4 ms·

From the sheer amount of different descriptions of this Aphantasia it should be obvious that most of it will cluster not in "disorder of the brain" or some such

by godDLL 5y ago

From the sheer amount of different descriptions of this Aphantasia it should be obvious that most of it will cluster not in "disorder of the brain" or some such, but in "different levels of ability, due to skill". I was blanker than you describe it. Nothing moving, nothing seen, nothing. Now I can light subjects, take measurements, walk around things with moving parts, roll them forward and backward through time. I went on a hunch that it just doesn't fit. Has to be learnable. And it was.

khazhoux 5y ago
Not learnable for everyone, in my opinion. I have no evidence of this except my own failed attempts. But I think your only evidence, also, was your successful attempt
- vidarh 5y ago
  Or maybe we just don't have a good understanding of how to learn it (and/or most people don't try). I can't visualise anything but the briefest of fuzzy flashes, and I'd love to learn, but I have no real idea how and not sure I'd invest enough time into it if I did because most of the time it doesn't affect me, so I'd "love to learn" the same way I'd "love to learn" better French (he says while 2 days overdue with his Anki deck) - it's an aspiration that often falls flat in the face of having to invest time.
  - godDLL 5y ago
    To be motivated to invest the time you want successes. Small ones will do. You can't be failing all the time, that's frustrating.
- godDLL 5y ago
  How do you approach learning? I'm very good at learning, can I maybe help? Talk to me.
1_player 5y ago
> From the sheer amount of different descriptions of this Aphantasia it should be obvious that most of it will cluster not in "disorder of the brain" or some such, but in "different levels of ability, due to skill". Yes, though it was a shock to learn of its existence in my 30s, but probably explains why getting into drawing has always felt so hard for me, especially as I've never used reference images. I guess it's perfectly fine not to be good at everything, and it's never impacted me in any way in my life.
- godDLL 5y ago
  You have wings. Don't talk yourself into not trying flying.
ip26 5y ago
How did you teach yourself?
- godDLL 5y ago
  I started with a journal, 5 minutes or so of practice every 2 to 10 days. First three I spent with my eyes closed, boxed breathing and not thinking of anything. It is hard to engage your mind in something while it's thinking this and that. That has to stop first. Then I'd try to localize a point. Move it around. A spot of my attention. Then try to understand what it would feel for it to be red, or green. Then I'd add a second point, and spread them apart or move them in closer together. Then I'd make one larger, a spot. The other smaller, and move one around the other. All of those are exercises for different days, and are progressively unlocked by succeeding at the previous exercise, not once but thoroughly. Then you could try tracing letters, imagining yourself following the motion. Putting letters together, one after the other. Reading that backwards. You should expect just that to take about 6 months of practice. Then it gets easier faster.

by godDLL 5y ago

khazhoux 5y ago

Not learnable for everyone, in my opinion. I have no evidence of this except my own failed attempts. But I think your only evidence, also, was your successful attempt

vidarh 5y ago
Or maybe we just don't have a good understanding of how to learn it (and/or most people don't try). I can't visualise anything but the briefest of fuzzy flashes, and I'd love to learn, but I have no real idea how and not sure I'd invest enough time into it if I did because most of the time it doesn't affect me, so I'd "love to learn" the same way I'd "love to learn" better French (he says while 2 days overdue with his Anki deck) - it's an aspiration that often falls flat in the face of having to invest time.
- godDLL 5y ago
  To be motivated to invest the time you want successes. Small ones will do. You can't be failing all the time, that's frustrating.
godDLL 5y ago
How do you approach learning? I'm very good at learning, can I maybe help? Talk to me.

1_player 5y ago

> From the sheer amount of different descriptions of this Aphantasia it should be obvious that most of it will cluster not in "disorder of the brain" or some such, but in "different levels of ability, due to skill". Yes, though it was a shock to learn of its existence in my 30s, but probably explains why getting into drawing has always felt so hard for me, especially as I've never used reference images. I guess it's perfectly fine not to be good at everything, and it's never impacted me in any way in my life.

godDLL 5y ago
You have wings. Don't talk yourself into not trying flying.

ip26 5y ago

How did you teach yourself?

godDLL 5y ago
I started with a journal, 5 minutes or so of practice every 2 to 10 days. First three I spent with my eyes closed, boxed breathing and not thinking of anything. It is hard to engage your mind in something while it's thinking this and that. That has to stop first. Then I'd try to localize a point. Move it around. A spot of my attention. Then try to understand what it would feel for it to be red, or green. Then I'd add a second point, and spread them apart or move them in closer together. Then I'd make one larger, a spot. The other smaller, and move one around the other. All of those are exercises for different days, and are progressively unlocked by succeeding at the previous exercise, not once but thoroughly. Then you could try tracing letters, imagining yourself following the motion. Putting letters together, one after the other. Reading that backwards. You should expect just that to take about 6 months of practice. Then it gets easier faster.