In what might be compared to telepathic, holographic language dolphins and whales use, a tribe of aborigines has been discovered in South America who communicate in a similar way. These indigenous peoples "talk" to each other using heart sounds that transmit exact images and experiences directly to other person. Rather than using symbols, such as words, to represent a certain image or experience, speaker communicates by triggering within listener same visual and emotional experience that speaker is having.

Connecting by Direct Transmission

Renowned spiritual workshop leader, Drunvalo Melchizedek has been exploring unique wordless communication practiced by this tribe living deep in Amazon jungle. The Mamas, religious leaders of Kogi, "talk" telepathically to each other, speaking from heart in images. Drunvalo describes his experience with Kogi, "They make little sounds, but these sounds are not logically arranged into any pattern such as an alphabet. These sounds come from heart, not mind, and create images inside your head, and you can 'see' what other person is communicating."

Sound Delivers Experience

For Carol Crane, music is felt: "I always feel guitars on my ankles and violins on my face." Other people experience smells when exposed to shapes, or hear sounds inside taste. And for some, numbers have color, sounds have smell, and words have flavor. Music is not only heard, it's seen and tasted--the list goes on.

Neurologist Richard Cytowic explores this surreal world of " synesthesia" in his book, The Man Who Tasted Shapes. " Synesthesia means joined sensation, and some people are born with two or more of their senses hooked together," explains Cytowic.

The most common form of synesthesia is when a person see letters in different colors instead of seeing black ink letters as black. Although people differ from each other in what colors letters are, colors usually remain same for each individual throughout their life.

Depending on what food they taste, other synesthetes experience taste as a shape, like a triangle or circle. Another person sees orange when feeling pain.

For New York artist Carol Steen, synesthesia is inspiration. She sees shapes and colors when listening to music or receiving acupuncture-images that she transforms into works of art. "It's like putting on sunglasses and being able to see world through sunglasses," she says. Once, when Steen injured her leg while hiking, all she saw was a world bathed in orange.

And, Carol Crane does more than simply hear a concert. She physically experiences each instrument within a different part of her body.

Still another person hears a sound that tastes like pickles. For as long as he can recall, words have triggered part of Wannerton's brain that responds to tastes and flavors. "I can remember being in a big school assembly hall listening to Lords Prayer," he says, "and it was while listening to that, I used to get flavor after flavor coming in. It was mostly bacon."

Wannerton says his synesthesia causes him some discomfort in his personal life. "I've had girlfriends with names I couldn't stand saying. Tracey is a very strong flavored name and it's flaky- pastry. Whenever I was in her company, that's what I thought of constantly." And at end of day, he suffers from sensory overload. But still he doesn't want a cure. "I've had it since I can remember, and taking it away--I wouldn't like thought of that," he says.

What's going on inside synesthete's brain?