Seemingly straight out of an X-men movie, the incredible findings presented by scientists suggest that some people can actually hear faint sounds while observing certain light flashes or rapid movements, even though we may not be aware of it.
“A lot of us go around having senses that we do not even recognize,” said study leader and cognitive neuroscientist Elliot Freeman from City University, London.
The research study took place by showing a group of volunteers pairs of visual or auditory patterns, and seeing if they could identify the same sequences in both. Approximately 22% reported hearing sounds while viewing the flashes of light.
“These internal sounds seem to be perceptually real enough to interfere with the detection of externally-generated sounds,” said Freeman. “The finding that this ‘hearing-motion’ phenomenon seems to be much more prevalent compared to other synaesthesias might occur due to the strength of the natural connection between sound and vision.”
Another typical form of synaesthesia which only occurs in 2-4% of the population cross wires the persons senses in a way that the individual may experience a particular place or name as the taste of apples. Sounds wacky.
