AIBU to think aphantasia is not rare?

[Sunninginthecorner]

I was doomscrolling insta and a video came up about aphantasia.

Rather than explain what it is badly I found this:

Aphantasia is a condition in which people do not visualize, or see, images in their minds. This rare way of processing information and recalling memories affects about four percent of people. Close your eyes and imagine a fluffy cat. What color is the cat? What is the cat doing? When asked such questions, many people will conjure up a lifelike visual image. But others do not. People with aphantasia know they are thinking of a cat. They can even describe what a cat generally looks like. But they do so without “seeing” a cat in their mind. Instead of using their ‘mind’s eye,’ someone with aphantasia may think using words, numbers or ideas.

Brain scans show that people with aphantasia respond differently to sounds than people who use mental images.

I can’t see images and my very small poll IRL hasn’t found anyone who does see images.

IABU - you can see in images and it is rare
IANBU - you can’t see images and can’t believe it’s that rare

Interesting thread!
I have aphantasia but only recently found out it was actually a thing. I always thought that when people talked about the mind's eye they were being kind of figurative, not that that can see things in their heads, as it were.
I've often wondered about the link to prosopagnosia - I have both.
I don't think it's that common although quite a few family members have both conditions, if that's the right word.
For anyone interested, Google 'red star test'.

I can't see in images, or conjure them up in my head when reading.

Im sure there's been a thread on this before somewhere - if you can find it, it was interesting.

She thinks aphantasia is a superpower?

She thinks aphantasia is a superpower?

Sorry about duplicate post; it was just showing me an eternally turning circle, so I assumed it hadn't posted.

Not all autistic people have aphantasia - my autistic girls don’t. But I think it’s often an autistic thing simply because lack of imagination is often part of an autistic profile.

Not being able to see images in your mind has nothing to do with a lack of imagination.

I have aphantasia and my DP doesn’t, we both have ASD.

I find it fascinating he can picture things in his mind and he gets frustrated when I struggle with directions and he’s telling me to picture the route or retrace my steps.

I love reading and used to try so hard to conjure up the vision in my head that the author was describing but it’s just black.
Sometimes I’ll google images similar or of the descriptions of the characters but as soon as I stop looking at the images I can’t recall them.

I have an inner monologue that never shuts up and I have a good memory for conversations, facts and things I’ve read.
If I need to remember directions I read them then remember the route in words.

I asked my DP to picture a cat and he said it was black sitting on our soda.
We have a black cat so I asked if it was just a memory he could picture but he wasn’t sure.
I asked about an apple and he said he could see a red one in a fruit bowl but again we have red apples in our fruit bowl so he’s not picturing a random scene.

I found this visualisation illusion online and was hopeful it’d work so I had more of an idea what it was like to actually picture something but it didn’t work for me.
I’d be interested to know if it works for anyone else and they can see the red apple?

that apple image thing is interesting. The apple I see is a real dimensional red apple....a perfect one, more like an artificial apple than one you could eat but still dimensional....and I can see it after about 10 seconds of looking at the green one and without the blinking. Similarly with the red star test, the red star I see in my mind's eye is dimensional...as though it was made of paper.

has anybody got a link about visualization please? all i can find is stuff about a tool called a visualiser

I have vivid images when I read or daydream, colourful dreams and memories etc but am also terrible at remembering faces if I've only seen them a few times. Waitressing was interesting trying to remember who ordered what!

Yes, I wonder if there's basically a sense, or conceptual ability, that's to do with form and movement.

People who can see images will just experience the form and the movement of an object, along with the image of it and so assume it's all part of the same sense or ability. But as some of us without images can still think of form and movement, despite a lack of image, I guess it must be a different thing?

Aphantasia isn't a disability, though I agree its not a super power

I can imagine things vividly (in a way I'd imagine the majority of people can but who knows) and remember finding it frustrating being in an infant class and being told to close your eyes and imagine. I see the imagine at the back of my head, I thought it was very silly to have to shut our eyes!

I have also visualised numbers on a sort of grid since being at least as young as 5 and the grid expanded as I learnt more maths. I could see how numbers bonds fitted together on what is essentially a tens frame and could picture every third number being part of the 3 times table etc. It blew my mind a bit when I discovered other people were literally just trying to remember every individual number as a multiplication answer - I couldn't being to imagine how you could hold so many essentially random numbers in your head with no structure to impose them on.

Funny enough I was talking about this the other day. I don't see images when describing. I only really noticed lately that I was trying to visualise and realised I couldn't really see anything. I could describe it to you e.g. a sandy beach but I suppose just because I know what a sandy beach should look like. I also dont really dream or certainly dont remember them.

She mentioned it being a 'Superpower' at least 4 times in the 20 minute discussion on the subject.
Don't know how long they keep them on BBC Sounds, but it'd be worth a listen.

Funny enough I was talking about this the other day. I don't see images when describing. I only really noticed lately that I was trying to visualise and realised I couldn't really see anything. I could describe it to you e.g. a sandy beach but I suppose just because I know what a sandy beach should look like. I also dont really dream or certainly dont remember them.

Maybe I could have used a better word than disability and I'm truly sorry if I offended anyone.
But would you not call the inability to be able to do something like that a mental disability? Serious question and again I'm sorry if anyone is offended.
But the real issue is TD calling it a Superpower, which if she had done the slightest bit of research for a serious discussion on national radio wouldn't have offended anyone, as in me!

I only discovered that it had a name and was unusual when I was asked to visualise my 'happy place' by a psychologist. She had never personally dealt with a case before so it can't be that common.

Sorry I haven't read the full thread as it's quite long but I don't think anyone actually "sees" images in their mind do they? It's black for everyone (unless maybe you've got some super developed spiritual skill) you just see it as a visualisation but it's hard to say where it comes from. I don't think it's as impressive as people with aphantasia might be thinking. I visualise stuff ALL the time but at no point do I see the images in any tangible way.

No it's not black, I can see everything I imagine as if it's a film. Clearly, like I'm watching it happen.

I have aphantasia and I also don’t visualise my dreams. I also don’t have an inner monologue.
Surprisingly I have a good memory for faces and I’m fairly good at directions.

I’m a teacher and talk about aphantasia when discussing how to revise- many strategies don’t work for me as I don’t visualise. Usually there are at least 2 or 3 students in each class who don’t visualise.

Yes, it is like looking at a clear photograph in front of your eyes when you close them IYSWIM.

I occasionally get very vivid images that flash up briefly when I'm trying to get to sleep, and it reminds me of what it was like in my mind's eye before I had my head injury 😞💔

Really? I could replay the entirety of the Titanic movie in my mind but at no point would I actually "see" it-and I would get stuff wrong e.g clothes, because I don't have a photographic memory and the images are more vague than that. I think what you have is pretty unusual? Either that or I have aphantasia without knowing lol.

Yep. Just like a film. Same when I read a book- all there being played out with all the details and colours and everything.

I can see pretty much everything I've done through my life by thinking of it. The further back I go in time, it's more like a photo or just a little clip, there's not as much movement, but it's all still colours and details and everything.