In a nutshell, when you read a book, or try to imagine something, can you actually “visualize and see it“ or are you just taking in facts and see nothing but black?

I am the latter, I have a crazy bit of imagination, but I see nothing. I can close my eyes and think about an apple, I can describe what an apple looks like, but I could never actually see that apple.

Up until this week, I thought that’s how everyone was, one of my kids did a paper on Aphantasia for school and after reading it learned that he is the type of person that when he reads a book, he essentially sees a movie in his head with vivid colors and detailed descriptions.

I think that is one reason when I see the movie adaption of a book, I rarely get bent out of shape over who plays a character, because I’ve never been able to really visualize what they look like.

My son‘s twin brother, is like me, he sees nothing. One of the most entertaining arguments I’ve ever heard, was this weekend when both of them were trying to make the other one admit that they were making up what they see or do not see. It was inconceivable to them that not everyone “saw“ like they do.

When I take the red apple test, I’m somewhere between 4 and 5.

The red Apple test

movie in my head

I'm in the movie. Not just seeing detailed imagery, but all the other senses are on par as well, including touch. I can "feel" old guitars and guns I haven't owned in years. My wife is on the complete other end of the spectrum, it's all black for her. We discovered this phenomenon earlier this year, was an interesting conversation.

I did not realize my thought process actually had a name. I understand that others can “see” things in their mind - the extreme example being an eidetic memory: actually, for instance, being able to call up a written page/image and read it accurately.

One of the best pathologists I ever knew was able to call up all of the images, both macro and microscopically, for diagnosis! He explained that it was automatic and could not understand why others could not do the same.

Thank you for this information - I am pleased to find out that others have the same thought process and have signed up tonight with
“aphantasia.com” to learn more!!

I'm not familiar with this concept. I'm aware that some people are more visual than others (like me) but this is news to me.

For people like this, what about when reading comics or graphic novels? What about technical books like chemistry or biology or physics books? Does this only manifest when reading something descriptive. Like a scene in a novel?

What percentage of people are visual like this? Are there demographics? What do people prefer? People with aphantasia, like it or prefer black? People without it, would they prefer to have it?

I think I prefer the black but aphantasia is curious. I can't really imagine what it is like.

I'm pretty blank, no movies not even still shots. I very rarely remember a dream either if that means anything.

A) Why worry about it? I just skimmed the website but it doesn’t seem like there’s any useful tips or work arounds?

B) I guess I don’t visualize. Didn’t realize anyone did, they way they describe it.

Movie time for me.

I visualize…sometimes too highly.

They have linked this way of seeing in one’s mind to levels of trauma like PTSD. Which makes sense…the better you visualize, the worse I would think the recollection of a traumatic event would be.

I see the thing in my head, or watch the movie if reading a book.

I dream in color with sound, and occasionally, scent.

Hyper here. Full on technicolor movie.

In the very beginning, short films. Once there have been enough adjectives thrown around to create more of a picture (pretty quick) it's movie time. This evolves, as the character development gets more detailed, so does the movie.

I see everything in my head. I’ll watch an episode of Star Trek TNG during a really boring meeting at work sometimes.

Easy 1 for me on that test.

I’m a 4 on the apple test.

Solid 5 with a Capital "A"!

I can sometimes see brief images with my eyes closed (mostly faces) when trying to go to sleep if the mooklight shining in the window is just the right intensity, but these are not images that I can control, or which are familiar from a waking context. I think this is different from the kind of visualization that is "phantasic," I have never been able to "picture something in my mind's eye" at will. I kind of envy people who can.

It's this how artists can draw something from memory just like it was still present? Like draw someone or someplace as though it was right in front of them?

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I'm not familiar with this concept.

I think I prefer the black but aphantasia is curious. I can't really imagine what it is like.

It explains why we had issues when I was trying to explain the visualization used in Bruce Gray's Dry Fire drill

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
It's this how artists can draw something from memory just like it was still present? Like draw someone or someplace as though it was right in front of them?

I don't think so. I have the ability to visualize a scene...including how it would look in differing mediums...but can't reproduce that image on paper. In my youth, it made painting plastic models very frustrating

When I read, images do form as the story plays out and the images become clearer if the description is more detailed.

My memory tends to be visual. When I worked in LE and was called to court, I could testify in detail because that "reel/clip" could be called up and I could see the details that I was being asked about. My memory isn't good with dates and such...I had a hard time memorizing the Periodic Table in high school...so it isn't like I can visuals a page of text

This kind of reminds me of music composers who can create music in their heads, hearing all the different pieces/sections of an orchestra.

I'm still playing ScreemingCockatoo's Night Before Christmas movie short in my head