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I became aware of aphantasia semi-recently and believe I have it, but have been wanting to asking someone who can see images a question ever since to try and co

I became aware of aphantasia semi-recently and believe I have it, but have been wanting to asking someone who can see images a question ever since to try and comprehend something I’ve questioned my whole life. I haven’t seen a clear answer when reading articles. When someone is giving talk and tells everyone (or asks you directly) to close your eyes and imagine you are on a beach with a cold drink next to you. Then they ask what color the drink is, or if there is anything in the distance… do you just look to see what’s there and answer, or do you need to create new information? Every time I’ve been in this situation I just see black, and am simply trying to think about whatever I was told to think about. Any time a question is asked about what I’m seeing, I just have to make up an answer. I’m basically lying so I can answer, and I thought that’s what everyone was doing. Is this not your experience? If you imagine and apple, do you just look at it to know what kind you’re brain picked today, without having to make a decision about what kind of apple you want to see? A follow up to that, if most people can see imagery like this, why on earth do people spend so much time with their nose in a phone? I think I’d be one of those problem daydreamers the article talked about. That sounds like a super power. The only time I’ve ever seen anything was when I went to a place to learn a certain meditation practice. The first time I did it I saw what were kind of like the northern lights, but a vivid blue. I actually opened my eyes for a second to see if they were shining lights at me to make it seem more magical. It only happened that one time. If that happened every time I meditated, I would be doing it all the time. It was so cool.

boricj 2y ago
> When someone is giving talk and tells everyone (or asks you directly) to close your eyes and imagine you are on a beach with a cold drink next to you. Then they ask what color the drink is, or if there is anything in the distance… do you just look to see what’s there and answer, or do you need to create new information? It depends. In order to visualize something, I give constraints to my imagination. If I decide to visualize a photo-realistic drink, the drink will have a color. If I don't constrain the color either directly ("yellow") or indirectly ("citrus drink"), my imagination will pick a color by default because it has to fill in the scene given by the constraints ("photo-realistic"). What color it picks at a given moment or why in that case is up to my subconscious I guess. If I decide to visualize a black-and-white drawing of a drink on a sheet of paper, it doesn't have a color. It has a shade of gray that I either consciously or unconsciously choose as above. If I decide to conceptualize a drink, the drink doesn't have a color unless I pick one. It's harder to describe what I experience then, but "feeling" a graph of concepts would be somewhat close. It's harder to conceptualize a purely non-abstract thing for me because my imagination will try to picture it given the chance, it works better as part of a reasoning process or on abstract things. > A follow up to that, if most people can see imagery like this, why on earth do people spend so much time with their nose in a phone? I think I’d be one of those problem daydreamers the article talked about. That sounds like a super power. Imagination isn't inspiration. Being uninspired applies equally to imagination and drawing. There's also only so many times you can draw or imagine a particular topic in a row before you get bored of it. It's also a question of producing vs consuming. I can listen to music in my head with little effort, but I can hear music with my headphones with no effort. If you're mentally spent or depressed, you probably don't have the focus or willpower to visualize an epic D&D quest playing out in your head, because it takes effort and creativity to do so.
- al_borland 2y ago
  Thanks for helping to clarify how you’re able to see things. I appreciate having clarity, while also disappointed I’m not able to do this. The inspiration vs imagination, and effort, makes sense. I suppose I’m thinking I’d do it all the time, because the idea of it is novel to me. Having it your whole life makes it a different story.

boricj 2y ago

> When someone is giving talk and tells everyone (or asks you directly) to close your eyes and imagine you are on a beach with a cold drink next to you. Then they ask what color the drink is, or if there is anything in the distance… do you just look to see what’s there and answer, or do you need to create new information? It depends. In order to visualize something, I give constraints to my imagination. If I decide to visualize a photo-realistic drink, the drink will have a color. If I don't constrain the color either directly ("yellow") or indirectly ("citrus drink"), my imagination will pick a color by default because it has to fill in the scene given by the constraints ("photo-realistic"). What color it picks at a given moment or why in that case is up to my subconscious I guess. If I decide to visualize a black-and-white drawing of a drink on a sheet of paper, it doesn't have a color. It has a shade of gray that I either consciously or unconsciously choose as above. If I decide to conceptualize a drink, the drink doesn't have a color unless I pick one. It's harder to describe what I experience then, but "feeling" a graph of concepts would be somewhat close. It's harder to conceptualize a purely non-abstract thing for me because my imagination will try to picture it given the chance, it works better as part of a reasoning process or on abstract things. > A follow up to that, if most people can see imagery like this, why on earth do people spend so much time with their nose in a phone? I think I’d be one of those problem daydreamers the article talked about. That sounds like a super power. Imagination isn't inspiration. Being uninspired applies equally to imagination and drawing. There's also only so many times you can draw or imagine a particular topic in a row before you get bored of it. It's also a question of producing vs consuming. I can listen to music in my head with little effort, but I can hear music with my headphones with no effort. If you're mentally spent or depressed, you probably don't have the focus or willpower to visualize an epic D&D quest playing out in your head, because it takes effort and creativity to do so.

al_borland 2y ago
Thanks for helping to clarify how you’re able to see things. I appreciate having clarity, while also disappointed I’m not able to do this. The inspiration vs imagination, and effort, makes sense. I suppose I’m thinking I’d do it all the time, because the idea of it is novel to me. Having it your whole life makes it a different story.