I have a good imagination. After meeting people with aphantasia it seems I have an exceptional ability to call to mind sights, smells, sensations, sounds, and simulate the interactions they would have entirely in my mind. I can imagine a different set of curtains on the wall and tell you if it would clash with your paint, and I can taste a spoonful of a soup and go through a mental library of tastes and combine it with more salt, onion, wine etc and make a suggestion based on what “tasted” the best. I thought everyone could do it but some people don’t have a “mind’s eye” at all. Some people only can see in their imaginations, not smell or taste or hear etc.
Same, but it sounds like you’re a little better than I. Reading posts on reddit years ago was what made me realize that some people can’t picture things in their head.
That can be annoying, but I can usually chase it out with one of the other songs that lives in my head. Sometimes I’ll put on a song in my head just because. It’s not always the same as the real thing, but it’s pretty good, especially the vocals.
It’s funny - I am very good at knowing what will look good, design sense is strong, and I can throw together food and know what it will taste like.
But I wouldn’t say I literally see or taste when I do this. It’s a different sort of perception.
I do absolutely see, hear, taste and feel in dreams so I know my mind CAN do it, it’s just not how I figure things out, it’s a different sort of imagining.
It apparently doesn’t have to be as realistic as hallucinating or dreaming to be exceptional though. There are tests for aphantasia that involve picturing a loved one, their face, then some common piece of clothing they wear and if you can see them clearly in your mind and describe them as if they were in front of you that is something reasonably out of the ordinary. You might be “hyperphantasic” too
Maybe. When we moved into this house, it had what I’d describe as “bad feng shui” for lack of a better term, it was so awkward and had a remarkably weird layout, but I KNEW it could work, said we take out this door, take this out, put a wall here, it is amazing now and I do slowly improve it, my husband is always so surprised by my ‘eye’, says he can’t do that, can’t see the potential.
With cooking it’s probably experience, I’ve made a lot of food and tasted a lot of ingredients.
Music doesn’t stay forever but it’s funny, I can sometimes remember pieces of old songs and then recreate them enough to find them (most recently Sentimental Lady), and get auditory hallucination too when I’m tired, hear music in the fan sounds or running water so that can absolutely be the same as hearing it with my ears, not just knowing. But not like I can crate music and I can’t read music so don’t know if I could hear it unheard, or just remember.
I have a good imagination. After meeting people with aphantasia it seems I have an exceptional ability to call to mind sights, smells, sensations, sounds, and simulate the interactions they would have entirely in my mind. I can imagine a different set of curtains on the wall and tell you if it would clash with your paint, and I can taste a spoonful of a soup and go through a mental library of tastes and combine it with more salt, onion, wine etc and make a suggestion based on what “tasted” the best. I thought everyone could do it but some people don’t have a “mind’s eye” at all. Some people only can see in their imaginations, not smell or taste or hear etc.
Same, but it sounds like you’re a little better than I. Reading posts on reddit years ago was what made me realize that some people can’t picture things in their head.
I’m a solid 1 on this scale, had assumed everyone else was as well.
The downside is that when I get a song stuck in my head, it’s really in there.
That can be annoying, but I can usually chase it out with one of the other songs that lives in my head. Sometimes I’ll put on a song in my head just because. It’s not always the same as the real thing, but it’s pretty good, especially the vocals.
It’s funny - I am very good at knowing what will look good, design sense is strong, and I can throw together food and know what it will taste like.
But I wouldn’t say I literally see or taste when I do this. It’s a different sort of perception.
I do absolutely see, hear, taste and feel in dreams so I know my mind CAN do it, it’s just not how I figure things out, it’s a different sort of imagining.
It apparently doesn’t have to be as realistic as hallucinating or dreaming to be exceptional though. There are tests for aphantasia that involve picturing a loved one, their face, then some common piece of clothing they wear and if you can see them clearly in your mind and describe them as if they were in front of you that is something reasonably out of the ordinary. You might be “hyperphantasic” too
https://aphantasia.com/study/vviq
Maybe. When we moved into this house, it had what I’d describe as “bad feng shui” for lack of a better term, it was so awkward and had a remarkably weird layout, but I KNEW it could work, said we take out this door, take this out, put a wall here, it is amazing now and I do slowly improve it, my husband is always so surprised by my ‘eye’, says he can’t do that, can’t see the potential.
With cooking it’s probably experience, I’ve made a lot of food and tasted a lot of ingredients.
Music doesn’t stay forever but it’s funny, I can sometimes remember pieces of old songs and then recreate them enough to find them (most recently Sentimental Lady), and get auditory hallucination too when I’m tired, hear music in the fan sounds or running water so that can absolutely be the same as hearing it with my ears, not just knowing. But not like I can crate music and I can’t read music so don’t know if I could hear it unheard, or just remember.