For several months I let the chattering monkey brain (as they say in Zen circles) shut down for a while. It really did need some time off. Now, it is active once again. So let’s see what...

Synesthesia is cross-sensing in an artful way not usual to most people. A few examples might be seeing music as color; tasting food as geometric shapes; touching objects that might have a particular sound; or colors representing a day of the week or a number. Synesthetes are people so-gifted. They/We also can sense the regular way as well. Most times the experience is involuntary, generally starts in childhood, and is quite pleasant; it is possible for a small percentage of that population to experience sensory overload. There is even an American Synesthesia Association. Estimates vary from one in twenty-five to one in two thousand experiencing synesthesia. An interesting introduction to the subject is put forth by Marcia Smilac. A very thus-engaged person is Elizabeth Sulser from Zurich. Another charming video demonstration/explanation of the subject can be seen here. Doctor Richard Cytowic (neurologist) thinks that likely all people are hardwired for cross-sensing, the ability frequently runs in families, but can have a precipitating event later in life as I did.

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My own experience started when I was in my late 30s. I watched an Indian singer, Pandit Pran Nath at the Dia Art Foundation in NYC when it had space on Crosby Street in SOHO.

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Out of his mouth came the most glorious colored ribbons of sound. I had been meditating for decades, had many “alternative” experiences, but that was an absolutely stunning, delightful, brand-new event for me.

I just discovered that one of my favorite classical pianists, Hélène Grimaud, is a synesthete.

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I also discovered only the other day that my girlfriend, Nancy, also has synesthesia sensing. We have known each other for 20 years but never discussed it until now. I told her about Hélène Grimaud and my experience at Dia whereupon she told me that since she was a child she experiences days of the week as colors. It is all wonderful; that means, of course, filled with wonder.

I wish that everyone experienced synesthesia - it is a fundamentally exquisite sensation.

It is difficult to imagine our civilization without the Feynman (1918 - 1988) type mind teaching us to see beyond the current limits. Enjoy a taste of his joyful approach to investigating the very nature of things. Bravo Richard!

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Richard Feynman talks about light
The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out (Part 1-5)
Rules of Chess
Inertia and Fathers

One of my favorite creative thinkers, the mathematician Paul Erdős (1913 – 1996), can be experienced a bit in the following YouTube videos: Oops, due to copyright issues, YouTube took these videos down - Apologia, even though I didn’t upload them. You can however still buy the complete video here.

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N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (1 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (2 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (3 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (4 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (5 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (6 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (7 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (8 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (9 of 9)