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We experience the outside world via our senses. The most familiar senses are of sight, sound, smell, touch & taste, but lesser known senses include proprioception (feeling our body in space), vestibular balance etc. Across the population, our individual perception of the sensory world is remarkably diverse. Hidden amongst the general population are many groups who experience the sensory world in unique and unexpected ways. For example, some people have the sensory blurring of synaesthesia (they 'taste' sounds, or 'see' music). Others with aphantasia, struggle to represent the visual world in their mind (they have a 'blind mind's eye') Others still experience sensory aversions, like misophonia (an intense hatred of chewing or crunching) while others have sensory preferences like ASMR, i.e., pleasurable tingles to certain audio-visual experiences like whispering. In her talk, Dr Louisa will describe the sensory diversity of unusual groups, and show how their differences inform us about the human mind and brain.

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About the speaker

Dr Louisa Rinaldi is a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in sensory differences, with a focus on two main sensory conditions; the first, misophonia, is a sound sensitivity triggered by a specific class of sounds (e.g., eating sounds); the second is synaesthesia, a neurodevelopmental condition causing a type of merging of the senses (e.g., hearing musical notes invokes involuntary experiences of colour). She is particularly interested in sensory perception and how it relates to development across the life-span, in the domains of wellbeing, mental health, academic performance, cognition, and personality. Her research has been funded by the European Research Council, the Misophonia Research Fund, and the Harrods Creek Donor Advised Fund. Her work has been disseminated widely in both peer-reviewed science articles as well as in media reports, and she is committed to contributing to the public understanding of science and to helping people with misophonia, synaesthesia, and other types of sensory sensitivities better understand their experiences.

About ßÏßÏÊÓƵ Universe

ßÏßÏÊÓƵ Universe is the public lecture series from the science schools at the Sussex. Lectures take place every two weeks during the Autumn and Spring teaching semesters. The lectures are completely free to attend and are accessible to a broad audience with no background knowledge.

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By: Graciela Maria Madrid Munoz
Last updated: Monday, 20 January 2025