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Author: Maureen Seaberg
ISBN:
978-1-60163-159-6
Publisher: Career Press, Inc. -- New Page
Books
A fascinating insight into Synesthesia (a condition
where one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as
when the hearing of a sound produces the visualisation of a colour).
Maureen Seaberg has been a synesthete all her life. Her
experience includes, seeing the letters of the alphabet in different
colours, having out of body experiences, and seeing colours in her
field of vision where there are none. She was 27 before she
found out she was a synesthete. This lack of information about
the subject, inspired Maureen Seaberg to want to find out as much as
she could about it and put a book together, not only to help others
but also to satisfy her own curiosity about this extraordinary trait
that she and many others live with on a daily basis. In this
book, Maureen Seaberg takes us on a journey, spiritual and
scientific, examining the current thoughts about Synesthesia, the
history of scientific study into the area, and spiritual ideas about
it. The author expresses her own views, talks to prominent figures in
the scientific world about their views, and also talks to other
synesthetes, including famous people, artists and writers, many of
whom believe that Synesthesia helps them in their work.
Before I
read this book, I knew a bit about the subject and was interested to
learn more about individual experiences with Synesthesia. I had
always thought of it as a condition, which maybe would affect the way
people live, but was surprised to learn that it appears to be
something that can enhance a person’s life, and indeed the author
sees it as a ‘gift’.
The idea behind putting the book together
is to educate people as to what Synesthesia is, and how synesthetes
view the world. The author puts forward her view that rather
than being a 'condition' caused by faulty wiring in the brain, as
some scientists believe, it may be in fact a form of extra
sensitivity which allows the synesthete to somehow tune into
something in a higher realm. The book explains how, in
meditation, synesthetic episodes are often recorded in
non-synesthetes, and some drugs can induce similar experiences.
It’s
an interesting topic, and the book contains some profound views by
synesthetes and scientists about the subject.
I enjoyed learning
about how each synesthete interviewed by the author had different
experiences of Synesthesia, and how varied and individualistic it
is.
I agree with the author that it can only help to have more
books, like this one, available for information about something which
appears to be much more common than was once thought. There are
various links to websites and resources included in the book for
people who may want to find out more.