Secret Decoder Ring

Secret decoder rings were used to find hidden messages in TV programs or on cereal boxes. Interestingly, none of them were actually rings that go on your finger, but instead resembled little badges. Many came as prizes in children’s cereals or other products like Ovaltine or Cracker-Jacks. But what does this have to do with vision? Well, think about synethetes. When they see or hear or taste something, it elicits another sense, which in turn allows them to perceive something that the rest of us don’t

It is as if the synethetes have a secret decoder ring embedded in their brain.  Consider the woman who saw orange when she felt pain.  Her decoder ring allowed her to identify which tooth needed the root canal, while most people wouldn’t have been able to single out a sore tooth.

Others can use this ability in other ways.  Lets say every vowel shows up as yellow for a certain synethete.  Given a group of random letters, he or she might be able to identify where the vowels are before a normal person.  It would be like having a magic highlighter.

Unfortunately, unlike a decoder ring or 3D glasses, synethetes can’t just stop using their special abilities.  And although most would say that it makes their world more enjoyable, I am not sure I could handle it.  I guess our senses are able to pick up on a lot more sensitive things than we are really able to perceive, like the sore tooth.  The synethetes might be able to use their senses better in some ways by picking up on things that normal people can’t, but I would guess that they also get distracted very easily by things that would normally not cause a distraction.  Therefore, I would say that although there are benefits of being a synethete, but I am satisfied with sticking to the decoder rings which I can use only when I want to.