Definition of ChromesthesiaChromesthesia: A type of synesthesia in which which a nonvisual stimulus causes the individual to perceive color. Color hearing is a form of chromesthesia. In color hearing a musical tone elicits a color. One well-studied case involved an art teacher who had a range of consistent linkages between tone and color. For her, high octaves tended to evoke a lighter color value, while lower octaves evoked a darker color value. And rapid major chord tone sequences elicited rapid flashes of colors, "somewhat like fireworks exploding." Ref.: Haack, P. A., & Radocy, R. E. (1981). A case study of a chromesthetic. Journal of Research in Music Education, 29, 85-90. Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012
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