6.743, Sum: Synaesthesia

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-743. Mon 29 May 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines: 113
 
Subject: 6.743, Sum: Synaesthesia
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Assoc. Editor: Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
Asst. Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
               Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
               Annemarie Valdez <avaldez at emunix.emich.edu>
 
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1)
Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 16:39:29 +0200 (MESZ)
From: "S. Press" (presssus at mibm.ruf.uni-freiburg.de)
Subject: Sum: Synaesthesia
 
 
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1)
Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 16:39:29 +0200 (MESZ)
From: "S. Press" (presssus at mibm.ruf.uni-freiburg.de)
Subject: Sum: Synaesthesia
 
 
 
Dear linguists,
 
My special thanks to everyone who responded to my query supplying me
with very interesting bibliographic references and new ideas about
synaesthesia: Heidi Shetzer, Andrew Barss, Anne Reboul, Suszanne Kemmer,
Deborah M. Berkley, William Edmondson, Carol J. Steen, Deborah D.K. Ruuska,
J. A. Barnden, and James L. Fidelholtz.
 
There seem to be quite a few synaesthetes in the net experiencing a
strong link between colors and letters/sounds, namely auditory or visual
synaesthetes. The auditory sensation ("colored hearing") can be
stimulated by either musicals tones and/or musical chords on the one hand,
or vowel sounds on the other.  Besides, there was a discussion on
synaesthesia in the "linguist" back in 1992.
 
Those are the references we received:
 
) Baron-Cohen, Simon, & Wyke, Maria A., & Binnie, Colin, (1987).
) Hearing words and seeing colours: an experimental investigation of a
) case of synaesthesia.  Perception 16:761-67.
 
) Cytowic, Richard E.(1993). _The Man who Tasted Shapes_ New York:  G.P.
) Putnam's Sons.
 
) Cytowic, R.E. (1989).  _Synesthesia:  A Union of the Senses_.  New York:
) Springer Verlag.
 
) Cytowic, Richard E. & Wood, Frank B. (1982). Synesthesia: I. A review
) of major theories and their brain basis.  Brain and cognition 1:23-35.
 
) Cytowic, Richard E. & Wood, Frank B. (1982). Synestheasia: II.
) Psychological relations in the synesthesia of geometrically shaped taste
) and colored hearing.  Brain and cognition 1:36-49.
 
) Karwoski, T.F. et al. (1942). (Title?), in: Journal of General
) Psychology, vol. 26, 199-222.
 
) Luria, A.R. (1968). _The Mind of a Mnemonist_.  New York:  Basic Books.
 
) Messiaen, O. (1956).  _Technique de mon Language Musicale._ Paris:
) Alphonse Leduc.
 
) Migunov A., & Pertseva T., in: Languages of Design -  Formalism for
) Words, Image and Sound, ed. Lauzzana, R.G., vol.2, USA 1994.
 
) Nabokov, V. 1966.  _Speak, Memory:  An Autobiography Revisited._  New
) York:  Dover.
 
) Nabokov, V. 1989.  Selected Letters 1940-1977, London, Vintage, 59.
 
) Odbert, H.S. et al. (1942). (Title?), in: Journal of General Psychology,
) vol.26, 153-73.
 
Summary of our research:
A comparison of the traditional vowel chart and the systematic
arrangement of colours according to hue and brightness reveal striking
simularities.  Roman Jakobson was the first linguist to point out such
parallels.  Starting from his hypothesis, our psycho-phonetic
investigation examines the synaesthetic association between auditory and
visual senses (vowel sounds and colours).
 
Further comments and/or questions are welcome any time, please don't
hesitate to write. Many thanks once again for all the help,
 
Achim Thurow, Susanne Press
Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg
Germany
 
 
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