I was just scanning your bulletin board looking for ideas on a unit I'm planning on the brain (H.S. teacher) and the messages I
read made me think that maybe you can answer a question I've had for a long time. Ever since I can remember I have seen
numbers in color -- VIVID color. The individual digits each have a definite color: 1 = white, 2 = yellow, etc.... It took me years
to discover that not everyone sees this -- In 3rd or 4th grade I pointed out to someone that one of our math problems matched
the colors of my plaid skirt. She thought I was nuts. My family thinks I'm nuts, though recently when trying to describe the
sensation to my mother she said, "Oh, you mean like 7 is green??"" Of course, she's right. Seven IS green. (Maybe I get this
from her?)
While the associations are usually handy (makes it easy to remember phone numbers, etc...) I notice it most when it
interferes with my learning -- for example, in electronics, red leads are positive and black are negative although the WORD
"positive" is definitely black. I constantly misidentify the leads although I deal with them often. (Yes, I associate letters with
color, too, but not as strongly.)
My question to you experts: Is this something I learned (maybe in kindergarten from a colorful number/alphabet
display) or is this "hardwired"? Is there any cure for my electrical lead problem??? Will I ever stop replacing digits with colors
when giving numbers over the phone?
Thanks for any info,
Slightly synesthetic in Pittsburgh -- Ruth McBurney
Steel Center AVTS
Pittsburgh, Pa.
