Well, as soon as you mentioned the three items, I didn’t even have to close my eyes. Strange. I visualized one of those white, flimsy, plastic patio tables with a tennis ball in the middle, where the hole for an umbrella would be. A young, freckle faced boy with red hair poked the ball with two fingers and then it rolled off the table and bounced off the concrete patio into the grass.
Like I had said, I didn’t even have to close my eyes to see it. Is that abnormal?
I think it sounds awesome !!! You are probably at the one end of the Imagination Spectrum with very high ability to visualize. I will look for any info about that in the research and let you know. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Karen ~ when you hear something, do you picture it in your mind? For example when your prof was lecturing or your priest is preaching do you turn the message into images? I'd be interested to know. I've noticed that I turn things into familiar comparisons (no images) to understand things better. My poems in Tuesday Creations seem to be metaphors all the time. Thanks for sharing. xoxo
Great questions. I had to think about that. Initially, I have a conversation in my mind about the words being said. I also react and listen with feelings and often a song will pop in my mind. Just a silly example, Chris and I were discussing the ugly new tall skinny row housing and I suddenly began singing Pete Singer's "Little Boxes". Visual images also come to mind throughout. Again, this conversation as an example, I can see in my mind's eye, a nearby area of these hideous structures.
Awesome! Thanks for the info. I am fascinated in how our different minds work. I am trying to figure out how mine works. Ha! I just seem to know things which is boggling to me. I think that may be why I like to travel — so I can “see” new things. I will be relating it to teaching in next week’s article. Stay tuned. I hope you will share again… xoxo
This was very interesting. I didn't realize such a thing existed. I, like some others who commented, am someone who pictures things to remember them. In this case, I pictured a beautiful, shiny brown wooden dining table with a white softball on top. Along came a ginger cat, who swatted the ball and knocked it on the floor, where it proceeded to roll away. That may be a bit more specific than it needed to be, but it made me smile.
Oh no, I loved the specifics, Julia. I don't know if I can explain this very well; but when the doctor asked me to remember the three things, I relate them like you do -- but I don't see an image of them. If I have to remember a banana, couch, stairs, I just say to myself, "The banana is lying on the couch that is leaning up against the stairs." I can't see that; I just know it. Weird, isn't it? Thanks for commenting. xoxo
Janice ~ when you have time, you may enjoy looking at the www.aphantasia.com website. I joined their group, have participated in a few studies and am learning a lot. I've been on a couple chats, but feel absolutely inferior. I'm thinking a lot of these aphantasia people are brilliant. Just not me. ha ha!
Sounds as if you may be in the middle of that spectrum somewhere, Patti. I can only "reproduce" artwork so to speak. I was really pleased a couple months ago when I kept a Van Gogh in front of me, and I painted my version on a tile. It looked good. You are a talented breed of animal, Patti, who does things in your own unique way. I find that even more exciting!!!
I pictured a silver metal table, a medium sized red ball and my own hand rolling the ball across the table. Like Lisa I have always had a bit of a photographic memory and I remember things by picturing them. For instance, when someone introduces themselves to me, if they are wearing a name tag and I can always picture the tag and remember their name. If no tag, I have a hard time placing their name when I see them again. In school I could picture the text of a book on a page and it was very helpful for tests! Our minds are fascinating things!
Ah, Diane ~ you will want to "stay tuned." Also if you have time, check out the www.aphantasia.com website. It has a lot to offer. Thanks for sharing. xoxo
Well, quit feeling defective. By the time we're done, hopefully you will see it as a gift. (maybe not in your mind's eye, but you'll feel it in your soul) Cheers to us! xoxo
I am finding it really interesting right now too even though I haven't been able to visualize my entire life. I guess I did a pretty good job of adapting. I do dream in black and white a lot of nights, but I never remember them when I wake. Oh, and I never see faces in my dreams, but I know who people are somehow. I will be sharing more research on dreaming & aphantasia in this series of articles. Thanks for joining us. xoxo
Oh, dear friend, I am just the opposite. It has always made me wonder if we train the mind to see or is it a gift from God. I have a photographic memory . In my younger years, if I read it or saw a creative design \decoration I could picture and recreate it. As I have gotten older, the written word is not as photographic. My gift was very helpful in school, and throughout my career. To be able to read a new Federal/ State law and implement it needs one to be creative. Now, I use my God's gift to create cakes, or design a room, landscape etc.
I also believe that some of it is hereditary . My Uncle Gene and my Dad had the gift of the written word, and my Dad, Aunts, the gift of music and arts.
So, again I wonder if we train our minds or is it a gift from God. Or, is it a little of both.
Love you my dear friend and teacher! God bless. Lisa
Oh, Lisa ~ that is the eternal question we would all like to answer. I think it is both. I am noticing as I'm working on visualization, I am able to picture a few more details in my mind than I could before. Wondering if YOU can actually run video-type pictures in your mind? I've heard of people doing that. Thanks for your wonderful comments. xoxo
Wow, Jan, I had no idea aphantasia existed. What an eye opener, now I want to check with my family and find what they see or don’t see in their mind when they do your test or experiment.. I clearly saw the wood table, my grandson rolling a six inch rubber ball towards me. Thanks for opening my mind to new concepts
Just think, Harriet ~ we probably had students with aphantasia in our classrooms. It will be fun to experiment with your large family. Let me know what you find out. There could be some interesting conclusions. xoxo
Welcome to the club, Teresa! I hope you come back for the rest of the articles or visit the www.aphantaasia.com website. It's really kinda fascinating. (Once during meditation I actually saw a colorful, 3D face. I couldn't believe it.) You know it can even involve our other senses. Some people can actually recreate smells. Can you? I can't. Looking forward to us learning about aphantasia together. xoxo
Well, as soon as you mentioned the three items, I didn’t even have to close my eyes. Strange. I visualized one of those white, flimsy, plastic patio tables with a tennis ball in the middle, where the hole for an umbrella would be. A young, freckle faced boy with red hair poked the ball with two fingers and then it rolled off the table and bounced off the concrete patio into the grass.
Like I had said, I didn’t even have to close my eyes to see it. Is that abnormal?
I think it sounds awesome !!! You are probably at the one end of the Imagination Spectrum with very high ability to visualize. I will look for any info about that in the research and let you know. Thanks for sharing.
While I tend to be more auditory in how I learn, experience and imagine things, I can picture things as well. Thanks for this fascinating post.
Hi Karen ~ when you hear something, do you picture it in your mind? For example when your prof was lecturing or your priest is preaching do you turn the message into images? I'd be interested to know. I've noticed that I turn things into familiar comparisons (no images) to understand things better. My poems in Tuesday Creations seem to be metaphors all the time. Thanks for sharing. xoxo
https://youtu.be/2AkoPCXZ_K4?si=yGdeNTmdnaUgn6_h
Fun! Thanks for share.
Great questions. I had to think about that. Initially, I have a conversation in my mind about the words being said. I also react and listen with feelings and often a song will pop in my mind. Just a silly example, Chris and I were discussing the ugly new tall skinny row housing and I suddenly began singing Pete Singer's "Little Boxes". Visual images also come to mind throughout. Again, this conversation as an example, I can see in my mind's eye, a nearby area of these hideous structures.
Awesome! Thanks for the info. I am fascinated in how our different minds work. I am trying to figure out how mine works. Ha! I just seem to know things which is boggling to me. I think that may be why I like to travel — so I can “see” new things. I will be relating it to teaching in next week’s article. Stay tuned. I hope you will share again… xoxo
Look forward to it. Your curiosity and creativity inspire me. 🤗💕
This was very interesting. I didn't realize such a thing existed. I, like some others who commented, am someone who pictures things to remember them. In this case, I pictured a beautiful, shiny brown wooden dining table with a white softball on top. Along came a ginger cat, who swatted the ball and knocked it on the floor, where it proceeded to roll away. That may be a bit more specific than it needed to be, but it made me smile.
Oh no, I loved the specifics, Julia. I don't know if I can explain this very well; but when the doctor asked me to remember the three things, I relate them like you do -- but I don't see an image of them. If I have to remember a banana, couch, stairs, I just say to myself, "The banana is lying on the couch that is leaning up against the stairs." I can't see that; I just know it. Weird, isn't it? Thanks for commenting. xoxo
Hi Jan, I've always been able to visualize, so I took it for granted. However, I didn't know that some people didn't have access to that gift.
Janice ~ when you have time, you may enjoy looking at the www.aphantasia.com website. I joined their group, have participated in a few studies and am learning a lot. I've been on a couple chats, but feel absolutely inferior. I'm thinking a lot of these aphantasia people are brilliant. Just not me. ha ha!
I can't "visualize" the future. So when I'm asked to make a plan I have to write it out in words, I can't see it in pictures.
I can imagine the table and so forth, but not clearly. Kinda goes in flow with my lack of drawing and painting ability.
I'm a different breed of animal. :)
Sounds as if you may be in the middle of that spectrum somewhere, Patti. I can only "reproduce" artwork so to speak. I was really pleased a couple months ago when I kept a Van Gogh in front of me, and I painted my version on a tile. It looked good. You are a talented breed of animal, Patti, who does things in your own unique way. I find that even more exciting!!!
Haha, yes 'in my own unique way' says it in such a nice way. XXOO
I pictured a silver metal table, a medium sized red ball and my own hand rolling the ball across the table. Like Lisa I have always had a bit of a photographic memory and I remember things by picturing them. For instance, when someone introduces themselves to me, if they are wearing a name tag and I can always picture the tag and remember their name. If no tag, I have a hard time placing their name when I see them again. In school I could picture the text of a book on a page and it was very helpful for tests! Our minds are fascinating things!
Cathey ~ I wish I could trade places with you for just one day to experience your gift of visualization. Thanks for sharing! xoxo
Thank you for educating me. I have had great difficulty with visualization all my life.
Ah, Diane ~ you will want to "stay tuned." Also if you have time, check out the www.aphantasia.com website. It has a lot to offer. Thanks for sharing. xoxo
I will check it out. I have always felt defective trying to visualize or meditate. Blessings my friend. 🙏🏻
Well, quit feeling defective. By the time we're done, hopefully you will see it as a gift. (maybe not in your mind's eye, but you'll feel it in your soul) Cheers to us! xoxo
How interesting! I didn't know this existed either.
How about dreaming at night?
I am finding it really interesting right now too even though I haven't been able to visualize my entire life. I guess I did a pretty good job of adapting. I do dream in black and white a lot of nights, but I never remember them when I wake. Oh, and I never see faces in my dreams, but I know who people are somehow. I will be sharing more research on dreaming & aphantasia in this series of articles. Thanks for joining us. xoxo
Oh, dear friend, I am just the opposite. It has always made me wonder if we train the mind to see or is it a gift from God. I have a photographic memory . In my younger years, if I read it or saw a creative design \decoration I could picture and recreate it. As I have gotten older, the written word is not as photographic. My gift was very helpful in school, and throughout my career. To be able to read a new Federal/ State law and implement it needs one to be creative. Now, I use my God's gift to create cakes, or design a room, landscape etc.
I also believe that some of it is hereditary . My Uncle Gene and my Dad had the gift of the written word, and my Dad, Aunts, the gift of music and arts.
So, again I wonder if we train our minds or is it a gift from God. Or, is it a little of both.
Love you my dear friend and teacher! God bless. Lisa
Oh, Lisa ~ that is the eternal question we would all like to answer. I think it is both. I am noticing as I'm working on visualization, I am able to picture a few more details in my mind than I could before. Wondering if YOU can actually run video-type pictures in your mind? I've heard of people doing that. Thanks for your wonderful comments. xoxo
Wow, Jan, I had no idea aphantasia existed. What an eye opener, now I want to check with my family and find what they see or don’t see in their mind when they do your test or experiment.. I clearly saw the wood table, my grandson rolling a six inch rubber ball towards me. Thanks for opening my mind to new concepts
Just think, Harriet ~ we probably had students with aphantasia in our classrooms. It will be fun to experiment with your large family. Let me know what you find out. There could be some interesting conclusions. xoxo
Guess I am an aphantasia too as I can never visualise anything but black.
Welcome to the club, Teresa! I hope you come back for the rest of the articles or visit the www.aphantaasia.com website. It's really kinda fascinating. (Once during meditation I actually saw a colorful, 3D face. I couldn't believe it.) You know it can even involve our other senses. Some people can actually recreate smells. Can you? I can't. Looking forward to us learning about aphantasia together. xoxo
Teresa, I didn't know this about you! It explains why you sometimes struggle for inspiration to write.
Teresa needs to try our Wild Writes. They don't require any visualization. The object that opens the right side of you brain is right in front of you.
Saw a wooden table immediately, with a red sponge ball and me at the end rolling this ball. No-one was at the end and it fell on my wooden floor.