I just recently came across an article about Aphantasia and i’m still not certain if I have it, but I always assumed the way my imagination works is normal. When I picture things I don’t see pictures, instead I see the back of my eyelids but I think about the concepts of things. For example, if you asked me to visualize a rose I could imagine the concept of the shape in my mind, and almost pull the color forward but I can’t actually see a clear picture of a rose, whereas in dreams (when I have them) I usually have a very vivid and immersive world created, which is why I kind of understand that my daytime imagination might not be normal. As far as mentally walking through my house its similar I guess, I can do it mainly because I probably know my house well, I kind of visual the shape of my walk and the shapes of furniture and place loci on them, and when dealing with loci in my memory palace I have the concept of what they are and that’s what makes me remember them rather than a vivid visual picture of them. This usually works ok for me, the much harder part for me is remembering enough locations vividly enough to have enough places to put loci.
I always thought only savants could have those magnificent memory palaces, perhaps now I realize instead, I am the exception, rather than the norm. So I think I might be doomed as far as a successful memory palace is confirmed.
But I am curious what everyone’s thoughts are on this, if you have any kind of experience you would like to share, or advice, that would be appreciated!
I know someone with this condition and I have thought about this before, it certainly seems that competitive memory would be impossible due to visual memory being the centerpiece of every technique. I can’t say for certain whether you have this or not, but I can say that most people can see things they have familiarity with in their head no problem similar to a dream except usually less vivid. I don’t want to tell you to give up but you might have to find a different way to approach memory. I am interested in your discoveries so please keep us posted
I’m going to post about my experiences and hopefully its the same for the majority of other people. When I close my eyes all I see is blackness, the backs of my eyelids like you. However, I can visually imagine things. It isn’t like physical seeing, its like thinking but in images. Its possible for me to visualize things in a lot of detail though not always. When you say you see the “shapes” of things it might be the same thing though I do not know. Starting out, it seemed like I had a worse ability to visualize locations (not images in general) than other people but practice has helped. I can always imagine things in color and I almost never have a problem with it but I think color is one aspect my brain is particularly good at.
Yes I think perhaps a lot of it might just be a communication problem of what exactly “seeing things” is. I can conceptualize what something will look like in my brain, though it lacks any kind of detail. After doing some research I guess for most people they can “see a photograph” or “have a movie playback when they are reading a book”, my memory is nowhere near this vivid. Admittedly it is not something I practice regularly (though I am going to start), though I don’t think the average person has to practice seeing images in their hea, typically they just come up naturally. Still what confuses me is in the rare occasion that I do have a dream it is virtually indistinguishable from real life, so I am not sure if this is how I am supposed to visualize when awake as well
The vividness of my mental images has improved drastically just a short time after starting to practice. Before there was some concept, maybe a little bit of an image but not much detail. now more details are showing up and I can ignore the blackness behind my eyelids, in a similar fashion to how you don’t feel your clothes. If you keep practicing and trying for as much detail as possible, you may get better at it.
i actually was going to post this study in a second thread, then this thread caught my eyes.
Here’s a study about visual imagery and memory. not the whole study, but the abstract’s there.
I actually visually go through my memory palaces in my head with my eyes open nowadays because I have to do it like that for memorizing things and also during recall.
The vividness of my mental images has improved drastically just a short time after starting to practice.
Hey, happened to me, too! You improved simply by using mnemo-techniques?
I think aphantasia is basically a word defining “untrained visualization skill.” With frequent practice everyone can illuminate that mental stage. When I started out using memory techniques, I didn’t “see” anything but over time I was able to design my own images.
I think, anyone who’s unable form mental images, just needs to practice on a regular basis. Memory techniques will do. Otherwise, there’re are a lot of good visualization exercise resources on the web.
I have recently realised I have aphantasia after reading an article about it. I have suffered from anxiety and depression over the last few years and felt very frustrated that lots of the advice or techniques to help didn’t work as I couldn’t or didn’t ‘get’ the picture a place or a loved one or yourself in a situation. I now realise that most people can do this with ease! The only reason I have an idea of what others see is because very occasionly when relaxed with eyes closed but not asleep, a tiny pinhole of an image, usually a brick wall but sometimes a lane which expands to include some trees appears in my mind but as soon as I realise I’m actually seeing a picture, it closes down and I can’t get it back. But from talking to friends and family, I have only just realised that they see clear sustained images of people and places and can hear, smell and taste too!. They can’t understand at all what I mean and also ask how I can be so creative if I can’t see in my mind.
I felt sad, very envious and frustrated at first but am now more just curious. Although I would be interested to know if you can do anything to help 'see images
