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aphantasia
My background is in neuroscience, so imagine my surprise to discover 98% of people form vivid visual "lictures" and accurate colors "in their mind's eye"! I never have. I was aware that i had something akin to propoagnosia, but i do recognize familiar faces. Now I'm wondering if this form of thought blindness interferes with memory. I test quite high in IQ tests, except lately on memory, since several TIAs. Intrigued by what else is involved, where they are studying it, etc.
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@jlam1950 wow, your comment is way over my head!
Would you please say that again in terms I understand. Thank you.
Yes, I agree with SusanEllen 66, you certainly can post medical terminology but must tell us folks what the term exactly means or we are all (mostly) in the dark and don't understand your posted issue.
Thank you.
@jlam1950 This is interesting information that you've shared.
Where did your read"98% of people form vivid visual "lictures" and accurate colors "in their mind's eye". Is aphantasia considered a disorder? Who are the researchers and where did this researchers publish their finding?
Following up on what others posted here, would you please explain the terms you used and how this is an issue for you? Did you experience changes in your own memory due to TIA's (transient ischemic attacks)?
I'm just learning about this myself. Here's how it seems:
Look at something in front of you
Now close your eyes
Do you "picture" it, clearly?
Most people do.
For me, it's gone.
See my comment below.
I never knew, before reading about this form of mental blindness, that it was different for most people!
This is all new to me, since I was never aware that others can close their eyes and actually visualize things they have seen. When I close my eyes, I can think of, say, the color green, or my cat here on my lap. But I've no image in my mind's eye. It's simply smudged pinkish grays. (Probably seeing some light through my eyelids. ) As for any related abilities, I am trying to find out what studies have been done. I have absolutely no idea.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-decade-aphantasia-weve-people-visualize.html
Here's a link to one article about aphantasia.
In reading various research , there seems to be a range of 2-4% of the population. Also it may run in families.
@jlam1950 Thank you for the article.
Can you explain if the TIAs you experienced resulted in changes in your memory or other mental functions? You made reference to that in your original post and I think it would be helpful to know a little more about your experiences. Also, what is prosopagnosia and what causes it?
@jlam50 I think the last paragraph holds the advise. It’s not an illness, and basically nothing to worry about!
Not worried, exactly. But knowing this has important implications regarding learning style, etc. It both explains a lot of misunderstandings, and raises a lot of questions, for me... both professionally and personally.