With the release of Edgar's latest birthday letter, I want to touch on the topic of synesthesia, and why he's a great representation of synesthetes.
I’m gonna use a translator here because English is not my native. Hope this is gonna be readable!
First, Let's take the definition from Wikipedia: Synesthesia (from Greek συναίσθηση < σύν “together” + αἴσθησις “sensation”) or Szereszewski syndrome is a neurological phenomenon in which a stimulus in one sensory or cognitive system leads to an automatic, involuntary response in another sensory system. A person who undergoes such an experience is a synesthete.
Another definition of synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which irritation of one sensory organ (due to irradiation of excitation from the nerve structures of one sensory system to another) along with sensations specific to it causes sensations corresponding to another sensory organ. It should be taken into account that synesthesia is not a mental disorder.
Further on I will try to explain how it works by my own example.
His words about his mother leaving behind the “green” means that he felt her illness, and knew that she was aware of it herself, which caused her to experience a spectrum of negative emotions. I stand in solidarity with this, as I too see the illness, or rather its effects, as a certain shade of green. He didn't literally see it, of course, but he felt it by thinking of her and seeing her.
Next, the sister he saw as "white". Yes, she died for the same reason as her mother, but without realizing the full horror of her situation. She died in her sleep without experiencing anything, and so the “color” in this case the sister gave Edgar no “color” either, white is everything and nothing, humility, tranquility, emptiness within the one in whom it exists. This “color” in a person is the absolute of neutrality, serenity.
Let's move on to the team. The one Edgar fell into already on the manor.
Edgar described Vera as “lilac.” It's a “color” that I personally see in people as a sign of deep insecurity. Depending on its brightness or grayness, it's hard for me to tell what exactly he saw in her, but this “color” has nothing to do with her clothing colors. Faith is a deeply inhibited and insecure person, nervous, jealous, and these qualities are reflected in her as “lilac” - she suppresses that insecurity, but the “color” doesn't go away, nor does her paranoia of being exposed as a bad person.
Edgar saw Jose as an indigo. In general, "blue" in a person is a symbol of rationality, intelligence, and depending on the shade, this color conveys either a good quality or a bad one. Indigo is a bright blue with a dash of purple. "Purple" in other person for me is also the “color” of disease, but if say "olive green" is a disease itself, closer to physical, then "purple" is a disease of the mind, obsession, mania, and so on. So "indigo" here is calculating, backed by fear and inner bitterness. Jose was on his way to his goal, and he didn't care much about his surroundings. By the way, I also had avoided people with this “color” if I saw a lot of it in a person.
Patricia's “colors” he could not grasp. He admired the atmosphere she created with her ritual and called it the “elusive shade” he had been trying to catch for so long, and it didn't matter that she was interesting to him as a person or that she appealed to him outwardly.
My experience of the past years tells me that he was looking for a person of a certain “color”, believing that this “color” would complement him, save him, give him inspiration, because when I was his age, I was also looking for a person of red/orange “color”, as it seemed to me that such person would protect and support me, give me the love I needed, become a complement. Red in my interpretation is a fierce desire to live. Orange is a reasonable approach to friendship, selectivity, perhaps Edgar has the same associations.
Back to Patricia. I would venture to guess that Edgar felt that she had a lot of established dark deep “colors” and shades, as well as the presence of gold. Dark shades are established qualities that were previously either bright or faded, but have been with a person for a certain number of years and have matured, grown with them. Hence, Edgar wished to find steady “colors,” steady feelings, believing that this would complete himself by painting over his emptiness. Gold, on the other hand, along with the darker colors, signifies ambition and faith. Patricia lived by her own laws and rules, served who she believed in, respected her culture, and so this color manifested itself as a kind of patronage. People with gold in the aura are felt as protectors, guides, those who know the right path and are able to help find it. Together, all these “colors” make Patricia feel that she is a strong, mysterious person in whom the answers to all questions may lie.
But, contrary to the beautiful description of all these colors, Edgar, like me earlier, did not care about people of the right “colors” as individuals. What we needed was the very “color” of their souls, because we believed that we were incomplete without them, that we lacked those qualities. Edgar lived a lie among hypocrites, I lived alone without people close to me, and this search could not end in something positive, because it was devoid of rationality. But if in my case, I gave up, Edgar went all the way. He is a broken man whom I can only sympathize with. Unfortunately, there was no one around him who could understand him and try to change his mind.
Synesthetes go deeper into their perceptions when their synesthesia is heightened. The hopelessness of the external forces one to seek help in the internal, and it doesn't matter who. I was pleasantly surprised to find a character with a similar perception to mine in the game, which also manifests itself almost exactly like mine.
I'm kinda nervous cause it quite a personal thing for me to talk about, but with my friends' support, I've decided to make this post! ＠＾▽＾＠
jacobvanloon
prguitarman
kaledo-art
kianamaiart
jbbartram-illu
ellievsbear
yousharknotpass
