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I don't know of anyone who can summon an image such that it blocks their literal eyesight. But in my head, I can still "see" the image, with definition, color,
by radlad 5y ago
I don't know of anyone who can summon an image such that it blocks their literal eyesight. But in my head, I can still "see" the image, with definition, color, etc. I can vividly recall photographs and "see" the colors, lines, and details of those photographs in my head. I am still also seeing what is in front of me, though in a more "out of focus" fashion - my visual concentration is elsewhere.
I don't know how best to express it, but it's extremely visual. It's not just that I am recalling and describing - I am viewing and describing.
Ironically, I am terrible at drawing things because I can't see past the "big picture."
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- nwienert 5y agoSuper interesting. I can't "see" concretely at all in my mind - it's essentially always the back of my eyelids. But I am excellent at imagining just about anything, including rotating it around, zooming in, animating, etc. It's not seeing, it's more feeling I guess I'd describe it. I was always great at those "rotate this shape" questions on tests. Yet there's no concrete visual of it at all. Yet I can change zoom, colors, design pretty easily and have a good idea of what it looks like. I'm terrible at drawing, but could describe any scene I'm imagining have a near-perfect idea of how it should look if someone drew for me.
- NateEag 5y agoYou might be an aphantasiac with high spatial skills. I'm an aphant with low spatial skills. Though, FWIW, it sounds like you have more internal visuals than I do.
- jacobolus 5y agoThis discussion is fascinating. The various participants describe their experience very differently, but I still have absolutely no idea whatsoever if their internal experiences differ at all, or just the verbalizations.
- ghusbands 5y agoGiven that there are people who describe having no visuals of any kind and people who describe having a 3d rotatable view in their head, you should have some idea of how their internal experiences differ.
- jacobolus 5y agoPersonally I can imagine describing my experience as either a 3d-rotatable view in my head or as no visuals of any kind, depending on differences in the definition of “visual”. But I can identify most closely with the other commenters here who describe their experience as more proprioceptive or spatial than visual per se.