Ela

I want to talk about synesthesia first. I'm a synesthetic. That's not an illness; it's more like a unique feature of my brain that "sorts" colors to people. I don't believe that it is people's aura I see, but every person "has" its own unique color or - most of the time – combinations of colors to them. It radiates from their bodies. I do not see that with my physical eyes; it's more like a feeling. When I think of the person, their colors arise in my mind as a somewhat spikey cloud. Effects like gold and silver shimmer may also be present, too.

The colors can be triggered by sight or sound; even hearing a person speak for the first time is enough to trigger the sensation.

I don't know whether the colors have a special meaning. I like all shades of blue and green the most, and red streaks are primarily found in vivacious people with outgoing personalities. Some colors almost never appear; for example, I have never seen a true brown or a really bright, sunny yellow, and pink only occurs in children. The person-color associations are different and unique for every person with this type of synesthesia.

Stolen novel; please report.

Once a person hits puberty, the colors mostly stay the same. I believe some illnesses cause colors to change or new colors to appear. What I see very clearly is pain, depression, and desperation. They hover as a grey cloud around the person and suffocate the spikey cloud.

Very few people I call "chameleons" in my mind. These people switch colors in milliseconds, e.g. from blue to pure red. I find it difficult to deal with these people, because I cannot get a clear "reading" of them and don't know how to interact with them.

Every person with this type of synesthesia experiences a unique person-color association. During times of stress, the colors tend to vanish. I can then forcibly call them to mind, but I see them most clearly and easily when relaxed.