Synesthesia is several times more frequent in musicians than in nonmusicians

A new study found that synesthesia is several times more prevalent in musicians than in non-musicians. For example, synesthesia linking sound and color was present in between 0.3% and 1.3% of non-musicians, but in between 1.3% and 7.3% of musicians. The paper was published in Perception.

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive system automatically triggers an additional, involuntary experience in another. People with synesthesia might see colors when they hear sounds, taste flavors when they read words, or associate numbers with specific spatial locations. These experiences are consistent over time, meaning the same stimulus always produces the same secondary sensation.

Synesthesia is not considered a disorder because it typically causes no impairment and can even enhance memory or creativity. It appears to run in families, suggesting a genetic component. Brain-imaging research shows increased cross-activation or connectivity between sensory regions in synesthetes.

Different types of synesthesia exist, such as grapheme–color, chromesthesia, lexical–gustatory, and spatial-sequence forms. Most synesthetes are aware that their perceptions differ from others but still experience them as automatic and vivid. The condition often emerges in early childhood and remains stable throughout life.

Study author Linden Williamson and her colleagues wanted to examine the prevalence of synesthesia in musicians and non-musicians. Musicians were defined as individuals working in the music industry or earning money from music. These authors hypothesized that synesthesia would be more prevalent in musicians than in non-musicians. They expected this to be particularly the case with sound-color synesthesia—the type of synesthesia where a person experiences a color when hearing a sound.

Study participants were 1,003 individuals recruited from music organizations, Texas Lutheran University, and through Prolific. The music organizations through which participants were recruited were Sonic Guild (formerly Black Fret, www.sonicguild.org/) and Orb (https://www.orbrecordingstudios.com/). The study authors note that these organizations represent leading artists in the Austin (Texas) region.

Participants completed a brief survey run on Qualtrics which asked about hobbies, work in creative industries, and types of synesthesia. Participants who reported experiencing synesthesia were redirected to another website where they took up to three tests to validate different forms of synesthesia (grapheme-color, sound-color, and sequence-space synesthesia) to confirm that these individuals genuinely experienced the condition.

Overall, 395 participants were musicians. The average age of participating musicians was 36 years, while the average age of non-musicians was 40 years. There were 168 men in the musician group, compared to 241 men in the non-musician group.

Seventy-two participants passed one or more tests of synesthesia (meaning that they were considered synesthetes). These individuals did not differ in age or gender from those not experiencing synesthesia. Synesthesia was several times more frequent among musicians than among non-musicians. Compared to non-musicians, musicians had 4.2 times higher odds of experiencing sound-color synesthesia, 7.7 times higher odds of experiencing grapheme-color synesthesia, and 3.6 times higher odds of experiencing sequence-space synesthesia.

Grapheme–color synesthesia is a form of synesthesia in which letters or numbers automatically evoke specific color experiences. Sequence–space synesthesia is a type of synesthesia in which ordered sequences—such as numbers, days, or months—are experienced as having specific spatial locations or arrangements around the person.

Overall, musicians had 4.4 times higher odds of experiencing synesthesia compared to non-musicians. Depending on the threshold applied, sound-color synesthesia was present in between 0.3% and 1.3% of non-musicians, but in between 1.3% and 7.3% of musicians.

“In conclusion, we provide convincing evidence that synesthesia, in various forms, is more prevalent amongst musicians,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of synesthesia. However, individuals were initially considered as potential synesthetes only if they self-reported such experiences. This may have excluded individuals who were synesthetes but did not recognize such experiences as synesthesia.

The paper, “Increased prevalence of synaesthesia in musicians,” was authored by Linden Williamson, Scott Bailey, and Jamie Ward.