Current Events > Do you have aphantasia?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Its where you cant form mental images.

I also have slight prosopagnosia, which apparently can be connected?

Like, for people dont, what does a mental image actually entail?

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I wouldn't know how vivid this picture has to be to count. Feels like Im thinking of a picture actually. So I'm probably the same?

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I can form mental images, break them down, build and rebuild them as well.
I have been building Lego since I was a kid, and I do 3D modeling as a hobby now, as well as other building things throughout the years. I imagine that helps.

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kirbyakaZ posted...

I can form mental images, break them down, build and rebuild them as well.
I have been building Lego since I was a kid, and I do 3D modeling as a hobby now, as well as other building things throughout the years. I imagine that helps.

How does it work though? Do you have like a little picture of what youre thinking about behind your eyes?

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almost completely.

i have zero ability to consciously create a mental image. it happens as daydreams to a very very minor degree. i'm honestly not even sure i'd call them images here, either. just an... awareness? that i should be seeing something?

i also almost never remember my dreams. to any degree. most mornings i couldn't even confirm that i had dreamt at all. but incredibly rarely (probably less than once a year), i do remember dreaming. usually nightmares. these are a little more pronounced than the daydreams, but there's still not much there.

but. maybe a dozen times ever, i've had incredibly vivid dreams. they're usually so startling that i wake up almost immediately. so, on some level, i do appear capable. i just have absolutely no idea how to access it.

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The_Creep_2020 posted...

How does it work though? Do you have like a little picture of what youre thinking about behind your eyes?

Pretty much, it's like in the center of my head personally

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That just sounds so weird.

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Let's try a simple exorcise that might help.

Pick up something small you can hold in your hands that is simple, but distinct. Like a Lego brick, toothbrush, a fork, or a Rubix's cube.

Now look at it with your eyes open and study it. Take note of as many details as you can.

• What color/colors is it?
• How many sides does it have?
• What's it's basic core shape (cube, rectangle, cylinder, cone, etc)
• Is the texture rough or smooth? Does the texture change?

Then close your eyes.

Once your eyes are closed, keep feeling the object. Try and feel the different parts you noticed earlier. Rub where the texture changes, do you know what part that was? If you move your hand to the top, what color is it? Feel free to do this as long as you need, or even repeat this process with the same or different objects several times

Once you're done studying the object with your eyes closed, put it down. Then keep your eyes closed and think back to the things you just noticed about the object. Start small. Think of the basic core shape in a flat gray. Try and use your mind to draw a very simple cube or whatever that core shape is.

Once you can form the very basic core shape, move on from there by changing the color.
Then add texture or other small shapes. From there you'll start to get it.

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I dunno. What is a mental image?
Center of my head does sound accurate. To me it's like something in a dark void where nothing else exists. I form the object that I'm thinking of out of this nothingness, a vague idea at first. More detailed if it needs to be, building layers on top of this base concept.

Not that I think I'm very imaginative. I see someone mentioned Legos. Eww. But I guess it's a good example. Like a single Lego piece or perhaps a ball of clay, you form it piece by piece.

Deconstructing and reconstructing it is where I probably struggle and why I don't like Legos.

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BloodMoon7 posted...

I dunno. What is a mental image?
Center of my head does sound accurate. To me it's like something in a dark void where nothing else exists. I form the object that I'm thinking of out of this nothingness, a vague idea at first. More detailed if it needs to be, building layers on top of this base concept.

Not that I think I'm very imaginative. I see someone mentioned Legos. Eww. But I guess it's a good example. Like a single Lego piece or perhaps a ball of clay, you form it piece by piece.

Deconstructing and reconstructing it is where I probably struggle and why I don't like Legos.

A void is also where I start too, unless I specifically need an environment.

Simple objects, like a fork or so, I can have a clear image of instantly. If I'm doing something complex then I start with a basic shape and mold it like you said.

I also read a lot as a kid and tried to make the things I was reading play out like a movie in my head. Which brings me to a question.
@RenescoStCewl can you remember things very well? Like could you describe a scene from a movie you recently saw? How much detail could you describe?

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kirbyakaZ posted...

Let's try a simple exorcise that might help.

Pick up something small you can hold in your hands that is simple, but distinct. Like a Lego brick, toothbrush, a fork, or a Rubix's cube.

Now look at it with your eyes open and study it. Take note of as many details as you can.
* What color/colors is it?
* How many sides does it have?
* What's it's basic core shape (cube, rectangle, cylinder, cone, etc)
* Is the texture rough or smooth? Does the texture change?
Then close your eyes.

Once your eyes are closed, keep feeling the object. Try and feel the different parts you noticed earlier. Rub where the texture changes, do you know what part that was? If you move your hand to the top, what color is it? Feel free to do this as long as you need, or even repeat this process with the same or different objects several times

Once you're done studying the object with your eyes closed, put it down. Then keep your eyes closed and think back to the things you just noticed about the object. Start small. Think of the basic core shape in a flat gray. Try and use your mind to draw a very simple cube or whatever that core shape is.

Once you can form the very basic core shape, move on from there by changing the color.
Then add texture or other small shapes. From there you'll start to get it.

Im guessing Im not supposed to be just getting a list of descriptors?

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Problem is the whole thing is completely subjective. Two people could be able to form the same images and one person might claim they can to a high degree and one person say they struggle. There is no reference point.

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How does someone suffering with this condition read a book? The entire process is about forming images in your mind based on what you read. Sounds like it would be awful to deal with.

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Aridi posted...

How does someone suffering with this condition read a book?

One word at a time

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The_Creep_2020 posted...

Im guessing Im not supposed to be just getting a list of descriptors?

Well a description is a start!
Let's try simpler.
Close your eyes and try to picture your favorite color. Can you see it?

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conversely when someone is talking to me i can picture their words in my head in real time. complete with uh...s.

i would ask how a person who can't form mental images dreams.

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My thoughts are almost entirely visual. Even when I have a thought that doesn't have some sort of image attached to it I picture the words as if they were printed in a book.

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No, I'd agree with it being more of an image in the centre of your mind, it's not like a clear picture for me, more of a vague image of what I'm thinking about - aside from that, I can pretty much play movies / tv shows in my head, sometimes I do this of I'm struggling to fall asleep, or I'll replay scenes from them I particularly like in my head, and when listening to music I often play a (made up) movie in my head to go with the songs
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BloodMoon7 posted...

I dunno. What is a mental image?
Center of my head does sound accurate. To me it's like something in a dark void where nothing else exists. I form the object that I'm thinking of out of this nothingness, a vague idea at first. More detailed if it needs to be, building layers on top of this base concept.

Not that I think I'm very imaginative. I see someone mentioned Legos. Eww. But I guess it's a good example. Like a single Lego piece or perhaps a ball of clay, you form it piece by piece.

Deconstructing and reconstructing it is where I probably struggle and why I don't like Legos.

Lmao this reaction made me laugh for some reason.

kirbyakaZ posted...

A void is also where I start too, unless I specifically need an environment.

Simple objects, like a fork or so, I can have a clear image of instantly. If I'm doing something complex then I start with a basic shape and mold it like you said.

I also read a lot as a kid and tried to make the things I was reading play out like a movie in my head. Which brings me to a question.
@RenescoStCewl can you remember things very well? Like could you describe a scene from a movie you recently saw? How much detail could you describe?

I read a lot of fantasy books and definitely see it play out in my head. As for movies, it probably depends on how many times I've seen it. The most recent movie I've watched for the first time is karate kid 2 and I can only remember a few scenes.

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Conflict posted...

I didn't know what prosopagnosia was until I played 999. Sounds terrifying honestly.

Thankfully its not too bad, out of context or if I dont have enough other cues to go on I have trouble recognising people, or just plain dont recognise them.

My dad had a story he thought was hilarious where he went to pay my school at my primary school, said hello to me and I replied hello sir because I didnt recognise him.

I used to walk past my girlfriend of the time at uni because I didnt recognise her.

Ive walked past my mum when we both worked in the city.

If were going shopping and will split up, I memorise what my wifes wearing.

Thankfully, I havent had any problems picking up my daughter from school so far, but thats because she has a very distinctive backpack.

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