia and you can read about it here: Link

Nice! Thanks for the link. I'll have to check it out!

pseudosoldier

on Jan 12, 2005

I have similar connections: the smell of rain = clean, peach schnappes = sick (not vomit taste, the feeling of nausea), and the sound of electronically reproduced Arabic (whether transmitted by radio or TV, recorded on cassette, or over the phone) = tired.

I never drank purple Kool-Aid, just the grape stuff, but there were three very similar flavors of red.

Angloesque

on Jan 14, 2005

My mom would never buy us Kool-Aid. She said it's bad for us. But I've made up for it by drinking alcohol.

I know what you mean. My husband has this orange velour chair--the kind had by bachelors about 10 years before Queer Eye came around and fixed 7 men's lives. Anyway, the chair fits neatly into the little corner of our white living room with white bookcase and white-covered couch and tan carpet, but it's a frickin' ORANGE CHAIR and it makes my eyes hurt to look at it. I my synesthesia thing must be pain when I see awful juxtapositions with color.

So yeah, you're not the only weirdo. Comforting, huh.

-A.

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