Life in color. No, am not referring to the widely popular adolescent rave where attendants are doused in multicolored paint while enjoying a party atmosphere. I am referring to the neurological phenomenon known as synesthesia. The word can be broken down for a better understanding by isolating the Greek prefix “syn,” meaning together, and the suffix “aesthesia” which is derived from a more complicated Greek word meaning sensation. The general meaning of the word can be summarized as the involuntary intertwining of the senses.

Scientists have had trouble defining this so-called disorder because it has many variations. The most common type of synesthesia is called grapheme synesthesia. I was recently diagnosed with this. I have experienced color sensations for as long as I can remember but never thought anything of it. Realizing there is a word for this inspired me to share my experiences of what it is like to perceive the world through a unique lens.

Grapheme synesthesia is the mind’s ability to connect numbers and letters with specific colors. Ever since I was small I have experienced these connections not knowing what they were. Now I know that these patterns are not a mere coincidence but have actually been labeled and placed under the term synesthesia. Those who have been asked what they see for certain objects have reported different colors with no evident pattern.

Although this condition, if it can even be called that, holds no apparent usefulness, I felt compelled to write about it because I kept it to myself for so long. Throughout my education, every teacher of every grade has had a color. For instance, Mr. Geist was green, Ms. Jeffers was blue, and Ms. Romano was brown. Math class is always very colorful because single numbers have their own color as well as multi-digits. I attempted to draw conclusions as to how multi-digit numbers were assigned their colors, but my efforts were inconsistent and ultimately frustrating. For example, a yellow 3 and a blue 2 equals a green 32, but any manipulation of these numbers yields various results (3 multiplied by 2 equals an orange 6).

Some words have colors in my mind as well. I don’t mean that I look at a paper and physically see words in color. I mean that while reading, colors appear in my head, usually in the form of organic shapes. I have sometimes found my mind wandering when I read while I wait for the color to fade. If I read fast the colors merge and form a murky brown. Although this may sound peculiar, it is useful; I can gauge whether I am retaining the information depending on the clarity of the colors and their separation as they appear and fade.

Some people experience synesthesia that involves smelling and feeling colors. Others eat certain foods and chemicals in their brain trigger bursts of neurological color. I enjoy exploring the various functions of the brain and the different elements that come with it. Although color synesthesia is rather frivolous in comparison to other brain disorders, research has enabled people like me to rationally explain things that may at first seem strange and unnatural.

I pride myself on my color connections because it makes me unique.