Coloring Consciousness: A Journey into the Nature of Reality | Dr. Olympia Colizoli

What if the letter A were bright red, or Wednesday tasted like cinnamon? This condition, called synesthesia, offers a surprising window into how the brain shapes what we see, hear, and feel. In this talk, Dr Olympia Colizolu will invite you to explore what synesthesia reveals about one of the most fascinating questions in both neuroscience and philosophy: Do we all experience the same world? She will share her own path—from starting as a philosopher asking abstract questions about consciousness to becoming a neuroscientist studying the brain’s inner workings—and how synesthesia helped bridge those worlds for her. By examining how different brains combine or separate sensations, we’ll see that perception is not a simple reflection of reality, but a creative construction shaped by our unique neural wiring. Synesthesia offers a vivid glimpse into the diversity of human minds and challenges our assumptions about what “normal” perception is. Together, we’ll explore what these extraordinary experiences teach us about consciousness, the brain, and our own inner worlds.