'Explores a dimension of synesthesia long encountered in reports of synesthetes: its relation to mystical and artistic vision . . . fascinating accounts.' - Patricia Lynne Duffy, author ofBlue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens
A violinist sees a scarlet form when he plays a certain note; a rock star sees waves of blue and green as he composes a ballad; an actress tastes cake when she utters the word 'table'. Described by some as a superpowerthis mingling of the senses is called 'synesthesia', and the people who possess this amazing gift are called 'synesthetes'.
What happens when a journalist turns her lens on a mystery happening in her own life? Maureen Seaberg did just that and lived for a year exploring her synesthesia. The wondrous brain trait is often described as blended senses, but for Maureen, synesthesia is not an idle 'brain tick' that can be explained away by science (although it does offer some important clues). It is a uniqueability to tap into and reveal a greater creative universe and even the divine.
Join her as she visits top neuroscientists, rock stars, violinists, other synesthetes, philosophers, savants, quantum physicists, and even Tibetan lamas in her journey toward the truth.Famous synesthetesand experts interviewed in the book include:Billy Joel, Itzhak Perlman, Pharrell Williams, Dr. Dean Radin, Dr. Amit Goswami, and Dylan Lauren.
This edition replaced the previous edition titledTasting the Universe (9781601631596).
About the Author :
Maureen Seaberg's column inPsychology Todaywas the first to report on the groundbreaking developments surrounding our senses. A contributor to theNew York Times,National Geographic,Huffington Post, ESPN The Magazine, Vogue, and many other outlets, she has appeared on CNN, NPR, Oprah Radio, MSNBC, and PBS. An avid birder and photographer, she is herself a sensory outlier as a proven tetrachromat or super colour seer and synesthete. She lives in New York City.
Review :
“The Synesthesia Experience is not only the brilliant writing of a top, professional journalist looking in on a strange but romantic phenomena, but it is the writing of a person who could embrace the feelings of those she interviews, because author Seaberg herself possesses this remarkable gift of synesthesia. I predict when you pick up this book, you will be unable to put it down, as it will open up for you a whole new world in our universe.”
—The Amazing Kreskin
“As Maureen Seaberg beautifully tells us, the conscious minds of synesthetes reach deeper levels of reality, beneath the veil, beyond the cave, to purer realms of meaning.”
—Dr. Stuart Hameroff, director, Center for Consciousness Studies, The University of Arizona, Tucson
“Maureen Seaberg explores a dimension of synesthesia long encountered in reports of synesthetes: its relation to mystical and artistic vision. In The Synesthesia Experience, Ms. Seaberg, a synesthete herself, has collected some fascinating accounts by some very prominent and inspiring people.”
—Patricia Lynne Duffy, author of Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens
“Maureen Seaberg goes beyond theory and abstraction to delve into the real-life experience of the (surprisingly) many whose senses have revealed themselves in ways to which the rest of us are oblivious. She helps liberate people to explore their own senses and discover the colors of sound, the sounds of color, and so much more. This is an exploration of the mysteries of the senses like no other.”
—James Clement van Pelt, program coordinator, Yale Divinity School Initiative in Religion, Science & Technology
“Synesthetes, particularly prominent ones, don’t often share their perceptions and thoughts. By eliciting personal stories from famous synesthetic artists and scientists, Maureen Seaberg makes us aware of how people use synesthesia in their professional lives. Through these charming tales she gives us new insights into the creative powers of synesthetic ways of perceiving and thinking.”
—Dr. Cretien van Campen, psychologist and art historian, author of The Hidden Sense
“Synesthesia is no mere curiosity, but an important window onto human perception and creativity. This book’s first-person contributions by figures such as Itzhak Perlman, Billy Joel, and Marian McPartland round out synesthesia’s history and its place in the larger culture. Hand in hand with straightforward scientific accounts, these personal revelations speak to the meaning of the experience—for the individual, surely, but for the collective rest of us as well.”
—Richard E. Cytowic, MD, George Washington University, author of Wednesday Is Indigo Blue
“The universe and all of existence is derived from quantum waves of possibilities. According to the research, those people who experience unusual manifestations of these possibilities in the form of the sound and light of synesthesia appear to be privileged by seeing more deeply into Creation than the rest of us.”
—Dr. Amit Goswami, quantum physicist, author of The Self-Aware Universe
“If Husserl is right—that all perception is a gamble—then synesthete Ms. Seaberg is one of those gamblers who sits at the table with no one expecting her potency . . . then reveals herself as an artful, Zen monk with the entire Tao in her hand!”
—Vanda Mikoloski, noted consciousness comedienne
