Synaesthesia book:
Synaesthesia. A 'Golden Thread' through Life?
General
Alexandra Dittmar (Ed. and author)
Synaesthesia. A 'Golden Thread' through Life?
Essen, Verlag Die Blaue Eule. 294 pp.
Psychologie in der Blauen Eule, Vol. 11
ISBN: 978-3-89924-248-5
Price: Euro 32.-
Published: February 2009
Publisher:
Verlag Die Blaue Eule
Annastr. 74
45130 Essen
Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)201 / 877 6963
Telefax: +49 (0)201 / 877 6964
info@die-blaue-eule.de
http://www.die-blaue-eule.de/
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Contents
The theme of this book is synaesthesia - a different but naturally occurring form of perception in which sensations and perceptions are experienced in many different combined forms.
The book first provides an overview of the current state of knowledge relating to synaesthesia, from the diversity of synaesthetic experience to some of the many findings and theories yielded by synaesthesia research - a blossoming area of science - in recent years.
After an introduction to the subject of orientation the principal thesis of the book is outlined - that synaesthesia can be a form of orientation. The idea has wide-ranging implications: for example, it is possible that a good many children are being identified as having a "learning disability" when the real problem is that teaching strategies used in schools run counter to the synaesthesia of a synaesthetically gifted child.
There then follow 21 accounts, some of them illustrated, of synaesthetic experience combined with reflection on the question of whether synaesthesia can be used for orientation. The 21 authors come from five countries (USA, Great Britain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany) and almost all of them are synaesthetes.
Download of the Table of contents (pdf, 98 kb)
About the cover
The cover shows a sound synaesthesia of Regina Pautzke. It is a snapshot from a humming tone (below) with an overtone (above). More in the book on page 53.
One of several comments
"I think it is one of the best books (if not the best book) on the subject to date - the balance between theory and actual synaesthesic experience is perfect, this book needed to be written and you have done it - a big thank you! I certainly feel that this book is going to make a difference, and when it comes out in English will reach an even wider audience - I am recommending it to anyone I know that is interested in the subject, it really is superb." (Barbara Ryan)