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Aphantasia ???? never knew I had it

(63 Posts)
pompa Fri 28-Aug-15 16:31:12

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34039054

Only after seeing this did I realise that people could visualise things in their mind, I can't visualise a thing.

loopylou Sat 29-Aug-15 13:09:04

38
I can also smell things as I visualise.
Couldn't draw or paint to save my life!

jinglbellsfrocks Sat 29-Aug-15 13:21:09

For a long time I couldn't remember, or visualise, what my children looked like when they were very young. I could only bring photographs to mind. I can remember now, thank goodness.

hildajenniJ Sat 29-Aug-15 17:04:58

Well there you go. I couldn't visualise anything. I can remember perfectly well what my sister looks like, but as for visualising her clothes and walk, nothing at all. I know I dream in colour, and remember very clearly the last dream I had about my late mother. As for trying to conjure up a picture in my minds eye, well that is just a blank black space when I close my eyes. Like pompa I am all amazement. I never knew I lacked this capacity. How strange.
It doesn't bother me at all!

hildajenniJ Sat 29-Aug-15 17:08:17

PS. Like pompa I scored 8.

soontobe Sat 29-Aug-15 18:33:21

I would have thought smells were to do with memory.

pompa Sat 29-Aug-15 21:12:18

Hilda, I could hug you, need a fellow aphantasiac that understands me. smile

entropy Sun 30-Aug-15 11:34:50

Aphantasia?
Sounds like a morbid and unreasoning fear of Walt Disney

grannyzanny Mon 31-Aug-15 10:30:36

40/40
I can see/hear/smell the sea without closing my eyes!
I quite often 'visit' other places in my minds eye and can't imagine what it's like not being able to do so. So sorry for those of you who have aphantasia sad

PRINTMISS Mon 31-Aug-15 15:16:16

I have just scored 37, I found I could visualise quite a lot without even thinking about it, I find that quite strange, I don't know why. I do know that several years ago we had a small factory adjoining an auction house, and they would leave their unwanted furniture alongside our factory, and one night someone decided to set light to it. On being asked if I had noticed anyone suspicious hanging around over the past few days, I described a man - and was later told by the police, that it was an exact description of one of the plain clothes officers who was having a look, but that of course is memory, not visualisation. (he was not the guilty one)

pompa Tue 01-Sept-15 09:47:51

For those with Aphantasia there is a new web site especially for you -- aphant.asia/index.php

BTW , no need to feel sorry for us, it is not a problem for us.

Lona Tue 01-Sept-15 10:12:58

This really confuses me. I've done the test twice, 31 first time, 29 second. The second time I answered as though I could visualise better, but it rated me lower. confused
I think I can only visualise if I've got a similar memory to base it on.

ginny Tue 01-Sept-15 20:56:09

I got a high score. I can easily visualise many things. If I think of certain occasions I can close my eye and 'see' it all happening. When I feel stressed or cannot sleep I can conjour up a picture of one of my favourite places and put my self there, often hearing the sounds and scents too. I 've never thought that maybe this was something some people cannot do.