Seeing music

Post Reply New Topic

I have discovered that I perceive music differently from most people. I can see patterns that resemble lines or shapes sometimes when I listen to music. Sometimes I see zigzags, hill- like curves, spirals, or loops. I have also seen long lines that correspond with the length of a note. When I hear very high notes, I can see blue that looks like the sky. These are more likely to happen if the music is complex, instrumental, or in a different language (this does not happen if I am paying attention to the words or am doing something else.) Does anyone else perceive music similarly?

No,but it seems interesting.
When did you first realize that you think this way?

This is a common phenomenon and I forget the name but it basically means you preserve input with 2 different senses. Like seeing music, smelling words, tasting pictures.

I can hear movement.

synesthesia

I don't know how common it is, however.

Have you ever tried to guess what another synesthete was drawing?

I see music all the time, I see colored lights that flow, kind of a pressure or sharpness in my head, and different shapes and colors, it depends what I'm listening to.

Synaesthesia / synesthesia, both spellings are valid.
It's something normal during early childhood, it's supposed to disappear with brain maturation as a lot of synapses are destroyed. As much as 4% of the population might have some kind of common synesthesia such as grapheme-colour synesthesia, if my memory is good. There are more intense and sometimes disabling types of synesthesia which are much rarer and often associated with autism or other neurological disorders. It depends on the degree. But anyway, synesthesia is positively correlated with autism. It's either congenital and might be a neurological disorder symptom, or acquired after use of psychedelic drugs (LSD and mushrooms are known for triggering temporary or sometimes even permanent synesthesia).

Yup, I think I am one of those guys.

Sometimes a percieve timbre by colour, and I have absolute hearing which helps.

I can see sounds/music as waves, light, and patterns when I close my eyes. I can also sort of see the energy vibrations of various things around me, especially when there's sunlight shining rainbow crystal specks on things.

This is relatively common in people that work with music, especially musical therapists.

I myself, being a trained musician, will see the music scrolling by as a score, when i'm zoned out, which allows me to learn to reproduce the piece playing myself.
The calaidoscope effect as described by the OP is a rare occurance for me, but it does happen, at times