People who experience synesthesia are usually born with it or develop it very early in childhood. It's possible for it to develop later. Research indicates that synesthesia can be genetically inherited . Each one of your five senses stimulate a different area of your brain.
Is it possible to give yourself synesthesia?
Yes, You Can Teach Yourself Synesthesia (And Here's Why You Should) A synesthete-turned-scientist on why it's helpful to "hear" colors and "see" sounds. Berit Brogaard has had synesthesia, a neurological condition in which different senses combine in unusual ways, for as long as she can remember.
Can you suddenly develop synesthesia?
However, in some cases synaesthesia has a sudden onset, for example, caused by posthypnotic suggestions, drug exposure, or brain injury. Moreover, associative learning during a critical developmental period also seems to play an important role. Synaesthesia may even be acquired by training in adulthood.