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Ashley Dick always assumed that everyone experiences “visions” when counting.

It was only after a random conversation with her workmate that Ashley realised she had synesthesia - a medical condition where two or more of the five senses join together without control.

“A few years ago, I was at work when our internet went down, my colleague and I had been on hold and while we were waiting we were chatting” Ashley says her friend, Karri, then popped a random question. “[She asked] 'when you think of numbers, what do you see?' and I said to her, 'it kinda looks like a board game’.”

When Ashley described how she sees numbers, her friend was shocked to finally meet someone with the same experience.

“Well, she nearly fell off her chair,” Ashley says. “She had been asking people that question her whole life and no one had understood what she was asking. Her husband and kids thought she was just being daft.”

Some synesthetes experience colour when they hear sounds or read words. Others can experience tastes, smells, shapes or touches. It varies from person-to-person.

“Karri's number sequence is black & white, in a sort of ringlet that continuously loops,” Ashley says. “Mine is in colour and like a board game with each number almost like a square.”

Ashley says she can also see time, differentiate letters by colour, assign colours to people and even see music in flashes of light.

Synesthesia is not a disease or illness and is not harmful. Scientists estimate that there are over 80 variations of synesthesia.

People may have acquired synesthesia via their genetics but it is thought that it can also be learned in childhood. As research into synesthesia continues, scientists are still analysing those who have it to find out more. Ashley has been taking part in these studies but says there are things we already know about the medical condition.

“We do know that more than 1% of the population experience the most common type of synesthesia - Grapheme Colour,” Ashley says. “We also know that women are more likely to be synesthetes and synesthetes are more likely to be left handed.”

To help understand synthesia, there is a psychological experiment that can help. It’s called the Bouba/Kiki effect.

Take a look at these two shapes. One is called Bouba and one is called Kiki. Which one do you think is which?

Almost everyone names the bulbous shape as Bouba and the pointed shape as Kiki.

“This experiment explores how shapes and sounds are not arbitrarily linked in our mind and gives insight into how synesthetes minds may have formed,” Ashley explains.

Famous synesthetes include Brendan Urie, Nikola Tesla, Pharell Williams, Geoffrey Rush, Charli XCX, and, reportedly, Vincent Van Gogh.