Out of curiosity, were you ever read stories as a child?
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- Thread starter Kreeeee
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This is very interesting. There are times when I literally cannot imagine/picture things, for example my mums or friends faces. I then freak out a little and slowly I can then picture them. Like mental block almost. Sounds like I'm half way between normal and Kreeeee!
Ok how about this one... could you draw a road map of your home town / village without referring to images or another map? If so, surely you can in some way 'see' your hometown...?
Funnily enough I recently found out about this too. I can visualize stuff, but my friends sister can't.
Without putting words in the OPs mouth from my experience talking with others that have this problem - yes, they likely could.
Typically people that can't visualize have coping mechanisms that mean it can go unnoticed (like the OP not evening knowing he was missing out!) drawing something from memory is still possible without visualizing but based on facts and memory.
I.e. They're able to drive home because they know that they arrive at a village sign with a church on the left, they drive past two roads (grey street and Stevens avenue) then past the school. They take the next right which heads off under a bridge and arrive at their house half way along the road.
Making a drawing of that might even result in a more accurate one than you can imagine because it's based on facts they've had to develop to cope.
That's how it works for some anyway!
Without putting words in the OPs mouth from my experience talking with others that have this problem - yes, they likely could.
Typically people that can't visualize have coping mechanisms that mean it can go unnoticed (like the OP not evening knowing he was missing out!) drawing something from memory is still possible without visualizing but based on facts and memory.
I.e. They're able to drive home because they know that they arrive at a village sign with a church on the left, they drive past two roads (grey street and Stevens avenue) then past the school. They take the next right which heads off under a bridge and arrive at their house half way along the road.
Making a drawing of that might even result in a more accurate one than you can imagine because it's based on facts they've had to develop to cope.
That's how it works for some anyway!
Very interesting - thanks both.
Sort of... if I imagine doing a slow loop the loop like a rollercoaster
This is the same for me. I assumed this was the same for everyone? Clearly not though.
I think I'm somewhere in the middle here. While I can 'visualise' things, I find it very hard to keep focus and only get fleeting blurry glimpses, before I lose it. I also remember things in a weird third person kind of way, but without actually seeing myself if that makes any sense. Kind of like I remember the circumstance of a memory, all the details, then build an image based on that rather than the actual memory itself.
It's actually blown my mind that people are saying they can obtain a clear image of something in their heads by imagining/remembering it. I always thought that's what a photographic memory was.
It's actually blown my mind that people are saying they can obtain a clear image of something in their heads by imagining/remembering it. I always thought that's what a photographic memory was.
Same.
For the question in the OP for example I could immeditely "see" a sandy beach, blue water with small waves moving, and the palm tree in to the right.
I don't physically see it, but do see it in my minds eye. I can interact with things as well, and do so regularly for problems, for example visualizing a structure and rotating it round for it work out how I can connect A-B, or what shape it needs to be to fit etc.
As you say I couldn't imagine not being able to do it, but als probably wouldn't be able to do my job if I couldn't!
I've always had an extremely vivid and active imagination. I don't even have to close my eyes i can imagine a beach with sound like i was there right now and still type this as i'm doing it.
Althrough it does get in the way of everyday life once in a while where i daydream a bit too much and don't get a lot done that day, i have been on anti-anxiety medication and i noticed that it quietened the mind quite a bit during the day and stopped my imagination racing while at work. I'm off it now and back to my 'normal' but it's stopped the worst of it and i can concentrate on my work much better now.
Althrough it does get in the way of everyday life once in a while where i daydream a bit too much and don't get a lot done that day, i have been on anti-anxiety medication and i noticed that it quietened the mind quite a bit during the day and stopped my imagination racing while at work. I'm off it now and back to my 'normal' but it's stopped the worst of it and i can concentrate on my work much better now.
This is amazing.
I find it hard to understand what its like not to imagine.
I probably spend more time in my imagination that in reality on some slow days at work
Im good at everything visual (imagination, 3d manipulation etc) but very very very bad at memory
Is a bit of an #### at work as my memory let's be down so that I'm always resolving problems or forgetting certain ways to write code etc.
But I design things completely on my imagination, from real life tasks to complete fantasy
I find it hard to understand what its like not to imagine.
I probably spend more time in my imagination that in reality on some slow days at work
Im good at everything visual (imagination, 3d manipulation etc) but very very very bad at memory
Is a bit of an #### at work as my memory let's be down so that I'm always resolving problems or forgetting certain ways to write code etc.
But I design things completely on my imagination, from real life tasks to complete fantasy
When I read the Tom Clancy books I can't help but picture Harrison Ford as Jack, Willem Dafoe as Clark and others from the movies. The same goes for just about any character in a movie. Except Tom Cruise. He's a different Reacher than the one in the book. Like his brother or something.
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Yep I am just like the OP, just blackness. And until 5 minutes ago i never realised there was any other way.
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