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.
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.