1) The document is an outline for an informative speech about synesthesia, a condition where senses are blended causing people to see letters or numbers as certain colors, genders, or personalities. 2) The outline discusses what synesthesia is, its prevalence in the population, and common forms like chromesthesia, personification, and mirror-touch synesthesia. 3) The speaker discusses their personal experiences with personification and color synesthesia and assigns colors and genders to letters. They aim to raise awareness that synesthesia is more common than most people realize.

1. Maddie Schmit
Informative Speech Outline
I. Introduction
A. Attention Getter: If I were to tell you that, in my mind’s eye all of you have
a certain color, would you think I’mcrazy?
B. Refer to Audience: Haveyou ever been able to see color’s with your mind’s
eye? Or have given inanimate objects certain traits? These are all signs of
having synesthesia.
C. Credibility: Having synesthesia my wholelife has allowed me to see the
world a little differently than mostpeople. I havealso been able to help
some people realize they might havesome formof synesthesia.
D. Thesis: Synesthesia is a common condition that many people don’tknow
about and that may even haveit and not even know.
E. Preview: FirstI’mgoing to talk about whatsynesthesia is. I will also be
talking about some of the forms of synesthesia and how each formaffects
people. Lastly I’mgoing to talk about my personalexperiences with
synesthesia and the forms that I have.
Transition: But before you can fully understand how I see the world, you must
understand whatexactly synesthesia is.
II. Body
A. What is synesthesia?
1. Synesthesia is defined as a blending of the senses (Seeing Sound,
Tasting Color: Synesthesia). Themain occurrencepeople have with
synesthesia is color (seeing color, tasting, hearing, smelling, etc.).
2. The mind’s eye
a. Many people, including myself, areable to see these colors
with their mind’s eye.
b. The mind's eye is defined as the hypothetical site of visual
recollection or imagination. In other words, themind’s eye is
seeing something withoutactually seeing it.
c. Think of the color red. You are more than likely able to see the
color in your mind’s eye without seeing the color red.
3. Synesthesia being involuntary and automatically making connections.
a. [VisualAid] You are able to easily know who this is without
even thinking about it.

2. b. This connection you all made was involuntary, justlike the
connections synesthetes make with certain senses.
4. How many people have synesthesia?
a. Itwas first believed that synesthesia was very rare, but
scientists now believe around 4% of the population havesome
formof synesthesia (mother nature network).
b. There have also be speculations of a larger percentage of
synesthetes. Somepsychologists believe that everyoneis born
with some formof synesthesia, but mostpeople lose the
connections as they grow (mother nature network).
c. Bouba and Kiki test [VisualAid]. This test has proven that we
all havea little bit of synesthesia. Becausealmost everyone
who takes this test ends up with the sameresult.
Transition: Synesthesia varies between every person. Itall depends on whatform
of synesthesia they have.
B. The forms of synesthesia and how they affect people
1. Ithas been estimated that are between 50 and 150 different types
of synesthesia. Butthe combination of senses arealmost endless
(PSYBlog).
2. The most common forms of synesthesia [VisualAid]
a. Mirror-touch synesthesia
i. Feeling the same sensation another person feels
(someonetouches their chin, you feel the same
sensation).
ii. Even amongstnon-synesthetes, around 30% of people
have a mild form of this (feeling pain when seeing others
being hurt).
b. Personification
i. Giving inanimate things, such as months, letters, and
numbers, personalities or appearances.
c. Chromesthesia
i. Sound-to-color synesthesia
ii. Hearing certain sounds or music evokes a certain color.
Transition: Now that you understand whatsynesthesia is and how it affects other
people, you can understand how I see the world

3. C. My personalexperience with synesthesia
1. How long have I known aboutmy synesthesia?
a. I justrecently learned that I had synesthesia, butlooking back I
have known aboutit for a long time.
b. I always thoughtthat I was the only person in the world that
did these things, but then I learned many others do the same
things.
2. The forms of synesthesia I have
a. I have personification synesthesia. I assign colors to letters and
sometimes numbers. I also assign genders to letters and
occasionally numbers [VisualAid].
b. I also assign people colors. Everyonethat I have some
interactions with often has a color, including mostof you.
There is no name for this type of synesthesia, butdoing this is
what triggered me to realize I had synesthesia.
3. Could this be made up?
a. I’msureat least a couple of you believe this all made up and
that I’mfaking it.
b. People have been thinking that since 1880, when modern
scientists firstlearned about synesthesia (Hearing Colors,
TASTING SHAPES).
c. Many believe that we havethese sensations becauseof past
memories. For example, someone may have had refrigerator
magnets that were colored and that’s why they associatethat
letter with that color.
d. I promiseyou that we are not making this up. Yes, having
experience in art all my life and being involved with the arts
my wholelife has helped develop my synesthesia, butI was
born with this condition.
III. Conclusion
A. Brakelight/Review: Since learning about synesthesia, the differentforms,
and my personalexperiences, maybe someof you might think you have
some formof synesthesia.
B. Restate Thesis: Synesthesia is more common than people believe and many
who have it, aren’t awarethat they do haveit. This is because we accept
the reality that is presented to us.

4. C. Refer to Audience/Closure: So justbe awarethat how you physically view
the world, could be completely different fromyour neighbor.