What color is the letter 'M'? I don't mean what color is it on the screen. I mean what color is the ideal, proto, conceptual letter 'M'? How about the number 7? What does a musical fifth taste like? I remember as a child, when I was memorizing the alphabet, that certain letters early in the alphabet were bright and colorful and full of daylight. I, J and K were like trees in a jungle. As I got past the middle of the alphabet the letters had more of a nighttime feeling; some blue, some black, some with stars. Saying the alphabet aloud told a sort of visual story that helped me to remember. By the time I got out to X, Y and Z, we were in outer space. I didn't feel like I made up this visual story, it was just something I observed. I can't remember the details now, just the impression... I guess I grew out of it. I suppose that is the closest I'll ever come to experiencing synesthesia, a condition that connects senses like color and taste to letters, numbers or sounds. It is a cross-sensory connection in the brain of synesthete. It seems really interesting to me, but also a bit difficult and confusing. I imagine when letters are colored differently than their inherent, synesthetic color, it must feel much the way that the Stroop Effect feels to the rest of us.
Take a look at these videos and tell me what colors you see.
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