The word "synesthesia" refers to a phenomenon of "union of sensations". This means that some people experience mixed senses: for example, seeing colors while listening to a song or appreciating flavors when smelling a particular aroma.
It is not a unique or absolute phenomenon, since in reality there are more than 70 types of synesthesia and the most common include color perceptions. And there is 6.3% of people with synesthesia who perceive smells as if they were colours.
In history we can find several examples of artists who painted while "hearing" the colors and shapes. The best known examples being Van Gogh or Kandinski .
These alterations have given rise to very ingenious technological ideas , such as the color capture system that emits a different sound depending on the frequency of the color it receives, and which was used as part of a performance by a color-blind artist.
In addition, in recent years, a photographic technique that allows sound to be photographed has been perfected. It is known as the Schlieren technique , after the German physicist who discovered the variations in the density of a fluid when sounds or temperature change.
To do this, they use a network of mirrors that give rise to a light capable of detecting variations in density in a very surprising way.
At Meditaroma we invite you to see the sound images made by Mike Hargather from the University of New Mexico and compiled in this video by Skunk Bear . What does the sound look like?