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"But this year scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some people are unable to visualise mental images." Actually this was discovered by
by ajb 11y ago
"But this year scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some people are unable to visualise mental images."
Actually this was discovered by Sir Francis Galton more than 200 years ago: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Galton/imagery.htm http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Galton/imagery.htm
Nor is it particularly rare.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect is not the experience itself, but the fact that people are so surprised when they discover that other people's mental experience can be so different to their own.
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoIt does fundamentally divide humanity into those that can imagine, and those that can't. Its not unreasonable to guess others experience the world similarly to oneself; not at all interesting that folks would be surprised by that.
- ajb 11y agoIt's perhaps an exaggeration to describe them as 'those that can't imagine': Galton noted that inability to visualise was much more prevalent among his colleagues, the scientific men of the day, than among the general public.