Progress on research

 The Importance of Research:

This week, I've taken a break from writing, and planning for special effects and have gone back to my research. I want to make sure that my writing, while science fiction, is still grounded in fact. The "science" of the science fiction, in other words. This week, my research has focused on finding out what the latest research on synaesthesia is.

While I've covered synesthesia in the past, I need to consider specifics. One such specific is what type of synaesthesia my main character has; and how what theoretical developments in synaesthesia add plausibility to my story. Quick note: People who have synesthesia are known as synaesthetes.

My research indicate that there are two basic kinds of synaesthetes: Projector Synesthesia (colors are replaced and seem to be projected onto a trigger object); and Associative Synesthesia (seeing a trigger will cause an association with a particular color, the color is in "the minds eye").

Synaesthete's are born with their ability. Researchers think that synesthetic ability is either developmental or genetic. However, the expression of synesthesia is automatic and does not appear to change over a synaesthete's lifetime; for example, an association of classical music with the color red will automatically occur even if the synaesthete does not want to think of the color.

How it plays out:

In my film, the sound-shadows goggles that the main character has will often have trouble translating colors and as such he will experience a form of artificial Projector Synesthesia. This will be important to the story in that his emotional state will have an effect on how he sees the world; thus the inner world is revealed in the internal emotions of the character.

This is known as the pathetic fallacy, that the environment responds to what a character is feeling. While I recognize that in general this would be a logical fallacy, in the way that I am expressing this element it will communicate that the main character knows that this is artificial; he is able to see how he is feeling when colors change, instead of being a background element, the character is aware of the change in environment.

The inability to "turn off" synesthesia is frustrating for the main character in my story. His synesthesia occurs to resonant interference with his goggles; as long as he is somewhere where a resonant sound system is in operation his vision will be blurred.

Putting it together:

Overall, I am still considering how synesthesia will be integrated into the story. I know that my story deals with an artificial form of synesthesia, but I still like my science fiction to be based on science.


Here's a video explanation of Synesthesia that I found:


Here is a link to a Discovery Chanel video about Synesthesia.