Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
9
↓
Aphantasia and Blindness (self.Blind)
submitted by skeletal_vagina
I apologize if I don't use the correct terminology for my question, and please point out if I need to change any wording, etc.
I learned about aphantasia a few years ago through a number of friends while discussing books and our individual experiences while reading. I don't know much about it, but I find the concept fascinating. From what I do understand it seems as though a lack of mental visualization with images is not the only manifestation of aphantasia and it can come in the form of an inability to "visualize" sounds and other senses as well.
Do you or someone you know experience this form of aphantasia or something similar? Would you be willing to share what that experience is like?
I learned about aphantasia a few years ago through a number of friends while discussing books and our individual experiences while reading. I don't know much about it, but I find the concept fascinating. From what I do understand it seems as though a lack of mental visualization with images is not the only manifestation of aphantasia and it can come in the form of an inability to "visualize" sounds and other senses as well.
Do you or someone you know experience this form of aphantasia or something similar? Would you be willing to share what that experience is like?
Real_Space_Captain 3 points 2y ago
Funny story, when I was first diagnosed I told a friend and she seemed pretty upset for me. Well about a year later she leaned she had aphantasia, never knew this was an uncommon thing, and when discussing it with her she told me that is why she was so upset for me, she'd figure I'd just be seeing blank the whole time. In reality, I have a super imaginative mind with never a dull moment.
It was a funny confusion but really sweet.
It was a funny confusion but really sweet.
skeletal_vagina [OP] 3 points 2y ago
I understand that confusion *completely*. I have almost the opposite of aphantasia. When I read, the words disappear and I experience the story like a movie and even though I understand that is not everyone's experience I cannot begin to actually conceptualize what they experience. That said, learning about it is so fascinating to me.
I have a friend with aphantasia who is a high fantasy author and the descriptions in their books are some of the most imaginative I've read. My partner has partial aphantasia and they experience reading in concepts and relations to their personal experiences. It is so neat learning how others can experience the same thing so differently.
I have a friend with aphantasia who is a high fantasy author and the descriptions in their books are some of the most imaginative I've read. My partner has partial aphantasia and they experience reading in concepts and relations to their personal experiences. It is so neat learning how others can experience the same thing so differently.
[deleted] 2 points 2y ago
I've never even heard of such a thing. Fascinating. I'll have to research it.
hopesthoughts 1 points 2y ago
I actually don't. I also have the thing that I experience it like a movie script when I read. It's more like I'm in the room, with the story going on around me though. the weird thing is, it could be a legal brief, or Revelation. However, I'm horrid at learning routes. My sense of direction is nonexistent though, and I think this is why. Combined with my ability to make perfect diagonal street crossings 99.99% of the time, this makes for me not going many places lol.
NovemberGoat 1 points 2y ago
Two exes of mine had Aphantasia. Both of them were big readers. They both had trouble learning routs when outside. "in stead of remembering it as a set of visuals, it was more like muscle memory. Positional information didn't stick until we walked the rout together and they experienced it for themselves. Walking a rout backwards was like learning a brand new one.
DSighted 1 points 2y ago
COVID was of no imposition for me. I still use structural discovery in my normal fashion. Fingerprints everywhere!!!
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.