Colored Numbers and Foot Fetishes

As scientists map the brain to figure out what areas are used for different functions, they have learned that sometimes, messages sent to one part of the brain stimulate adjacent areas as well.

The current favorite example is called ‘synesthesia.' This mingling of the senses was first described by Francis Galton (Charles Darwin's cousin). This abnormal experience occurs in about one out of two hundred people. When synesthiacs hear or see a specific number, they also experience it a color. Seven might be red, for instance or five might be yellow. Tests have been devised that measure and verify this ability. Turns out, the areas for processing numbers and colors are right next to each other in the brain. Unlike normal brains, signals to one area leak into the other.*

Likewise parts of your body answer to different parts of the brain. A specific part of your brain responds to the fingers on your left hand, for instance. The resulting brain map is called an ‘homunculus' which mean ‘little man' although it doesn't form a tidy little man shape. For instance the area for hand is adjacent to the area for the face. The area of the brain used for senses in the foot is next to the area for the genitals.

Experiments with amputees ‘phantom limb' phenomena led well-respected scientists to consider that foot fetishes might well be caused by brain signals that are misdirected or misinterpreted.

Cross wiring of the brain can be caused by genetic anomalies. This is especially indicated in people who associate color as an integral part of a number, for instance. Cross wiring of the brain also occurs after a brain injury when one part of the brain tries to take over the function of another part. The third explanation of crossed-wire function may be that if one part of the body is missing, the brain tries to compensate for missing sensory input.

*For detailed descriptions of these phenomena and related experiments, please read "A Brief Tour of the Human Consciousness" by V.S. Ramachandran.