Minds eye...able to visualise

I really don't know what I would do without my "minds eye" or rather my brains ability to visualise what is around me. I went clinically blind 8 years ago very suddenly, in fact overnight. I am registered Blind, but I do have a tiny bit of vision left in the centre of my left eye, roughly 2% of what would be normal vision.

The way I see my surroundings is by scanning back and forth very rapidly across my surroundings and allowing my brain to build a full "picture" for me, rather like the lines of the old TV screen.

The problem with that is though I cannot build a picture in a moving environment such as walking down a street, or even more strangely if I scan a room and picture where people are, and they move when I am not aware of them moving I still "see" them in their original position until I have rescanned. Sometimes when I switch the light off on going to bed I have to "rescan" the bedroom until I have a picture of the room in my brain without the light being on.

It does mean though that I can look at still pictures or objects and create an accurate image of the whole thing, so on the whole it is a very useful skill to have developed.

People who develop memory problems with dementia also have this difficulty in visualising things. It is sometimes called "remembering forwards", as when we plan a course of action, we tend to visualise what we are going to do. How difficult for your husband Jordana! He must have had to rely on auditory-verbal memory all along. Has it presented problems for you both day to day?

I hadn't come across this condition. Or thought I hadn't. It now occurs to me that OH may have it. If I read a book, the words paint pictures in my mind. It's like watching a film. As Lemongrove says, I can picture street layouts and have a good sense of direction.

The OH on the other hand learns directions by repetition. He has no picture of maps in his head. I must ask him if he can visualise things other than maps.

It could explain a lot. thanks, OP.

I can picture things in my mind but its nothing to do with my eyes. It goes black when I shut my eyes but can imagine objects with my mind. Hard to describe! And when reading a book I imgine layout of houses etc from the descriptions.

I always thought everyone could visualize everything. I could not imagine not being able to. I can hold a colour in my mind so finding things to match when out is easy. I am lucky it seems

Interesting isn’t it? I can picture anything at all, down to blades of grass just like a photograph.I can picture street lay outs this way too, so rarely get lost.

I have a friend who is a great reader but says he doesn't visualise the people or places in the book - I don't understand how you can keep the thread of the story this way, but obviously people can. Maybe it is a case of what you have never had you don't mind not having. I remember years ago someone asking a child if he preferred the stories on television or radio (remember Chidren's Hour?) and he replied "I prefer stories on the radio because the pictures are better!"

When I close my eyes at night I sometimes see quite clear pictures of something I've been doing a lot of that day ( without thinking about it) . For example the other day I spent some times weeding the garden and at night I had visions of weeds being pulled out. I first noticed this as a child when Id been playing with bubble mixture - I closed my eyes and could see bubbles! Does this happen to everyone?

Something new yet again so thank you for the enlightenment jordana.

It is certainly needed in many cases of our lives.
Especially when either selling your home or buying another.
We have found in the past for instance,if we dress the third bedroom with a desk and bookcase etc.............the viewers will call your home a two bedder.........I now realize they cannot visualise that third room as a bedroom... unless it contains the usual bed and wardrobe!

Whilst on viewing oneself, it is of great importance to be able to visualize the place as your own,minus the trapperies of each home..............but if you have this condition, I should imagine you will say no to many otherways suitable homes.

A right pain in the neck for those suffering for sure.You have my sympathy.

I don't see photographic style images. I see 'the hammer' surrounded by fuzzy blackness.
If I think of a meadow I can picture an individual blade of grass. It's like zooming in with a camera lens.

Surely this is down to interpretation I don’t actually see things but I can imagine them but not an actual picture so Im like you hildajenni I thought this was quite normal Is this what your husband meant Jordana ? I ve just done the hammer test and can imagine exactly how it looks but I don’t actually see anything ??

How interesting. I realise that I have images in my mind but they're not like the images I see with my eyes though I can picture them perfectly well in a way I can't explain. On the other hand I can close my eyes and random images can appear. I often see people I don't think I have ever seen before and totally unrelated objects. I can't do it if I deliberately try. Does anyone else experience this, or am I just weird?

When you close your eyes, do you see a real picture, like a photograph? I don't, all I see us blackness, if that's a word?. Ask me to imagine a red and blue ball in my minds eye and I see nothing. I know perfectly well what the ball should look like, but as for being able to see it, then no. I have never thought I was different, as I've never really thought about it. There was a thread on this subject some time in the recent past, but I can't remember when I'm afraid.
I remember pompa couldn't do pictures in his minds eye either. I don't think we have one!

It's not a condition I knew existed, I'm fascinated that it does. Presumably with your DH it's a case of you don't miss what you never had.
As you say I see things in my minds eye when reading, whether it's the character or a place.

Yes- always see things clearly in my mind’s eye- so much so that I sometimes can’t remember if I saw a film or read the book. The images from books (good ones anyway) are so clear that it’s like I saw a film. Same with radio.

Can be a problem when looking for something as I can visualize it where it used to be.