The Space Between

An author with a neurological blending of the senses explains what the world looks, sounds and feels like to someone with synesthesia.

Imagine a color that does not exist. Now, if you were to close your eyes and see that color, how might you describe it to people around you? Perhaps this is a little taste of what life is like for New York City author Maureen Seaberg. Seaberg has a neurological condition (she prefers the word “trait”) that affects just one in two thousand people. Known as synesthesia, it is characterized by a naturally occurring blending of the senses. For her, and many other synesthetes, the world is not comprised of clearly defined spectrums, but rather a fusion of overlapping sensory impressions.