Some wonder if people with synesthesia are just being metaphorical, as many people use metaphors that cross sensory modalities. a "loud shirt" doesn't actually produce a sound, a "warm color" doesn't actually evoke a change in temperature, and "bitter cold" doesn't actually produce a taste. what does cytowic friend say that suggests this isn't the case

Synesthesia is a neurological condition that an individual experience which allows her or him to perceive stimuli using a sense that is normally not associated with the stimuli. For example, people with chromesthesia, a type of synesthesia, can hear sounds when a color comes up – for example, hearing a trumpet when they see a red apple. There are various other types of synesthesia, such as seeing alphabets and at the same time seeing colors associated to them or hearing words and feeling a skin sensation with each different words said.  

Since these experiences are unique to the individual who has the condition, Cytowic’s friend should come up with a demonstration so that Cytowic can experience the same thing he does.

"social stratification refers to the way people are ranked and ordered in society. in western societies, stratification is primarily seen and understood as a result of socioeconomic status, which produces a hierarchy in which access to resources, and possession of them, increases from the lower to the upper strata"