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Just thought I should respond with some more information on synesthes, as it was what I wrote my first web paper on (check out the bibliography for some more books and web articles on the subject). Originally, scientists believed that synesthesia was indeed a cross wiring between areas of the brain that do not occur within the brains of non-synesthes. The areas of our brain that deal with color and also number processing are in very close proximity and, in fact, both utilize a part of the brain called the fusiform gyrus in the temporal lobe. In other words, this theory made sense. More recently, however, there have been connections made that incorporate chemical imbalances that may be responsible for synesthesia (as of now I do not believe there is a definitive explanation for synesthesia).

One of the most interesting explanations I found, however, is that all babies are born as synesthetes, otherwise called the Neonatal Synesthesia Hypothesis. If all babies are born without the ability to distinguish between the senses than what is it that causes one person to keep those connections, while another does not? Synesthesia has been determined to be genetic, but does this mean that there is some evolutionary benefit (it is a dominant genetic condition passed along the x chromosome) that has kept it prevalent within the gene pool (an estimated 1:25,000 people has the condition, probably more as you yourself were unaware of your synesthete status)? I too find this to be a very interesting condition and also would like to know how it makes a difference in some peoples' lives.