You're All Fucked in the Head!

[Beestie]

This is a fascinating thread. I have some mild problems like what you describe but not anywhere near as severe. I have trouble reading text on paper - it flashes with little stobes making it very difficult to concentrate - it takes me quite a while to get through a page because I keep having to start over. I had horrible problems in school with any class that required reading but slept walked through all the math classes. Consequently, I work with numbers and code snippets - a perfect solution for me.

But one thing I like about it is that about 20% or so of the sensory stimulation I get from music comes in through my visual perception. Your 2nd grade story about "what you saw when you listened to the music" hit home in a big way. When I want a really cool rush, I listen to music through the headphones with all the lights off. The music becomes an abstract landscape with a beauty that is really indescribable.

And being vaguely aware of the synesthesic qualities of most hallucinogenic drugs, I have resisted the urge to try them out of fear that what is now a bit of an anomoly that I can live with and even make the most of might become an elephant in the living room.