Conceptualizing Neurological and Cultural Explanations of Synesthesia :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Tangled Wires: Conceptualizing Neurological and Cultural Explanations of Synesthesia Synesthesia - a mixing or combination of senses - is a concept relatively familiar in the Western world. History is littered with descriptions of people tasting words and seeing sounds; the folklore of creative and expressive arts, in particular, filled with stories of famous "synesthetes." Russian author Vladimir Nabokov, German painter Wassily Kandinsky, American artist David Hockney, and Russian composer Alexander Scriabin have all been labeled as such, and books on the topic were published as early as 1890 . Though at that time interest in synesthesia was mainly from those involved in humanities disciplines, it was clear that synesthesia was an unusual form of perception, which opened the door for the phenomenon to be studied by neuroscientists. As these scientists gained the intellectual apparatus (more complex theories of the human nervous system, for example) to approach these issues of perception, synesthesia again became a topic of interest in the 1980's and '90's. Historica l reasons for this are perhaps due to the increased availability and interest in technology during the Cold War and Americans' resulting faith in expertise of science. Also, the discovery of LSD and trend of recreational hallucinogen use in the 1960's and '70's could have influenced this interest, as hallucinogens (particularly LSD) are known to induce synesthesia. Though this historical background may not seem important to a neurobiological paper, I wish to in part use this paper to show links between culture and scientific "objectivity." The controversy surrounding current theories of synesthesia is most certainly culturally informed, and scientists working in this area are as likely to cite philosophers as they are scientific research . This intellectual debate surrounding synesthesia, which is both philosophical and scientific, can also inform our class discussion of the notion that "brain equals behavior." Cytowic, who is one of the foremost writers on the topic of synesthesia posits a complex mÃ… ½lange of scientific and epistemological points to analyze the phenomenon. An explanation of his work is crucial to getting inside the synesthesia debate. Instead of viewing synesthesia as a neurobiological concern, Cytowic explains how multidisciplinary work will provide insight into "consciousness, the nature of reality, and the relationship between reason and emotion" (1). He aims to look not only at experimental data but at a broad overview of the scientific concept of the brain in order to answer the synesthesia question. His work is circumscribed by historical and philosophical frameworks as are mentioned above. Conceptualizing Neurological and Cultural Explanations of Synesthesia :: Biology Essays Research Papers Tangled Wires: Conceptualizing Neurological and Cultural Explanations of Synesthesia Synesthesia - a mixing or combination of senses - is a concept relatively familiar in the Western world. History is littered with descriptions of people tasting words and seeing sounds; the folklore of creative and expressive arts, in particular, filled with stories of famous "synesthetes." Russian author Vladimir Nabokov, German painter Wassily Kandinsky, American artist David Hockney, and Russian composer Alexander Scriabin have all been labeled as such, and books on the topic were published as early as 1890 . Though at that time interest in synesthesia was mainly from those involved in humanities disciplines, it was clear that synesthesia was an unusual form of perception, which opened the door for the phenomenon to be studied by neuroscientists. As these scientists gained the intellectual apparatus (more complex theories of the human nervous system, for example) to approach these issues of perception, synesthesia again became a topic of interest in the 1980's and '90's. Historica l reasons for this are perhaps due to the increased availability and interest in technology during the Cold War and Americans' resulting faith in expertise of science. Also, the discovery of LSD and trend of recreational hallucinogen use in the 1960's and '70's could have influenced this interest, as hallucinogens (particularly LSD) are known to induce synesthesia. Though this historical background may not seem important to a neurobiological paper, I wish to in part use this paper to show links between culture and scientific "objectivity." The controversy surrounding current theories of synesthesia is most certainly culturally informed, and scientists working in this area are as likely to cite philosophers as they are scientific research . This intellectual debate surrounding synesthesia, which is both philosophical and scientific, can also inform our class discussion of the notion that "brain equals behavior." Cytowic, who is one of the foremost writers on the topic of synesthesia posits a complex mÃ… ½lange of scientific and epistemological points to analyze the phenomenon. An explanation of his work is crucial to getting inside the synesthesia debate. Instead of viewing synesthesia as a neurobiological concern, Cytowic explains how multidisciplinary work will provide insight into "consciousness, the nature of reality, and the relationship between reason and emotion" (1). He aims to look not only at experimental data but at a broad overview of the scientific concept of the brain in order to answer the synesthesia question. His work is circumscribed by historical and philosophical frameworks as are mentioned above.