Having synaesthesia is a lot like being a twin
Identical twins Helen Besgrove, a marketing executive, and Kirsty Neal, a GP, share their different experiences perceiving the world
TL;DR
- Identical twins Helen Besgrove and Kirsty Neal have synaesthesia, experiencing senses like sound, taste, and emotion with visual colors and textures.
- Their synesthetic perceptions are individual; for example, they associate different colors and textures with the same wine or personality.
- They discovered the term 'synaesthesia' at 19 and participated in research led by cognitive neuroscientist Anina Rich.
- Synaesthesia has aided Kirsty in her medical career by enhancing her memory and allowing her to visualize patient symptoms.
- Helen's synaesthesia assisted her in excelling at blind coffee taste tests due to heightened sensory stimuli.
- Challenges with synaesthesia include confusion with names that share the same color association and difficulty with directional concepts (left/right).
- The twins view synaesthesia as a normal part of their lives, not necessarily an advantage or disadvantage.