# Does This Happen To Anyone Else? (sounds -\> light) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2001, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836 "2001-07-26T07:36:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836/21 "2001-07-26T17:53:04Z")
From Astroboy’s link “An unexpected demographic and cognitive constellation co-occurs with synesthesia: **females and non-right-handers predominate, the trait is familial, and memory is superior while math and spatial navigation suffer**. Synesthesia appears to be a left-hemisphere function that is not cortical in the conventional sense. The hippocampus is critical for its experience. Five clinical features comprise its diagnosis. Synesthesia is “abnormal” only in being statistically rare. It is, in fact, a normal brain process that is prematurely displayed to consciousness in a minority of individuals.” Wow. So it’s not abnormal and other people have it happen too. Good. Intestingly enough, I am female, left-handed, have a poor sense of direction and can’t understand higher maths, but have memories as far back as 2 years of age 🙂 That’s so weird…I’m going to reach search this some more. Thanks for letting me know I have company! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2001, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836/22 "2001-07-26T19:14:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfkin477 \* > **"An unexpected demographic and cognitive constellation co-occurs with synesthesia: females and non-right-handers predominate, the trait is familial, and memory is superior while math and spatial navigation suffer. Synesthesia appears to be a left-hemisphere function that is not cortical in the conventional sense. The hippocampus is critical for its experience. Five clinical features comprise its diagnosis. Synesthesia is “abnormal” only in being statistically rare. It is, in fact, a normal brain process that is prematurely displayed to consciousness in a minority of individuals."** So let’s see…I’m male, left-handed, with a good memory and spatial navigation skills. Since I study math at the introductory graduate level, I guess I don’t fit that demographic either. So I’m an outlier among outliers. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836/23 "2001-07-26T19:19:48Z")
I’m buying all of you weirdos brand new tinfoil hats. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836/24 "2001-07-27T00:43:25Z")
I get that too when I’m trying to fall asleep. I’ve trained myself to not get too jolted by it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836/25 "2001-07-27T01:21:03Z")
There’s even a song about it, [_Synaesthesia_](http://www.bobs.com/Lyrics.cgi?Synaesthesia) by The Bobs. ---
**Author:** ![Mortish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/54ee81/32.png) [@Mortish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortish)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836/26 "2001-07-27T03:16:53Z")
Wow, I’m not the only one!!! This happens to me too, and with any noise, when I’ve got my eyes closed. It sometimes keeps me awake at night because I live in a noisy area and in the summer keeping the window shut is not an option. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-happen-to-anyone-else-sounds-light/73836.md?page=1)