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Annie and you are telling me that I could not feel my husband's pain when I believed I did.
Have you any idea how hurtful it is, to just dismiss my feelings like that?
Carry on. I will not be reading this thread any more.

I am understanding from cursory readings of Annie's posts that she is as yet unconvinced that synesthesia exists, at least in a way she understands. She's allowed to express that lack of conviction. Her views are not less valuable than anyone else's even if one thinks they are tosh. Likewise yours, GG, and Jen's. But you are expressing opinions about Annie and me, not about our views.

If anyone knows how to use a spoon......

Which attitude, GG? and why is it an attitude to Jen? Apart from her most recent post, to which I have shown no disrespect, I haven't read any others of hers on this thread.

Your reprimand up thread made me realise I should have looked at some links before joining in. I did that and my position, such as it is since then, which is open-minded and interested, isn't disrespectful to anyone. The fact that I personally can't whip up an experiment to discover more or to prove anything about synesthesia is irrlevevant. I personally have nothing to prove.

Can you please stop dismissing what I say, Anniebach. You know nothing.

Wrong again GG, tut tut, you love that spoon don't you.

I believe Jen suffered when her husband suffered, felt his pain? No because it was his and pain cannot be shared

You were obviously never in a position to whip up a quick but comprehensive experiment to prove your point. Your attitude to Jen showed an incredible lack of respect, Baggs.

You are now so very interested in the research others have tracked down for you but you had absolutely nothing to base your opinion on when you not only offered it but thought it was a reasonable to state out of hand that your opinion was more 'truthful' than someone else's experience.

I still think you should apologise. Both you and AB were happy when you thought you could tell Jen she could not feel what she said she felt on the open forum, surely you should be big enough to appreciate just how inappropriate that was.

I cannot imagine you ever holding your breath GG

Yes, I get seeing pain with all its indignities. That's why I felt relief as well as grief when my dad died. Relief for him.

I think Wilma has answered your question about how, GG. I should think that designing good experiments for researching synesthesia would be quite hard but I'm sure people will come up with good ideas, along with a lot of duff ones no doubt.

trisher I've done it again - maybe we're long lost twins!

I think the main point about the scientific aspect is that a link has been found, but more research is needed to understand what is actually happening in the brain. Actually, later I did find a study that found no link, but there does seem to be some interest in connection with Autism. The first link was only noticed by chance in 2003, so it's very early days.

Personally I don't agree with dismissing anyone's feelings (can you see my halo? ) and would rather say nothing, keeping my opinions to myself. After all, anyone who swore the world was flat would feel foolish now.

It wasn't questioning in that sense Bags - how could you have tested it as you suggest. It was just a refusal to respect what someone else had claimed based on a preconceived opinion.

AB's comments were originally also based on her prejudice against Corbyn He said it and therefore it has to be rubbished - and look at what that has led to.

If, of course, you can get funding for your research I am sure we will all be interested to see it but I still think Jen deserves an apology.

I never said to my husband, "I feel your pain". I wouldn't have done. I still maintain I saw his pain and felt his pain every day.
As others have said, if someone can say they believe in someone they cannot prove exists, I can say I felt my husband's pain. Nobody can prove otherwise.

To question certainly, so I might ask can you tell me more? Or explain more about this to me. To totally deny it is possible, well no. Effectively being a flat earther and refusing to look at the evidence. Which certainly isn't the basis of good science.

BTW, I don't think the common expression "I feel your pain" means that anyone saying it is a synesthete. It's just a figure of speech to express sympathy.

I think it's okay to question anything. By question there I mean test or attempt to measure scientifically. That doesn't mean you're calling anyone a liar. It means you're trying to understand how the phenomenon works, why it works for some people and not others, and whether it might have interesting or useful applications.

If such investigation (voluntary for synesthetes of course) is not allowed, then you can't be surprised if people keep on expressing scepticism. Scepticism, about everything, is the foundation of good science.

I would also say that you owe Jen an apology but as no pigs have flown over today I shan't hold my breath.

As you like to refer to literature let me offer you a quote:

There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Realy? No one has the right to question a claimed experience is true?

As you are basically calling the person a liar when you do so and you have no way of substantiating you are right and they are wrong - I would say not Annie.

So if I say you don't believe in God does that make it true Annie? Of course not! Any more than you saying it is impossible for someone to share another person's pain is true. QED

Expects you not to question belief in God? Pathetic, ask anyone who believes in God expects not to be questioned on their belief, good grief it happens on this forum more often than rain in Wales

As it is something that is possible and an experience that it has been proved some people have then no you haven't. Well you may question it but your opinion has no validity unless you can actually prove it. (and you can't)
Interesting that someone who says she believes in God expects us not to question this, simply because she says so, but then is unwilling to even give others the benefit of the doubt, when they make a statement that's been proved to be true for some people.

Realy? No one has the right to question a claimed experience is true?

No, but it neither does it give you the right to question someone else's experiences.

Ah, yes, synesthesia. I had heard of that. The study referred to in two of the links is from 2009 and mentions a "significant minority" which doesn't mean very much. There is also the degree of synesthesia to be measured and large samples to be looked at for many more studies. I'm going to look for some.

I don't think the research invalidates what ab and I have been saying about ourselves.

So when I saw the the tower on fire and felt sick, I wasn't realy feeling sick I was feeling their pain? No way sorry