1. Originally posted by BigGiRL:[..]
    Right, a true expert would be able to explain his or her subject in common plain language, as well as in academic terms (of course).

    Synaesthesia, or "the mixing of sensory input" (like literally tasting colors, or seeing sound) is a very rare condition. Rather a curse, than a blessing if you ask me.

    Epiphenomenalism is heavy "Philosophy of Mind" stuff. In short, the idea that the mind is a complete by-product (epí-phenomenon) of the body (with all it's neuro processes in the brain).

    The mind as complete epi-phenomenon is, however, a contested idea. For instance with regard to "free will" - or, as some would have it, the phenomenon of free will. And, ultimately, whether there is such a thing as Freedom besides Nature.

    Nature opperates according to (physical) laws, while Freedom, as the word already suggests, is not governed by any law at all.
    Funny enough the Universe seems to be a combination of both according to Quantum Mechanics: there are simply no "observer free" natural phenomena - not even in theory (because "theory" is also a product of the mind/observer).

    Then to say that every observer (i.e. "mind") is actually a by-product of the physical realm (as the epi-guys do!), is ignoring the basic principle of Quantum Physics. It's like, as the English say, eating your cake and having it too!
    I mean, if Quantum Theory basically says "it takes two to tango," you can not hold that the other is in fact yourself. It would be the same as liberating yourself out of the swamp by pulling your own hair...

    (Great Sunday morning read, not? - or should I say "right?", as modern speech guru's would like us to do...)
    Right! Of course. My intention. To explain an area of my subject in common plain language. Quite easily.


  2. What I asked myself while writing this was, how rare are we actually talking about? I mean, with synesthesia that is. Like 1:100,000, or more like "one in a million" rare?
  3. Originally posted by BigGiRL:[..]


    What I asked myself while writing this was, how rare are we actually talking about? I mean, with synesthesia that is. Like 1:100,000, or more like "one in a million" rare?
    In truth, I do not know the true answer to that Joyce as I see the condition as an amalgam of variables. Fluctuations, as explained further.

    My area of research involved this condition when working as an art therapist, specifically with autistic children. That was when my reading and research brought me to this platform of understanding.

    Ever since it has been a real fascinating subject to me. Hence the reason I responded to DeanAllison's entry to this thread.

    One of the main issues with accurately gauging the population size of synesthetes is the lack of self identification. If someone doesn't know that the way they process information is different than the majority, it’s unlikely that they will be counted in the sample.

    Current research believes that there is an underestimate of the number of total synesthetes, believing that an estimated 4.4% of the total population is synesthetic.

    What is understood is that synesthesia is an extraordinary perceptual phenomenon, in which individuals experience unusual percepts elicited by the activation of an unrelated sensory modality or by a cognitive process. Commonly it is reported that emotional reactions are associated.

    Further study has revealed the condition prompted philosophical debates on the nature of perception and impacted the course of art history (which is an area that is relevant to my particular research) and lately it has generated a considerable interest among neuroscientists, but its clinical significance apparently remains underevaluated.

    From my understanding, synesthesia is a perceptual experience in which stimuli presented through one modality will spontaneously evoke sensations in an unrelated modality. The condition occurs from increased communication between sensory regions of the brain and is involuntary, automatic, and stable over time. While synesthesia can occur in response to drugs, sensory deprivation, or brain damage, research has largely focused on heritable variants comprising roughly 4% of the general population. Genetic research on synesthesia suggests the phenomenon is heterogeneous and polygenetic.

    What does remain unclear to me is whether synesthesia provides a selective advantage or is merely a byproduct of some other useful selected trait.

    I believe further research in uncovering the genetic basis of synesthesia will help to understand why it has been conserved in the population. As aforementioned, a condition presently believed to be in 2%–4% of the population in which a sensory stimulus presented to one modality elicits concurrent sensations in additional modalities. Therefore, theoretically, synesthesia can bind any two senses, but research has largely focused on two of the most common variants in which auditory tones and achromatic numbers produce vivid and perceptually salient colours. The specificity of these evoked colours remains stable over time within any given individual, but the same tone or grapheme doesn't necessarily evoke the same colour in different people.

    The interest in synesthesia has been studied by scientists for close to 200 years, and while familial linkage analyses show a strong genetic component, the precise genes involved and reasons why synesthesia has been conserved in the population remain unknown to date. Which returns me back to where I began...
  4. Originally posted by BigGiRL:[..]
    LOL...that's great

    The world needs more philosophers

    What is your subject?

    I'm an independent. Socrates as a girl. Wandering around the forum - or rather: "forum" (as in the widest metaphorical sense...).
    Highly practical oriented - indeed, "free will" could be an illusion, but still one that needs to be dealt with on a daily basis.
    Kant wouldn't have it any other way...

    But eh...this Landlady is disgressing...

    (will see if there is a philosophy topic/thread already on U2Start...other wise I'll "buy" one for us, to maintain the Landlady idiom...)

    Cheers <- coffee (black with a tiny sweetner)


    Cheers! On my way to a philosophy conference, to celebrate my PhD supervisor who prematurely passed away last year.

    I mostly work on the philosophy of logic, but I am also interested in epistemology and the philosophy of language. I research and teach logic and philosophy for a living, but I still feel like - I am! - a complete amateur...

    I hope my employer doesn’t see this list! ;-)
  5. Originally posted by ELIZIUM:[..]
    In truth, I do not know the true answer to that Joyce as I see the condition as an amalgam of variables. Fluctuations, as explained further.

    My area of research involved this condition when working as an art therapist, specifically with autistic children. That was when my reading and research brought me to this platform of understanding.

    […]

    The interest in synesthesia has been studied by scientists for close to 200 years, and while familial linkage analyses show a strong genetic component, the precise genes involved and reasons why synesthesia has been conserved in the population remain unknown to date. Which returns me back to where I began...
    It's fascinating stuff Jules, it really is. And your reply proved to be a better read than I anticipated, seriously. Perhaps a bit too academic for this Landlady topic though. So maybe we should leave it at this and not digress any further.
  6. 'your reply proved to be a better read than I anticipated, seriously'.

    It should. I wrote about it, after all the subject formed part of my Ph.D thesis titled:

    The role of the professional artist in residence as therapist and educator: a progression for creative associations.
    A case study for establishing pedagogies for artists and educators, working in tandem with development of differentiating visual capacities in children presenting with visual Epiphenomenal Qualia Synesthesia, PMLD, Aspergers and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

    Very academic for obvious reasons and that is why I chose to state my reply initially to Dean regarding this subject. It has been a real pleasure exchanging PM's with him lately.

    This really is quite a broad place in which to dwell with all who frequent here.

    And yes, this is all too academic for the Landlady topic and the rent has gone up!
  7. I do like the song but it’s very bland for radio. I don’t expect it to hang around the airwaves for long.
  8. If there is one remix of this song then the band will have done the song an injustice. Let us hope all those gimmicky remixes are behind them.