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What senses can you imagine and how clearly?

9K views 49 replies 19 participants last post by  Llyralen 
#1 · (Edited)
This week I became aware of Aphantasia. which means people who can’t picture things in their mind visually (info below).

After having talked to people here, I believe that we’ve found that certain senses are easier to recall than others for some of us. Also some of us might visualize more abstractly or recall the abstract impressions of something instead of remembering it exactly. After comparing my recall to some other people on PerC, I learned that my recall of taste and smell is a much more abstract experience than some others. I would say I am a visual learner—I will explain more of my experience in a second post—but really only music plays in my head like a radio of real life. Music in my head is often more clear than real life. This is the only sense for me that is not abstract in recall for me. But even though my visuals are more abstract, I can picture myself on a beach and sometimes I can have more clear or movie-like/dream-like visuals Where it feels like I can turn around and see all around me in a place and with people I’ve never seen before. This can happen while I’m awake. I call this my “Story mode”. Note that whether a brain can recall these senses clearly, abstractly or not at all doesn’t mean you don’t have great ability in that area. For nstance, I paint portraits. In fact, some of the abstract visuals in my brain can make it easy for me to know what details I want to focus on. But I do paint from a picture or model instead of from memory. I always thought really nobody could draw accurately from memory, but I may be completely wrong. Anyway, what is this like for you?

1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed? Can you think of colors? Can you picture an apple? Can you think of what your loved ones look like? What acquaintances look like? Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person? Can you picture an alligator ice skating? Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both? Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on? Does the hat stay on? Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily? How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen? What about in dreams while asleep?

3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds? Can you hear a bird singing? Can you play a song from the radio in your head? Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like? Can you hear exactly some things that they said? Can you imagine a new tune? Can your brain make a mash-up? Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies? What about when dreaming while asleep?

4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing? Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? What about when dreaming when asleep?

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? Can you think of vanilla and smell it? A strawberry? Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? What about how hugging your loved ones smells? What about creating a perfume? Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? What about when you are asleep dreaming?

6. Taste. Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? What about bitter end sour? What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? Do you get the general abstract of it? Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? What about while asleep dreaming?

I look forward to hearing your answers and also what seems abstract or seems almost real.



 
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#2 ·
This week I became aware of Aphantasia. which means people who can’t picture things in their mind visually (info below).

funny ! my entp bff and i were just talking about this a few weeks back , she had a patient who had aphantasia


After having talked to people here, I believe that we’ve found that certain senses are easier to recall than others for some of us. Also some of us might visualize more abstractly or recall the abstract impressions of something instead of remembering it exactly. After comparing my recall to some other people on PerC, I learned that my recall of taste and smell is a much more abstract experience than some others. I would say I am a visual learner—I will explain more of my experience in a second post—but really only music plays in my head like a radio of real life. Music in my head is often more clear than real life. This is the only sense for me that is not abstract in recall for me. But even though my visuals are more abstract, I can picture myself on a beach and sometimes I can have more clear or movie-like/dream-like visuals Where it feels like I can turn around and see all around me in a place and with people I’ve never seen before. This can happen while I’m awake. I call this my “Story mode”. Note that whether a brain can recall these senses clearly, abstractly or not at all doesn’t mean you don’t have great ability in that area. For nstance, I paint portraits. In fact, some of the abstract visuals in my brain can make it easy for me to know what details I want to focus on. But I do paint from a picture or model instead of from memory. I always thought really nobody could draw accurately from memory, but I may be completely wrong. Anyway, what is this like for you?

1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.


Enfp - 79 percent

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed?

Dream like movie sequence - I can vaguely see images but they seem very real to me in my imagination unless I have to sit back and think about it . Guess is like a glimpse of a film but more vague the more thoughts I put into visualizing it .

Can you think of colors? I think in colors sometimes I’ll make up colors that doesn’t exact


Can you picture an apple?

Yes I can except in my mind the image of the apple is much bigger than its actual size

Can you think of what your loved ones look like?
I can now - however I am horrible with faces . I meet my close entp buddy once or twice a year and he’s one of my closest friend along with being my favorite person to go out with, however every time we bumped into each other in public it takes me a few blink to figure it out



What acquaintances look like?
Depending on whom

Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person?

not the background until you’ve mentioned it - before it was just the image captured of the apple or my partner


Can you picture an alligator ice skating?

lol yes


Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both?
my first image was a fat olive greenish alligator on a skate board - after you’ve mentioned cartoon I see a small skinny alligator with sunglasses wearing boarding shorts and adidas sneakers on a skate board


Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on?
No I cannot / all i can see it’s bubble water and imagining myself in the water . I can never see my image or imaging what I look like in a third person pov .

Does the hat stay on? The hat was never on but the image of a brown hat with a red feather pops up in my mind


Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily?
water is what I am most vague at recalling - depends on the type of fish- great white sharks and koi are easy to visualize - jellyfish and star fish are very clear . Tropical ones I suppose it’s more cartoon like





How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? less than 3 seconds

Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? No - I can walk past a place for years and not notice the environment around me unless it’s autumn time , I have a better memory of what autumn looks like than what it actually look like outside lol


Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? yes - i do so all the time

Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen?

people will always be vague but appears realistic in my memories.



What about in dreams while asleep?

my dreams are highly visual and very detailed oriented . i have visited places in my dreams that i have never seen /experience in real life .

3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds?
if i try hard - i usually don’t notice sounds


Can you hear a bird singing? yes - I love hearing birds chirping in the morning, I’ve recently got into bird watching so yes


Can you play a song from the radio in your head?
yes I can

Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like?
I excel at remembering voices


Can you hear exactly some things that they said?
yes I can

Can you imagine a new tune?
not one that i like or enjoy but i make up tunes in my mind randomly all the time


Can your brain make a mash-up? yes


Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies?

it does - right now I’m listening to vivaldi 4 ( spring ) seasons in my mind


What about when dreaming while asleep?

Yes the sound in my sleep sounds like a replica of what i hear during the day .



4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet?


yes on furry and wet oddly enough i can’t feel water in my dreams


Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing?

yes



Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened?

no but i remembered the fear and how the pain was intolerable but no i don’t feel the actual pain


Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? yes


What about when dreaming when asleep?

yes

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour?
yes very well

Can you think of vanilla and smell it?

yes

A strawberry?
not the smell but the tastes and it’s tart makes the bottom of my throat uncomfortable


Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? my sense memory is extremely vivid


What about how hugging your loved ones smells?
yeah - especially my daughter

What about creating a perfume? no

Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together?
i can imagine the tastes not the smell

What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish?
no

What about when you are asleep dreaming?
interesting no smell when i’m asleep

6. Taste. Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty?
yes I’m tasting kettle corn right now

What about bitter end sour?
yes

What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit?
i can feel the splash vaguely tickling my tongue


Do you get the general abstract of it?
both more on the general side


Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? yup

Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary?

yes


Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? yes


What about while asleep dreaming?
yeah I eat in my dreams all the time





cool post ! this is the most fun I had in a while - and thank you ! this would surely help me on my research on how one think or feel :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
 
#3 ·
Hey, I don’t have this but bc of my dyslexia ( not all have it but quite a few), I have the visual part ( the minds eye)
but no inner voice. So when I read I have to whisper along, mumbled to myself. there’s no way around it. I have a million journals also bc i just can hear my inner voice when I’m thinking to myself so I write..my style* lots of symbols instead of words. I abbreviated a lot for words. Of course writing to others, I used very few abbreviations but still more than most. I could write this whole post in shorthand. But 99% wouldn’t understand it.

so I don’t ear a phantom voice in my head as I’m reading this sentence Or when I’m thinking to myself, everything is vision/pictures or feelings.

what is strange is that I naturally have very good hearing. Like I can hear background noises really good, like water running under the ground ( like from a under ground sprinkler system, I can hear it turn on), I can hear my heartbeat when it’s very quiet from inside my body and my own blood running thru my veins, one reason why I always have music on. ( 70% of my music is no words just sounds or instrumental), so I can visualize better, plus I dont like to be told stuff so I prefer music with no words).

ive studied and learned all about psychoacoustic (perception of sound)...bc I hear tones and stress on ppl voices, that I just end knowing stuff...like when ppl said “ nice hair cut” but in a sarcastic tone you know they didn’t mean it....it’s that but mine is really refine...and not just with voices, like how the winds blows I know if it’s about to rain heavy etc ( i pick up on sounds easily) like some ppl can smell rain coming. ( and it’s not with everything)...

i also have strong gut instinct which is good bc I can be a little oblivious to stuff around, I daydream a lot. I read an article talking about how gut instinct is real....about how most info goes to our subconscious and gets stored there ( trillions of data) while only a little bit goes to our conscious and the gut instinct is more like your subconscious recognizing it but not your conscious....gut instinct...the article was more scientific but I’m just giving a snapshot.

dreams, I only 2x I actually heard voices( I can completely describe these voices) but I’m not deaf in dreams (I just know), but on another dream I was completely deaf, was doing everything I could to hear, I could feel my lungs fill up air, very intense not something you always feel when your breathing. Like I really experience what it felt like to be deaf.

once I smelled garlic in my dream, it was so strong it woke me and I could taste it in the back of my throat ( during this time irl I had a boss that ate raw garlic everyday and he smelled really bad, he would sweated garlic, no joke), Thats the only time I remember smelling in my dreams.


well I could go on and on, but I will stop for now.
 
#5 ·
Hey, I don’t have this but bc of my dyslexia ( not all have it but quite a few), I have the visual part ( the minds eye)
but no inner voice. So when I read I have to whisper along, mumbled to myself. there’s no way around it. I have a million journals also bc i just can hear my inner voice when I’m thinking to myself so I write..my style* lots of symbols instead of words. I abbreviated a lot for words. Of course writing to others, I used very few abbreviations but still more than most. I could write this whole post in shorthand. But 99% wouldn’t understand it.

so I don’t ear a phantom voice in my head as I’m reading this sentence Or when I’m thinking to myself, everything is vision/pictures or feelings.

what is strange is that I naturally have very good hearing. Like I can hear background noises really good, like water running under the ground ( like from a under ground sprinkler system, I can hear it turn on), I can hear my heartbeat when it’s very quiet from inside my body and my own blood running thru my veins, one reason why I always have music on. ( 70% of my music is no words just sounds or instrumental), so I can visualize better, plus I dont like to be told stuff so I prefer music with no words).

ive studied and learned all about psychoacoustic (perception of sound)...bc I hear tones and stress on ppl voices, that I just end knowing stuff...like when ppl said “ nice hair cut” but in a sarcastic tone you know they didn’t mean it....it’s that but mine is really refine...and not just with voices, like how the winds blows I know if it’s about to rain heavy etc ( i pick up on sounds easily) like some ppl can smell rain coming. ( and it’s not with everything)...

i also have strong gut instinct which is good bc I can be a little oblivious to stuff around, I daydream a lot. I read an article talking about how gut instinct is real....about how most info goes to our subconscious and gets stored there ( trillions of data) while only a little bit goes to our conscious and the gut instinct is more like your subconscious recognizing it but not your conscious....gut instinct...the article was more scientific but I’m just giving a snapshot.

dreams, I only 2x I actually heard voices( I can completely describe these voices) but I’m not deaf in dreams (I just know), but on another dream I was completely deaf, was doing everything I could to hear, I could feel my lungs fill up air, very intense not something you always feel when your breathing. Like I really experience what it felt like to be deaf.

once I smelled garlic in my dream, it was so strong it woke me and I could taste it in the back of my throat ( during this time irl I had a boss that ate raw garlic everyday and he smelled really bad, he would sweated garlic, no joke), Thats the only time I remember smelling in my dreams.


well I could go on and on, but I will stop for now.
As soon as I learned about aphantasia I thought the same thing in audio must also exist. I wonder if there is a name for it? I also wonder if other people will come forward with that.
I wonder what this kind of thing looks like on a brain scan.
 
#4 · (Edited)
This week I became aware of Aphantasia. which means people who can’t picture things in their mind visually (info below).

After having talked to people here, I believe that we’ve found that certain senses are easier to recall than others for some of us. Also some of us might visualize more abstractly or recall the abstract impressions of something instead of remembering it exactly. After comparing my recall to some other people on PerC, I learned that my recall of taste and smell is a much more abstract experience than some others. I would say I am a visual learner—I will explain more of my experience in a second post—but really only music plays in my head like a radio of real life. Music in my head is often more clear than real life. This is the only sense for me that is not abstract in recall for me. But even though my visuals are more abstract, I can picture myself on a beach and sometimes I can have more clear or movie-like/dream-like visuals Where it feels like I can turn around and see all around me in a place and with people I’ve never seen before. This can happen while I’m awake. I call this my “Story mode”. Note that whether a brain can recall these senses clearly, abstractly or not at all doesn’t mean you don’t have great ability in that area. For nstance, I paint portraits. In fact, some of the abstract visuals in my brain can make it easy for me to know what details I want to focus on. But I do paint from a picture or model instead of from memory. I always thought really nobody could draw accurately from memory, but I may be completely wrong. Anyway, what is this like for you?
I can visualize things, but I've felt like I fail to focus on images of future goals.
Like once I heard the future conceptualized like an image one keeps in their mind, and I don't relate to that very well. I feel it's difficult to have a single goal to focus on as a future point.

I wonder if this is relating to perceiving, or something else.

1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.
I can't give a percentile, but I think INFP and maybe ENFP or maybe XSFP.


2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed? Can you think of colors? Can you picture an apple? Can you think of what your loved ones look like? What acquaintances look like? Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person? Can you picture an alligator ice skating? Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both? Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on? Does the hat stay on? Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily? How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen? What about in dreams while asleep?
I can think in colors and picture an apple--though it looks more like a painting of an apple. I can think of what people look like, but they look more emotional than usual. I tend not to focus on background detail, though I am confident I could create the image of it. I see it as a painting first, but can see it as cartoon or realistic.

When I picture myself snorkeling with a tophat, I feel what it might be like--I feel it on my head and I dislike having to hold onto it underwater.

I don't want to remember it so I don't think it will stay on very long.

Yes--I can picture myself somewhere I've never been and see details about the light. Idk about imagining people I've never seen. I mean, if they are important to me, yeah. I also dream in color and detail too!

Great question!

3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds? Can you hear a bird singing? Can you play a song from the radio in your head? Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like? Can you hear exactly some things that they said? Can you imagine a new tune? Can your brain make a mash-up? Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies? What about when dreaming while asleep?
I had trouble with the radio song. I can think of someone from my past's voice--but it's my old best friend. I can hear things that are said, sounds, and birds singing. I often think of tunes I don't know, but I don't really imagine them, they just come. I haven't tried to make a mash-up! I doubt I'd be good at it--but I admire people who can (as a kid I would imagine a lot more with music though). I wish my brain made symphonies. Dang.

When I was a kid I used to imagine the animals singing to the radio. I would close my eyes while listening to the car radio and I would imagine all the pets of my family and friends performing a music video and singing the song.

4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing? Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? What about when dreaming when asleep?
I think I imagine touch second to visual...or maybe first. So yeah, I do imagine all the textures. I actually tend to imagine other things more tactile too--like sometimes I think of 'editing' writing like running my fingers along a smooth surface and feeling the bumps. I am pretty tactile. Though I am also visual and verbal.

Or when I'm feeling very crazy or emotionally upset, I sometimes trace my fingers in images. It's how I realized I needed art--because I would get agitated and start tracing my fingers around things.

Though I think in dreams, it is mostly visual, then emotional, then maybe audio and then tactile.

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? Can you think of vanilla and smell it? A strawberry? Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? What about how hugging your loved ones smells? What about creating a perfume? Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? What about when you are asleep dreaming?
I smell something like vanilla--not as original or fresh as real vanilla. But moreso what I associate with it--the depth, the warmth, the sweetness...I do like to make my own perfumes with essential oils and smell herbs and things.

I do mix my own perfumes, and I also use smell while cooking--I will use it to figure out what spices go together, along with taste.

Some perfumes have distinct feelings to me--I tend to gravitate to archetypes--like vanilla with a spice--maybe cinnamon, and also something musky like sandlewood. That would be a very archetypal perfume to me--a spicy, feminine smell. But there are so many--I love perfumes and making my own out of oils.

When I am sleep dreaming I rarely smell or taste. I can't remember smelling once tbh.

6. Taste. Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? What about bitter end sour? What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? Do you get the general abstract of it? Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? What about while asleep dreaming?

I look forward to hearing your answers and also what seems abstract or seems almost real.
I can imagine tastes--I do enjoy cooking and I often have to imagine tastes together because I often create original dishes. I usually do not follow a recipe, but I just use my ability to combine spices and flavors.

I've dreamed about tastes rarely, but profoundly--in nocturnal dreams. I once dreamed of a man sticking a terrible tasting thing into my mouth, for example--it tasted bitter.

But I generally do not dream of taste.

I sometimes imagine mouth-feels though, as I said I can be very tactile. Occasionally I will really feel like a sensation in my mouth when thinking of something, not unlike I feel a sensation in my hand. Reminds me of the Bjork song Possibly Maybe where she talks about sucking her tongue.



But that is more tactile and less taste.

Really interesting questions!
 
#6 ·
@WickerDeer I haven’t written mine yet, but ai can’t remember tasting in my dreams either, or smell in my dreams I don’t think. I will maybe ask my subconscious to work on that?

Mouth-feel? Yes, I think so and that’s interesting.

What you do whenyou’re upset with tracing— that is so interesting! And that’s when my mind makes up the best music, and it just comes. I think this says a lot, right? What our brains want to do to when we need comfort. Music in times of extreme sadness for me is also whatI’m talking about. Such a great thing to bring up!
 
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#7 ·
1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.
Some TJ and most likely S - pretty sure now about that.

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed? Can you think of colors? Can you picture an apple? Can you think of what your loved ones look like?
My visual imagination seems to be pretty vague - I can imagine and recall things but those are more like temporary very quick mental flashes, I can't focus on details or much colors. I think it hasn't much to do with forgetting stuff but it's rather how my mind stores such data at first place if I perceive anything - more like general impression of the situation or object, to be stored in my knowledge base for later use. Doesn't even make much difference if my eyes are open or closed.

3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds?
Recalling sounds and playing them in my mind seems to be strongest sense I can imagine. When I was younger, I played whole favourite songs in my mind like they were real. Now when I don't have any exact favourites, it still works but a bit differently.

4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing? Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? What about when dreaming when asleep?
Sort of possible but it's still rather vague to imagine touches. Seems to work better in my dreams compared to being awake.

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? Can you think of vanilla and smell it? A strawberry? Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? What about how hugging your loved ones smells? What about creating a perfume? Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? What about when you are asleep dreaming?
Pretty vaguely. Can imagine some smells but not really clearly. I've had experiences when I can smell soil and hay in my dreams and it felt more clear than while awake.

6. Taste. Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? What about bitter end sour? What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? Do you get the general abstract of it? Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? What about while asleep dreaming?
Taste of sour gum candies is probably the easiest to imagine as they're my favourites and practically only sweets I occasionally eat. Other stuff is imaginable but not that clearly. Can't recall any of tastes from my dreams.
 
#8 ·
Visual:
I can imagine visual things the most clearly. I can remember faces with great clarity and can quickly recognize people even if they look radically different. I took an interest in visual art ever since I was a toddler, and at the early age of 2 could draw representational shapes (of 2 mice apparently). Thus, my tendencies towards drawing could have had an influence on my brain to pay special attention to visual data. I can visualize imaginary people, as well, fictional characters of species of my own invention. I can also visualize complex shapes, an array of colours, and movement. I tend to play movies in my mind to put myself to sleep.

Audio:
I can hear songs in my mind, pretty much on key, although my brain will loop a specific hook repeatedly. I can remember some voices, and, if I've heard someone's voice, I'll tend to hear their textual communication in their particular voice and inflection. I'm not sure how accurate I am, however. It's one of those qualities that it's difficult to verbalize and thus difficult to compare to real visual stimuli.
I'll make up voices for fictional characters I'm reading as well, or those I'm writing and have a general idea of their vocal texture and range.

Smell:
I'm not very good at remembering smells. I have a way of equating smell with colour, not full on synesthesia, but a way of organizing smells in my mind, like if an aroma has a pastel smell vs a darker smell. It's hard to explain in words.

Taste:
I generally don't remember taste very well, at all. I only remember if I liked something, but I can't tell if I'm liking a present food better than I liked in the past. If anything I seem to idealize past tastes that I've enjoyed as a child or in younger years, and it never seems to taste as good as I remember it tasting in the past. I'm thinking I might remember it wrong and am playing off the emotional memories of that instance.

Touch:
I tend to be able to imagine textures fairly well. It's difficult to verbalize textures other than rough, smooth, furry, damp, etc., though.

Time:
I'm horrible at remembering time intervals in my memories, and in my imagination, I will generate time loops in my imagination that only encompass several sections of dialogue or action. I don't know why I do this.
 
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#9 · (Edited)
I just found out from this video that some researchers at the University of London are working on olfactory memory like aphantasia only for smells.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I think I will just kind of rate my imagination power with each sense.

Audio— very clear, as good or better in some ways than listening to the outside, because I have a volume switch and creativity switch. When recalling music I can switch out different instruments, chqnge the singer to a different singer or instrument, I can smooth voices. I can do mix-ups. This is by far my best. It is very rare that there isn’t an internal radio and sometimes even two radios playing in my head with my Ne multiple tracks. It is also music that I probably love the most of any “thing”. It is hard for me to not sing and usually I am singing as soon as I am alone and it has always been that way and my family always asks me to stop singing. I can easily imagine pretty much anyone saying anything or different singers singing different songs they’ve never sung to my knowledge. I often get disappointed that most recordings are not as good as what I remember or imagine. Particular recordings and great singers or pianists or violinists that knock my socks off are important to me. If I have listened to a lot of new music...and havent gotten to sing or do anything with it then sometimes my volume switch it over-ridden. Music feels like it’s about to break through my brain and it is hard to tame sometimes. It can be very hard to quiet down so that it is background music like usual if I’ve been listening to a lot of new music.

Visual— it’s fairly abstract, but not bad, and I learn visually. I’m actually not an auditory learner at all despite the love and the imagination for music and voices. every once in a while my brain does this strange thing where it rapidly flips through pictures of art that I have never seen and these are very clear and it is somewhat disturbing but pretty rare.

Touch— not abstract, but probably not used in my imagination as much as I could as a writer. Touch is less interesting, although I guess a pretty clear memory. It’s hard for me to think up things to try to imagine, but everything I think of I can imagine touching. Wet cold, rock, fur... yeah.

Taste- abstract and not clear. I have to think hard. It’s for sure not better than actually tasting it.

Smell—abstract as well. I can imagine the essence of it, but not exactly it usually.
 
#11 ·
INFP


Visual: I can imagine everything but backgrounds. I can imagine and remember people I've never seen with much detail (apart from their clothes, they are always very basic) but when it comes to loved ones I always mistake something. I might imagine then with a different nose for example. I can picture a real alligator skating but it's hard to imagine a cartoon one. I can imagine myself doing anything.
But when it comes to backgrounds I'm terrible. I can somewhat see real backgrounds but I can't create my own. When I daydream I imagine very basic copies of places I've seen or a completely white room. I can't imagine shadows and sunlight either. Not for much time at least.
In dreams I just reuse familiar locations (from other dreams, not from real life) and my house/school/town is never the same as in real life. I've seen people from my daydreams and people that I've never seen again clearly but my loved ones are again altered.


Sound: I can imagine any type of sound so clearly that I almost hear it sometimes. Obviously in dreams too.

Touch: I can imagine pain faintly. Even more faintly if I've never felt it. Like I know it hurts and how much it hurts but I can't "feel" it. I can't imagine other types of touch very well, if at all. Very rarely have I felt pain in my dreams and I can't even remember if I've felt the sense of touch. Probably not.

Smell: I can barely imagine actual smells and I definitely can't mix them. I think I've never smelled anything when dreaming.

Taste: I can almost taste things when I'm hungry or when I smell food but I can't really mix tastes. When I'm not hungry it's harder. I very rarely eat in dreams (almost never) but it's tasteless when it happens.
 
#12 ·
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#14 ·
I think my imagination is pretty good at all the senses. I would say that in general use it's somewhat impressionistic, but if I focus on imagining something I can usually get pretty detailed imagination. I suppose it's pretty similar to memory, imagining things draws on memory of things to create something new.

Visual: The detail withi which I can picture things seems somewhat related to whether I have recently been lloking at details of that type of thing in reali life. For example, if I've been looking at pictures of fancy dresses for the past hour, I can easily imagine detailed outfits in my head, where otherwise they might be slightly more impressionistic unless I really focuse on deciding on the details rather than them just sort of appearing in my mind's eye.

Audio: I'd say especially with music I get pretty realistic inner sounds, to the point that I can be listening to a song in my head and hardly notice that it's in my head rather than actually playing. I feel like it can be harder for me to clearly hear in my head different people's voices. I can pretty clearly imagine some sound effect type sounds like the sounds of different cupboard doors closing or different shoe's footstep sounds.

Smell: I can imagine some smells, others are harder to mentally recreate. In some cases it's a little more like conjuring up the feeling the smell gives me slightly more than the actual smell, but with others i feel like I really can internally sense the experience of the smell.

Taste: I use this ability a LOT. Whenever I'm trying to decide what to eat I imagine the taste of the different options in my mouth. I also imagine the feeling of chewing it (texture) and how it will feel in my stomach. That imagining the feeling in my stomach can be useful for determining if certain foods will agree with eachother or not be a good combination.

Touch: I can pretty clearly imagine sensations like the wind on my face or running my hand over cool smooth marble or remember the sensation of slightly sticking smoothness of rubbing ribbon against ribbon between my thumb and forefinger (I used to do that a lot with ribbon belts on my dresses as a kid).
 
#16 ·
1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.
INFJ 70-80%

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed? Can you think of colors? Can you picture an apple? Can you think of what your loved ones look like? What acquaintances look like? Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person? Can you picture an alligator ice skating? Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both? Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on? Does the hat stay on? Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily? How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen? What about in dreams while asleep?
The apple has almost no color to it. It's practically black and white, and is quite blurry, how the heat rises off a scorching hot desert, that effect distorts the apple. This effect applies to everything else I visually imagine as well.

My mind also can't seem to help but imagine the apple in different forms, so fully formed and edible, to half eaten, to rotten and back into a seed inside another apple.

Loved ones and other people appear the same, except the emotions they are displaying change quite a lot.

I can't see the backgrounds, around any of these. It's like they are standing in a grey void.

I can picture an alligator ice skating, it is a cartoon version and the movements are jumpy, like it moves from left to right then jumps back to a static position in the middle, moves again, jumps back and I seem to have no control over that. As though it is completing a move over and over again.

Same goes for snorkeling. I am in water, I can tell because of my body position and the grey area around me is darker towards the bottom and lighter towards the top, suggesting sunlight piercing through the water, but apart from that I am in a static position and the snorkel and top hat, while there, are very much lacking detail, merely shapes.

When I stop imagining these things they will periodically return and change in drastic ways which are much more vivid and vibrant, but only for split seconds. For instance, I imagined a shark swimming up to me in the snorkeling scenario which appeared much more vividly than anything I could consciously try to imagine, but it goes just as quickly.

My dreams, when I remember them, are much more vivid than my conscious attempts to imagine things and scenarios. Places, people, conversations, colours, but still lacking contrast, all appear more vividly.

3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds? Can you hear a bird singing? Can you play a song from the radio in your head? Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like? Can you hear exactly some things that they said? Can you imagine a new tune? Can your brain make a mash-up? Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies? What about when dreaming while asleep?
To keep this short, I'm just going to say that I can do all of these things vividly except that they are usually quite short lived. The bird singing may last only a couple of seconds before it cuts off and I have to consciously try again.

4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing? Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? What about when dreaming when asleep?
I can imagine all of these things quite well except pain, my dreams are very much lacking in this department though.

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? Can you think of vanilla and smell it? A strawberry? Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? What about how hugging your loved ones smells? What about creating a perfume? Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? What about when you are asleep dreaming?

6. Taste. Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? What about bitter end sour? What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? Do you get the general abstract of it? Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? What about while asleep dreaming?
I can't imagine smells or tastes consciously whatsoever. I can imagine them if they are suggested to me in a more natural situation where I'm not aware of the process of trying, and neither feature in my dreams.
 
#17 ·
INFJ 70-80%

The apple has almost no color to it. It's practically black and white, and is quite blurry, how the heat rises off a scorching hot desert, that effect distorts the apple. This effect applies to everything else I visually imagine as well.

My mind also can't seem to help but imagine the apple in different forms, so fully formed and edible, to half eaten, to rotten and back into a seed inside another apple.

Loved ones and other people appear the same, except the emotions they are displaying change quite a lot.

I can't see the backgrounds, around any of these. It's like they are standing in a grey void.

I can picture an alligator ice skating, it is a cartoon version and the movements are jumpy, like it moves from left to right then jumps back to a static position in the middle, moves again, jumps back and I seem to have no control over that. As though it is completing a move over and over again.

Same goes for snorkeling. I am in water, I can tell because of my body position and the grey area around me is darker towards the bottom and lighter towards the top, suggesting sunlight piercing through the water, but apart from that I am in a static position and the snorkel and top hat, while there, are very much lacking detail, merely shapes.

When I stop imagining these things they will periodically return and change in drastic ways which are much more vivid and vibrant, but only for split seconds. For instance, I imagined a shark swimming up to me in the snorkeling scenario which appeared much more vividly than anything I could consciously try to imagine, but it goes just as quickly.

My dreams, when I remember them, are much more vivid than my conscious attempts to imagine things and scenarios. Places, people, conversations, colours, but still lacking contrast, all appear more vividly.



To keep this short, I'm just going to say that I can do all of these things vividly except that they are usually quite short lived. The bird singing may last only a couple of seconds before it cuts off and I have to consciously try again.



I can imagine all of these things quite well except pain, my dreams are very much lacking in this department though.



I can't imagine smells or tastes consciously whatsoever. I can imagine them if they are suggested to me in a more natural situation where I'm not aware of the process of trying, and neither feature in my dreams.
Thank you! Very interesting, isn’t it? Your “Can do all but short-lived” is how it is for me with visuals, although I am a visual learner. Many concepts look in my mind like me drawing shapes in dust. I remember the first time my brain ever had to do this and how much my brain had to strain to make it happen. i was probably 4 or 5 years old and at preschool or kindergarten they had asked where I lived and I think I had said my state name. I was asking questiins and got different answers from my mom about city and county and state. So then they had said “Your city is inside of the county and the county is inside of the state” and I remember my brain just straining and had to come up with the visual of small boxes inside of bigger boxes and I said “The city is smaller than the county? And the county is smaller than the state? Okay.”

What kind of learner would you say that you are?

I’m not an audio learner although I (and maybe everyone) seem to learn differently for music… it seems to be in a different part of my brain, probably next to dancing— but I think that has been proven true. I met a non-verbal autistic boy a month ago whocan sing songs clearly, but he can’t talk. He can’t put sentences together. He is always singing, though, and of course with dementia patients they have done studies where they can often remember music.

Thank you for answering!
 
#21 ·
No invite needed— or now you have one. :) Could you go into the questions a bit deeper?
 
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#20 ·
First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.
60% istp, 30% intp, 10% others

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed?

Random pics, and behind a black or white screen, that seem to fade away and reappear

Can you think of colors? Yes

Can you picture an apple? Yes

Can you think of what your loved ones look like?What acquaintances look like?

Yes , but only faces, barely any detail.. but just the overall photo that seems to be drawn than real

Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person?

No
Can you picture an alligator ice skating?

Kind of

Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both?

Most likely cartoon

Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on?

No

Does the hat stay on?

No

Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily?

Man, I can’t see a full photo of water and fish all together let alone details

How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore?

Idk

Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight?

Yes

Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been?

I can’t provide a single image of myself other than an amorphous human/blob of s*

Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen?

Imagined two faces I’ve seen before, but in 3D, and obviously seen before, couldn’t create smth new.

What about in dreams while asleep?

I can recall faces in dreams. Most of the times they’re a little blurred. I can recall places and objects as well.


3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds?

Yes

Can you hear a bird singing?

Yes

Can you play a song from the radio in your head?

Yes

Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like?

No

Can you hear exactly some things that they said?

Only a recent call .. some words..

Can you imagine a new tune?

High pitch noise

Can your brain make a mash-up?

No

Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies?

No

What about when dreaming while asleep?

Some voices of people I knew..


4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet?

Yes

Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing?

No

Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened?

No

Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like?

Somewhat

What about when dreaming when asleep? Can’t remember

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour?

Only sweet cookies

Can you think of vanilla and smell it?

Hardly smelling it

A strawberry?

No

Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not?

Farts lol

What about how hugging your loved ones smells?

No

What about creating a perfume? Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together?

It smells nasty no thanks

What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish?

Only rotten eggs

What about when you are asleep dreaming?

Can’t remember

6. Taste. Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? What about bitter end sour? What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? Do you get the general abstract of it? Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? What about while asleep dreaming?

Salty,
No
No
No
Neither
No
Only cinnamon
Only cardamom
Nothing in dreams.
 
#26 ·
1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you?
INFJ. 99th percentile.

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed?
Can you think of colors? Yes
Can you picture an apple? Yes
Can you think of what your loved ones look like? Yes
What acquaintances look like? Yes
Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person? Yes
Can you picture an alligator ice skating? Yes
Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both? Both
Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on? Yes
Does the hat stay on? Yes
Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily? It fills in naturally
How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? Not long
Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? Yes
Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? Yes
Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen? Yes
What about in dreams while asleep? Yes. It bothers me when there are people from past dreams. I want to know them and not just remember them from a previous dream.

3. Sound when it is quiet.
Can you hear sounds? Yes
Can you hear a bird singing? Yes
Can you play a song from the radio in your head? Yes
Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like? Yes
Can you hear exactly some things that they said? It would help if I could remember some exact words. I can hear the voice correctly, though. Laughter too.
Can you imagine a new tune? Yes
Can your brain make a mash-up? Yes. Correcting for timing/key changes
Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies? Not the sheet music. But I can hear it.
What about when dreaming while asleep? Normal sounds. I don’t have a soundtrack going in the background or anything.

4. Touch.
While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? Yes
Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing?
Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? Not as intensely. Thank goodness.
Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? Yes
What about when dreaming when asleep? When I’m in the process of falling asleep sometimes my fingers get too big. Weird sensation but it only happens occasionally when I’m on the edge of sleep.

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? Yes
Can you think of vanilla and smell it?
A strawberry? Yes
Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? Smells from when I was a toddler I can recall but not what they’re connected to.
What about how hugging your loved ones smells? Yes
What about creating a perfume? Yes
Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? Yes
What about mixing “bad” smells together? Yes
Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? Yes
What about when you are asleep dreaming? Yes. (But happens rarely)
Real life - Scents have sounds for me. Not every scent, just some of them. It’s kind of one of those ‘it is what it is’ things, unless I accidentally comment on some sound only I’m hearing. I try not to. People don’t react well to it.

6. Taste.
Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? Yes
What about bitter end sour? Yes
What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? Yes. My mouth is watering.
Do you get the general abstract of it? real thing
Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? Yes
Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? yes
Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? Yes
What about while asleep dreaming? Yes. (But happens rarely)
 
#27 ·
Okay, this is an interesting thread because I have hallucinations and more than half have been multimodal (MMHs, which means it involves two or more sensory modalities), but I also have some issues concerning memory. Let's see.
1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you? Give a percentile.
INTP. I don't know, I don't really identify with any other type so 98.9 %
2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed? Can you think of colors? Can you picture an apple? Can you think of what your loved ones look like? What acquaintances look like? Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person? Can you picture an alligator ice skating? Do you see it in cartoon or like a real alligator on a skateboard or can you do both? Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on? Does the hat stay on? Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily? How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen? What about in dreams while asleep?
I can see colours, textures and movement. However, I do have a lot of problem remembering faces and anything that requires spatial memory (locations); applying orientation while imagining roads, cities, etc., is a pain, that is also why I get lost easily. ;-;
It might be related with faces then (different areas of the brain though, so I don't know), since I can remember features, but not symmetrically. I can't build a whole face, not even mine. So sad.

About the alligator and the hat, yes. I think I have to put a bit more effort into picturing shadows (where is the sun coming from and what is the angle, etc.) and hm, the amount of time it stays on my mind depends, some details need to be recalled, yes. My dreams are really vivid.

3. Sound when it is quiet. Can you hear sounds? Can you hear a bird singing? Can you play a song from the radio in your head? Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like? Can you hear exactly some things that they said? Can you imagine a new tune? Can your brain make a mash-up? Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies? What about when dreaming while asleep?
Yeah, I'm too okay with sounds, specially with voices, lol.
Some questions are about imagining and some other about remembering. Whenever explicit/specific/situational memory takes place (it's different to imagine an apple to the apple I ate two weeks ago), it depends.
4. Touch. While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing? Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? What about when dreaming when asleep?
Yup.
5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? Can you think of vanilla and smell it? A strawberry? Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? What about how hugging your loved ones smells? What about creating a perfume? Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? What about mixing “bad” smells together? Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? What about when you are asleep dreaming?
This one is less than the others. Taste is clearer, in my case. Right now I'm not even sure how a strawberry smells like, but I can picture its taste. Perfumes are very complex... hm, I don't think I can imagine them perfectly expect for some basic ones like vanilla or lavender. My hallucinations in this area are pretty basic too: blood, trash, rotten body (animal) and (warm) cats... Don't psychoanalyse me, thanks. I do wish they were more pleasant though, like rain or fresh bread.

With taste I'm pretty good, it has been really useful while cooking and my friends always ask me for advice when choosing ingredients for their food because I can mix them in my head. I'm trying to get better at it.
 
#28 ·
@Windblownhair. Also probably one of the most complete sensory recalls/imaginations on here it sounds like.

@Nannerl I hope you read these through because I think your sensory recall/imagination is more normal than you think, probably.
 
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#29 ·
I hope you read these through because I think your sensory recall/imagination is more normal than you think, probably.
Uhm, I don't think I'm abnormal. Memory and imagination are extremely vague and personalized for everybody, I just wanted to see if there was a relation with my condition and acknowledged the fact that I suck at some points. I already read it through though.
 
#33 ·
I'm an INFP with certain aspects of an INTP.
I can do all of these things. Can anybody else imagine someone saying something that they haven't said, but you can still imagine their voice, facial expression, etc.?
Yes I can. I would think anyone who does impressions would have to use this skill as part of what they do. If you take one sentence and ask me if I can imagine how a bunch of different people in my life or celebrities that I hear often would say it, I can. I can do the same with singers if it is a line of a song.

Would you mind going through the questions and answering in more detail? I would say it’s fairly rare to be able to do the more advanced smell ones, for instance. Also there are comparison questions about what happens when it comes to dreams with senses.
 
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#31 ·
1. First, what type do you think you are? How sure are you?
infp... most of the time pretty sure, some days not at all, so perhaps 75?

2. Visual. How does your brain experience visualization when your eyes are closed?
Can you think of colors? Yes, my mind use colour a lot for thinking, as part of the language, there's always colour among my thoughts.
Can you picture an apple? Yes, dfferent kinds, drawn, detail, texture, but not all of it in focus at once, it is like only around...2-3cm at a time can be focused.
Can you think of what your loved ones look like? Yeah... but it is a bit difficult to get faces to show properly, often it is like a wig with blurr, and then I can see one feature at a time, nose, eye, mouth... when I really try I can get a full face often, but not always. It doesn't seem to matter how close they are, it is almost sometimes like people that matter are more difficult, as one have seen them in so many ways, and it is more the feel of the sum that pops up when trying to envision them, compared to say a face you often see in a still picture.
What acquaintances look like? see above
Do you see background detail clearly if you decide to picture an apple or a person? If I want to, when I thought of apples, sometimes there was a hand that held it or I saw the tree it hung from and the leaves and sunshine. Some detail, but not like a photo.
Can you picture an alligator ice skating? Blurry without problem, clearer if making an effort, pictures changing, from a natural looking someone put on skates that lay flat on their sides as they don't fit, to one with specially made in an ice rink, to one getting a hang of it and using it to quickly attack a person, to a drawn. Pictures tend to flash by when I do this more conciously like this, it is difficult to keep one and inspect it for long.
Can you picture yourself snorkeling with a top hat on? Somewhat... a person that is to be me doing that, but I have a bit of a trouble seeing myself, I have a bit unclear image of myself.
Does the hat stay on? yes, I did it like a still picture, if like a movie I could see both, but now I have read the question, if it stays on I imagine it is attached to the cyclops.
Do you need to work to imagine the details of fish and water or does that come very easily? As there was focus on the hat I imagined it from above, so no fish, but water with waves and some waves from swimming, some water lilies, or in another picture tiles in a pool. Those came naturally, not super detailed, but they were there.
How long will this stay in your mind after not actively recalling it anymore? it is gone as soon as I think of something else, now it is there in the background as I still answer the questions, but slightly distorted I think
Can you look all around you and see all the detail, shadows and sunlight? So tried again and more like I was snorkeling and looking around, and with some effort I can, but one detail at a time. I don't snorkel very often, or see movies of how it looks when people do, so it takes a bit of effort to see how the light reflect in the surface and shine through unclear or clear water, what there is to look at depending on where, if there are waves and how it affects light... It feels like there is a picture there behind the curtain of subconscious though, that is clearer, that I can't quite access.
Can you picture yourself somewhere you’ve never been? Yes, but details might be a bit more difficult than with things I am more used to, depending on if it is somewhere with similar parts as places I have seen before or not. But if not superdetailed, I can flash pictures of places I've never been quickly.
Imagine people clearly who you’ve never seen? Don't know for sure, who knows, perhaps my mind uses some person who walked past me on the street when I was 8? but yeah, fairly clearly, it is a bit the opposite of when someone I know well though, it is easy to see a not very detailed full face, but I have to put in an effort with the details one and one.
What about in dreams while asleep? Sometimes, but often dreampeople don't have proper faces, more a hint of this and that, expressions, detail that give character etc.

3. Sound when it is quiet.
Can you hear sounds? Yes
Can you hear a bird singing? Yes, but not well, it is like it easily becomes a distorted version of my voice trying to sound like birds.
Can you play a song from the radio in your head? It is a bit similar there, this was easier, I imagined the song I was listening to before doing this part of the exercise, and it was the singers voice, and some instruments(but the instruments are unclear, I get more a sense of them, I think my mind plays them, but behind the curtain), but a bit like my inner voice also mixed up with it to some extent.
Can you think of what someone from your past’s voice sounds like? hm, somewhat, but not very clearly, and not everyone
Can you hear exactly some things that they said? Some, but with effort.
Can you imagine a new tune? Yeah, in my inner voice. Nothing good though, I am not a musician.
Can your brain make a mash-up? yes, but terrible, haha. I have made nice ones when falling asleep though, hypnagogia, then I seem to have more musical skills than when fully conscious.
Can you do more advanced things, like does your brain make symphonies? simpler ones when falling asleep a few times, perhaps 4 or 5 sounds/instruments/melodies mixing, but otherwise, no.
What about when dreaming while asleep? I am not sure, I don't really recall much sound in dreams, I think it is sparse, sometimes there is simple things like a clock ticking, a drop dripping, a kind of melody, like a dragging mechanical thing...

4. Touch.
While touching nothing with your hands, can you imagine touching something furry or wet? yeah
Can you imagine/recall certain textures of loved ones and clothing? without trouble
Can you imagine the pain from burning your finger clearly as if it had happened? No, it is a shadow of the real feeling.
Can you imagine what a frozen elephant might feel like? Yeah, but it might not be at all what it really is like.
What about when dreaming when asleep? I don't think I feel pain really, more than the shadow of a feeling, say if getting cut, but I think I can experience what other things feels like, even if not dreaming of toughing them, just knowing, sometimes, or how it feels to manipulate other objects, like cutting through something.

5. Smell. Can you think of something that smells sweet or sour? yeah, with slight trouble perhaps, if I try with something specific it is easy, but sweet and sour as basic smells is a bit difficult, probably because it isn't smells really, but affecting other smells.
Can you think of vanilla and smell it? not physically smell it like a hallucination, no, but imagine it.
A strawberry? yeah, same as above
Are there certain smells you can recall exactly and other’s not? yeah, some are more complex or unusual or with less connected to them, or not important enough
What about how hugging your loved ones smells? A bit difficult, it doesn't always smell the same.
What about creating a perfume? I imagined one with the herbs in my garden, it wasn't a hit, haha, but yeah, seems I do that, interesting, I think about combinations of smells every so often, but more theoretically I think, don't "visualize" like now and actually smell them.
Imagine mixing strawberry and vanilla and that flower you like together? Yes, with some effort... I think it was a bit difficult to get the round of vanilla together with the sharper ones.
What about mixing “bad” smells together? Yes, with a little effort
Rotting meat and a latrine with old fish? eurgh, yeah
What about when you are asleep dreaming? Don't know... I don't think I smell in dreams, perhaps it is there more like a thought at time, knowing it smells, but not really feeling it.

6. Taste.
Can you imagine/taste sweet or salty? yeah, no problem
What about bitter end sour? Yes, but bitter with effort.
What about tasting an orange and then a grapefruit? yes, it is easier than the tastes without something concrete.
Or is it almost like you are actually tasting it? imagining chewing it and adding texture and so on helps, I think perhaps that belongs more under touch, but it it the full experiece of eating that gives a strong image of the taste.
Can your brain make asparagus with cheddar cheese and rosemary? no, I have no idea how cheddar cheese tastes :) but asparagus, butter and rosemary, yeah
Can you taste cinnamon rolls with cardamom and cherries? cherries? is that a thing, but yeah, no problem
What about while asleep dreaming? don't think so, my dreams are likely mostly visual, with feeling atmospheres, empathy, knowings, and some touch feelings and textures etc.

I think a lot in images and feelings, some texture and room/placement too, and colours... and personalities, I think those also make up what ideasthesia I might have.
 
#36 ·
How does reading and writing work for everyone? When you slip into imagination and you forget that there are words in the page like @Windblownhair described?

I was trying to figure this out yesterday, reading something I had written. I was aware of the words and also typos or sentences I wanted to condense and then it dropped away, and I was really glad to find that the piece of writing moved me to the same feelings J had wanted to convey and felt when I was writing it. Of course I can’t be sure that this would happen to someone else, but I remember when I read the piece to my husband he had said “I’m right there. I’m right with you. I’m transported.” I sure hope so! It was the piece from my Norse Greenland story. The place and time and the people are so special to me and Im so glad that I wrote something That for me was able to capture the ambiance and feelings that I have for it. I watched so many old documentaries and clips of the Inuit and of Faroese and Icelanders and I’ve read Viking sagas for over 10 years to get that feeling and I feel that it’s right— although. I really feel like I have to try to get to Greenland.

Has anyone been to Greenland? Anyone live there?

But getting back to the question. I wonder if I was able to write all of this and populate what it all looks like because I have seen all of that footage? Can someone else get that from my writing? I don’t know… but I do know that the feelings of the main character in that piece and her views of those around her were crystal clear in the writing and so it was easy tofeel through her and I don’t think it took too much description and in a way she doesn’t need too much description because she is very archetypal and very archetypal from a Viking point of view— the maiden who saves the warrior who he spiritually marries after he has past the test of overcoming his fear and vices and is his accompaniment as “hamingya” through his life as a spiritual guardian. That Is not what she does, and she is flesh and bone and the story is about her as a real person, but that is kind of what she looks like and what her name implies and it is implied that this is how she is seen by her group. So I think because she is archetypal— at least to a Viking collective conscience— I think it also produces a strong ambiance, maybe just for me who has read so many sagas? But then there are also the Inuit people who she has a lot of contact with who to me really breath life into the story. I feel like learning from them has brought a great deal of meaning and joy to me and I think they impart that to my story as well.

I think visually I mostly get the abstract— the feel of what the author is saying, and maybe them picking up a line of fish or weaving coarse cloth or using a spear can trigger a grounding and tangible quality, but kind of mixed in with this heady ambiance that is abstract. I think it is usually like this when I read other books, but I think it’s true that archetypal feelings can come across very powerfully in the abstract and kind of blow you over. For this main character it is her red hair blowing in the wind, her name which means sun goddess, the falcons she trains, the hound at her side, the gray flat rock land she stands on, the 500 year history of her people asking with its strict and completely infiltrated Christian tradition, the ice in the ocean, and the joy and purpose and fluidity of meaning she learns to feel with the Inuit as she is emotionally/ psychologically forced to turn away from her own people. These are all big archetypal shapes, but it’s the details that hold up all those archetypes I think anyway for Ne supposed by Si. I’m going to have to build that strong Christian picture and I’m going to have to show how it all completely failed her and then something I was not expecting to find out…. I thought it was climate change that was the reason for the collapse of this society but it was actually isolation from even more things (politics and the plague) and the big surprise is that what really probably ended them is English pirate ships taking whole towns of slaves as they were in that era with Iceland and other places. Okay…. So exciting! I hope it is as good for others as it is for me.

When I’m imagining some of this then it rolls like a movie, and I wish it were more like that when writing but it only sometimes gets that good of a flow. The last half of my short story had a flow like that. With more practice maybe it will become more and more like that.

I know this came off like a pitch for a book I have only written a few chapters of… sorry.

@Windblownhair. You?
 
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#37 ·
I don’t have the ‘words fall away’ when I’m reading my own writing. Unfortunately I haven’t figured out how to turn off the editorial voice.

When writing, it happens when I’m in the zone, but something like struggling for a specific word can pull me right back out of it. In general, it happens more easily during the first draft, especially when I’m following a high word count schedule. By the second draft, I’m back in the editorial mindset.
 
#40 ·
@Llyralen
One study that I couldn’t get the full text for mentioned creativity in music in the mind together with psychopath tendencies.
Interesting, what did it suggest? That psychopaths are more likely to be creative with music?
By the way, due to reduced connectivity to amygdala, they don't have the same access to some of the emotions, which are used for memory purposes as well.
This means that they have to encode their memories differently than normal people, without relying on the emotional response.
Another case of coping due to unavailability of some resource

few other studies showed that music in the mind is usually not unpleasant unless you have OCD. So there might be a lot of nuance.
Music that emerges in me is never unpleasant, didn't know that it can be as such for some people (unless they just prefer it like that)

What would be your hunches on the consequences of developed imagined senses be?
I think it is a generic expansion of consciousness of sorts.
More developed imagined senses imply enriched psychic material to work with. More material => more ways to represent objects and build associations among them. (memory, creative problem-solving)
We can't consciously work with something that we can't cognize.

Did you watch the videos on aphantasia? It is interesting what it affects and what it doesn’t seem to affect.
Yeah, it is curious indeed. Not in all cases curable though, unfortunately.

Also a study came out about music in the mind and increased incidental correlation with memories.
Fits with what I would expect, yes, I think anything cognizable can be used in association potentially, incidental or not.

Okay hen you pair all of this with MBTI it becomes even more fascinating, I’d say.
Everything mentioned until this moment is applicable for any type.
MBTI, as it is just very rough dichotomies, can't provide sufficient level of depth to connect what we are talking about to personalities.
Cognitive functions can't either, as they are too shallow / more concerned about what people "do", rather than how they do it.
Only "Psychological Types" I think can be meaningfully applied as it attempts to explain psyche.
 
#48 ·
Yep, I have aphantasia too, although not total aphantasia. If I attempt to imagine something and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, it usually lands somewhere between 2 and 3 I'd say. I might be able to push it toward a full 3 or close to a 4 if I concentrate enough, but it takes a lot of energy and eventually reverts back to where it was. Things look wispy and ill-defined in my head, details roam around or disappear, colors are greatly desaturated, there's rarely a background, etc. I've been wanting to make an animated illustration of what things look like in my head, but who knows when I'll get around to that.

I was always aware some people had stronger or weaker sense of visualization, but until I learned about aphantasia, I didn't realize the difference was so drastic, or that people could imagine things with near-perfect depth and accuracy.

My inner hearing is essentially the same as my inner vision. Taste, touch, and smell are even weaker. The exception is when I'm reading, especially fiction, if I get really engrossed, then everything goes up significantly, I'd say vision gets closer to 7 at some points, although typically hangs around maybe 5 until I'm disrupted. I always have music playing in my head, it never stops, and it's hard to control, but it's not all that clear.
 
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