I Have APHANTASIA (you might have it too - please check!!)

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Wanted Adventure

Wanted Adventure

Күн бұрын

I have Aphantasia. This means that I cannot see images in my brain! Do you have this too? Please check and let me know in the comments!! I really want to find other people who have this. Thank you!
What is aphantasia? Aphantasia is used to describe being unable to see images or moving pictures in your mind's eye, or maybe you also can't bring a smell "into your mind" or hear music playing in your brain. Answer the questions Stefan asks in this video to find out if you might experience this too. The way that Stefan experiences aphantasia means that for most of his life, he thought that the phrase "imagine you're on a beach" was just an idiom, a saying. He had no idea that most people around him actually were literally IMAGING something in their mind's eye when "imaging a beach". Now he's looking for other people who have experienced something similar! So, do you have aphantasia? Please let us know in the comments below!
So my question for you is: Have you ever experienced this? Do you have Aphantasia? If you can see images in your mind's eye, would you prefer not to?
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Пікірлер: 1 100
@notoestoseehere
@notoestoseehere 5 жыл бұрын
I had to stop and google this. Interestingly, I’ve never thought about this. But I do not “see” an item that I think about. Like I know what a banana looks like and I can vividly describe it from memory, but I don’t see imagery. Didn’t even realize other people do see imagery. Interesting and confusing.
@caciliawhy5195
@caciliawhy5195 5 жыл бұрын
Exactly. i can describe a pool with people in my imagination but I don't "see"it.
@irian42
@irian42 5 жыл бұрын
Same for me.
@m_0613
@m_0613 5 жыл бұрын
Same. Also with people. I do of course know, what my friends and family look like, I just can't see them in front of my inner eye
@booksfortea
@booksfortea 5 жыл бұрын
SAAAAAME
@dariakranzelic6609
@dariakranzelic6609 5 жыл бұрын
Same for me, also I can't imagine smells or soundd. In dreams I see, but I can't imagine it later
@miarabea401
@miarabea401 5 жыл бұрын
I can’t imagine not having music playing in the back of your mind my head is basically a radio😅
@boombaby1769
@boombaby1769 5 жыл бұрын
@Mia Emilia Same here 😅 I literally have ALWAYS music in my head, from the second I wake up to the second I fall asleep, and in really EVERY situation.
@magicalomaha2804
@magicalomaha2804 5 жыл бұрын
Same here! And often it is the most annoying songs, all day long!!
@TheZibbor
@TheZibbor 4 жыл бұрын
Me too! Always random music, I'll sing it sometimes, seriously music I haven't heard in over 20 years just pops in my head.
@Sailor-Dave
@Sailor-Dave 4 жыл бұрын
Just now came onto this video. Not fully aware that some people have no memory/recall/visualization of images, sounds, or smells. Right now, I'm imagining the pepperoni pizza we had last night at home. I can imagine in detail the banana Dana described, or the car I drove to work, or a map from a set of directions. Just today, I had this silly Three Stooges song in my head: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYG5oXaaq9F1hrs
@dunn0r
@dunn0r 4 жыл бұрын
I can remember melodies really well, get "earworms" and all that but I don't "hear" them I just feel an urge to hum them.
@rod1320
@rod1320 5 жыл бұрын
At the ripe old of 27, I just realized I can’t recall smells at will. I didn’t know people could do that. 😨
@actua99
@actua99 5 жыл бұрын
Same here, just search and replace 27 with 36 :S
@tendraausbuchhaim105
@tendraausbuchhaim105 5 жыл бұрын
I always thought that was the invention of Süskind's 'The perfume'
@Belgarion2601
@Belgarion2601 5 жыл бұрын
This seems to be very common, though. I don't think I can, either.
@Dodl1
@Dodl1 5 жыл бұрын
For me it depends on the situation. I cannot summon it, but if a memory pops up I can also imagine the smell very vividly...
@WMLandPassword
@WMLandPassword 4 жыл бұрын
I got very confused about that part... I don't have the most vivid imagination but I can always recall images. My musical memory is very good and I can "hear" entire songs in my head no problem. But smells?!? WHAT!?! I never knew anybody could sense that
@Egregious_
@Egregious_ 4 жыл бұрын
I didn’t know until just this morning that I couldn’t conjure images, smells or sounds and that was abnormal. I always thought when people said “visualize it” they meant it conceptually.
@locsidgezzmadsonn5035
@locsidgezzmadsonn5035 3 жыл бұрын
yes i can do that smell taste and heard my imagination and i can do imagine my self on my future and pass thats my routine:)everyday and any time
@marraskalimotxo
@marraskalimotxo 2 жыл бұрын
When I realized the word "imagination" comes from "image" my mind was completely blown away. I know it's obvious, but I never thought of it as an intentional analogy.
@kinkaid8553
@kinkaid8553 2 жыл бұрын
wow i didnt realise i had this till i fell down the youtube rabbithole
@stuartwilson5913
@stuartwilson5913 2 жыл бұрын
I have multi sensory Aphantasia as well. I see black when trying to visualise any image. I always though 'counting sheep' to get to sleep was just a phrase. I didn't realise people actually saw the sheep. I don't summon imagery associated with tastes, smells or touch. I also have no inner voice narrating my life. My girlfriend says that I vocalise my thoughts and that she hears me talking to myself at my work PC. Must be a way I try and get around not being able to discuss it quietly in my mind. If I know I have a difficult conversation coming up I will verbalise it to myself to work out how I'm going to approach the conversation. I must seem mad talking to myself. My son has ADHD and he daydreams. I now know I have no concept of what that is.
@markmuller7962
@markmuller7962 Жыл бұрын
@@stuartwilson5913 It's amazing the variety we humans have
@resafux9373
@resafux9373 5 жыл бұрын
It just came to my mind how boring reading a book must be when there's no 5D-movie playing in your head ...
@irian42
@irian42 5 жыл бұрын
from my experience it's really not. I love to read and I really appreciate an intricate decription. I also have no problem describing something in detail, I just don't "see" it.
@caciliawhy5195
@caciliawhy5195 5 жыл бұрын
I can't see a picture when I read a book and I love to read books. I might have a scene in my head as I read the exact words, but I don't see it like a movie or an image. Just a bit of black and white image. I was just reading about a man riding a bike down the street and I can imagine that but there is nothing else there.... I don't also see houses or other people and as soon as I have read it, the idea is gone. So am I not as bad as Stefan maybe but I have to admit I never worried or thought about it until now. I think people with this lack......also are not worriers as they can't/don't conjur up what could happen....... I also don't dream.. well maybe I do but I don't remember any.
@Eldoran1989
@Eldoran1989 5 жыл бұрын
No it's not. You still can enjoy a good book and get hooked into the story, I guess it's just a case of you don't know better and you can't even imagine how different it could be. It's like you should imagine a new color. Yeah it might be good to see more colors than others but you do not miss the missing color you can't even imagine if you happen to be not able to see it. At least I would imagine it that way
@booksfortea
@booksfortea 5 жыл бұрын
I read like 80 books a year and I absolutely love reading. I’ve only been sad that I can’t have a movie playing out in my head since I’ve learned about Aphantasie 😩 Before that I thought everyone thought like me and now I’m jealous 🙈 But I still love reading so so much
@trevorpomroy550
@trevorpomroy550 5 жыл бұрын
I love this discussion! Differences in perception are facinating.
@brookemakesstuff
@brookemakesstuff 4 жыл бұрын
I have total aphantasia! Can’t see, taste, smell, hear, or feel anything in my mind. No internal monologue either. I’m always completely present in the moment, which can sometimes be really shitty. I also get over things really really quickly, because I simply don’t have to emotional attachments that would tie me to a specific trauma or event. Im also a creative, I love to paint and write, which is my only real way of channeling my thoughts and emotions. Another thing is, I’m always listening to videos or podcasts or audiobooks bc I can’t stand the silence.
@joykibera7164
@joykibera7164 4 жыл бұрын
That's so interesting, I was wondering whether someone with aphantasia could be artistic.
@Michal-by2nt
@Michal-by2nt 4 жыл бұрын
Really? Like, you can't even think? I'm so sorry for you, I just can't imagine how would it feel. Not hearing music in your head, not making scenarios or animation, or even not having a monouloge? I mean jeez, that must be so hard, when you can't just imagine something else in a boring or hard situation. Also I can't really imagine smells and I didn't think that some ppl could do that.
@nakedmolerat2708
@nakedmolerat2708 4 жыл бұрын
Exactly the same! No smell, sound, poctures ...
@nakedmolerat2708
@nakedmolerat2708 4 жыл бұрын
A Evans wait wdym
@nakedmolerat2708
@nakedmolerat2708 4 жыл бұрын
A Evans I know but I’m exactly the same so I want to understand
@wewillnevermeet
@wewillnevermeet 5 жыл бұрын
I have this, too! I can't 'pull up' an imagine in my mind of how my family's or even my own face looks like. I have no problem recognizing them when I see them, but I just can't 'see' their faces without actually laying eyes upon them. I can kind of imagine a banana and other things like that, but I don't see a clear imagine of it, I just kind of know what it looks like, without actually seeing it.
@thehobbitilei1987
@thehobbitilei1987 5 жыл бұрын
Fun fact: You are so familiar with your own face that you pay so little attention to it, that if you'd see yourself in a crowd you couldn't recognize yourself
@AbcDefg-nt2xw
@AbcDefg-nt2xw 4 жыл бұрын
SAME I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!!!
@intrepidtomato
@intrepidtomato 3 жыл бұрын
Pretty much the same, but I don't think I fully have aphantasia because I occasionally imagine pictures with great clarity (e.g., how one of my coworkers would look in a certain costume...)
@Marco_Onyxheart
@Marco_Onyxheart 5 жыл бұрын
People can imagine smells? I can't do that. I can see pictures in my mind's eye, I can remember music and have definitely had ear worms, but I can't imagine smells.
@blenderpanzi
@blenderpanzi 4 жыл бұрын
Yeah I also have problems with smells, but can do the other things. Also can imagine the feel of textures and such.
@marthaloven9385
@marthaloven9385 4 жыл бұрын
I can have "ear worms," but I can't imagine what anything looks like, feels like, smells like, etc.
@happypiano4810
@happypiano4810 3 жыл бұрын
I have a minds ear, a very faint minds eye, and nothing else.
@fburton8
@fburton8 3 жыл бұрын
Smells are the hardest by far for me too. It takes a lot of concentration and even then they are never very 'vivid'. On the other hand, I find smells are the most powerful evokers of memories (usually of place), and such evoked memories can be extremely vivid visually.
@amjan
@amjan 3 жыл бұрын
So when you smell sth that has intensive smell e.g. coffee, and then stop doing it - the smell vanishes right away in your perception?
@inga449
@inga449 5 жыл бұрын
Stefan, does this mean that you never ever have an annoying song stuck in your head???
@IceNixie0102
@IceNixie0102 5 жыл бұрын
Literally what I was coming to ask.
@Salgood
@Salgood 4 жыл бұрын
I can't speak for him but I am fully Aphantasia and yes, I never have earworms really. It's actually pretty hard to remember songs though if it became something I wanted to work at I could. I've remembered a few when i did want to. But I don't hear them at all when i'm just remembering them.
@stevejohnston5191
@stevejohnston5191 4 жыл бұрын
I have Aphantasia and do suffer from the occassional earworm.
@stephaniemitchell5760
@stephaniemitchell5760 4 жыл бұрын
I have aphantasia too and I get songs stuck in my head all the time but it's only a certain loop of it and it's not the actual song it's my inner voice singing the song terrible and off key 🤣😩
@sazkie-chan9390
@sazkie-chan9390 4 жыл бұрын
Inga Galinaitytė I don’t really have songs stuck in my head But sometimes I can’t stop humming a song, I guess that’s my version
@sefefsfe6403
@sefefsfe6403 5 жыл бұрын
I vividly remember the moment i noticed i have aphantasia.
@susanmiller1201
@susanmiller1201 3 жыл бұрын
It has taken me nearly 70 years to workout that other people can do all this. I experience life just like Stefan with the exception of directions ( can’t remember the instructions), no dreams or nightmares, and I am really good at finding lost things.
@janag792
@janag792 5 жыл бұрын
Wait what?! Back in school a teacher told us to day dream and asked us what we saw. I didn't really get the task/question. This irritated me so much that I still remember this, about 10 years later. And now you give me this explanation?! Stefan, you found another person like you.
@lalaxpeach4923
@lalaxpeach4923 5 жыл бұрын
It’s the same for me, I can’t imagine anything and my whole life long I thought it’s normal to don’t. It’s already been 5 years since I know of aphantasia. I figured it out myself after a good friend told me to imagine something and I told her I don’t get it, she looked at me like I’m crazy. Later on I googled it and finally realized that people could really see things in their minds and that I’m different. I was 12 at that time and I didn’t really now how to feel about it. No one I told about it believed me or took me serious, even making fun of me and I felt very lost. With time I just accept it and hoped that research would be done. Now I’m glad to see that more and more personalities in the media get open about aphantasia, it shows me that I’m not alone. And to answer the question, I’m really bad in remembering the directions to a place and I also have a problem with recognizing faces I’m not really familiar with. But on the other hand I have very vivid dreams, which I can remember, even if I had multiple dreams I can remember most of it, I don’t see them after waking up, but I can describe what happened and sometimes in my dream I realize that I’m dreaming and I can observe the dream from another perspective if that makes sense. Being able to dream so clearly gives me hope that I’ll be able to imagine someday
@IRON9LORD
@IRON9LORD 5 жыл бұрын
similar experience🖖🏼
@PG-qn8od
@PG-qn8od 5 жыл бұрын
you should be hopeful and actively practise imagining. start with easy simple geometry . the fact that you have vivid dreams shows your brain is able to create imagery, you just need to translate that into daily life while being awake.
@Melissa0774
@Melissa0774 5 жыл бұрын
Have you heard of Non Verbal Learning Disorder, (sometimes called Non Verbal Learning Disability) You need to look that up. It's a type of learning disability (the American definition, not British). It causes people to have poor visual spatial skills and not be able to see things in your mind.
@lalaxpeach4923
@lalaxpeach4923 5 жыл бұрын
Pascal G thank you for the tip. I already tried it, but no matter how hard I try I can’t even get a simple shape or line and I would just ged a headache from squeezing my eyes desperately trying to get a image which doesn’t work.
@lalaxpeach4923
@lalaxpeach4923 5 жыл бұрын
Melissa0774 thank you, I looked it up, but I can assuredly say that most of the symptoms aside from not seeing images don’t apply to me. I really just suffer from aphantasia. I read somewhere that one can lose his imagination after a traumatic event, and since I had a very bad early childhood I think it might be the cause... But I’m not sure, all I know is I can’t picture can’t smell, I can’t hear aside from my own inner voice
@nerudaad
@nerudaad 5 жыл бұрын
I have aphantasia and it blew my mind couple of years ago when I heard that people can see pictures in their inner eyes. I don't visualize anything my eyes closed or open. I have an excellent sense of direction and I'm skillfull in calligraphy and watercolors. When I walk in the woods my mind is always computing something in a conceptual level. When I say that I'm thinking nothing, it means I'm not thinking anything in particular. My mind is never quiet or blank (again, in conceptual level. I don't have minds eye or inner hearing).
@silkwesir1444
@silkwesir1444 5 жыл бұрын
I think you are paying much more attention to what your 'mind' does than most people do. Most people have even trouble to understand what you mean by that, let alone observe themselves in that way. I have had a lot of experience in trying to explain such things to people, that's how I come to make that assessment.
@jamesflannery-serle3489
@jamesflannery-serle3489 3 жыл бұрын
I have aphantasia so does my daughter, but my wife has an inner ability to see things in her imagination.
@kerisverginix5012
@kerisverginix5012 5 жыл бұрын
How does your banana look? Haha that sounds so wrong😂
@xYonowaaru
@xYonowaaru 5 жыл бұрын
It's dancing with a hawaian skirt and an ukele in it's hand wearing sunglasses singing banana phone.
@froedlmetallmann4643
@froedlmetallmann4643 5 жыл бұрын
It - obviously - is very big. :-P
@derpysquidz7482
@derpysquidz7482 4 жыл бұрын
B I G
@happypiano4810
@happypiano4810 3 жыл бұрын
I know that I am picturing a banana, and I know that my brain thinks it can see it, but as soon as I actually try to describe what I’m seeing through my minds eye, without pulling up facts about a banana, I can’t see anything other than a faint curve, and I’m mot even sure about that.
@JBuck1935
@JBuck1935 4 жыл бұрын
I didn't realize "in the mind's eye" wasn't a figure of speech until I was 28. And your comments around the 9-10 minute point about not relating to the idea of having poor ability with visual puzzles, etc. are exactly how I don't relate to those ideas. In fact, during a recent psychological baseline testing, they had a test where they showed a panel of six geometric images (say a circle with a line halfway through it), and I was able to replicate 5/6 after one view, and 6/6 after a 2nd few second view, and also after a delay with some other things between having seen it. I'm pretty good with directions, as well. It's in there somewhere, but it is absolutely *nothing* that I would call "visual" about it, at all! I remember being frustrated when people would say things like, "visualize a flower" -- OK, I can conceptually imagine a flower, just not at all visually. Then they continue, "What color is your flower?" Um, it has to have a color? OK, how about a blue flower, there aren't many blue flowers, so I'll think about a different colored flower than most people. "What kind of petals does your flower have. At this point, I'm internally getting irate. "I have to decide what the (ahem!) petals are like now? What are you going to ask next? What kind of leaves it has? How's the root system on that flower?! This is *ridiculous*!" That was before I had any idea that other people could "see movies" in their heads, and whatnot. Which, frankly, can't possibly actually be true, because that's just crazy talk. Am I right? I'll just say it. It's "un-image-inable. You might also want to look into SDAM - Significantly Deficient Autobiographic Memory - which isn't remembering from a 1st Person, sensory point of view. Oh, and dreams are *very* rare for me. If I have a visual dream it freaks me out totally. Especially since once a visual dream actually happened months to a couple of years later. There are a few Facebook groups with a lot of people, and the experiences are all over the map. Some people with no senses, others with only no visualization, etc. I loved this video!
@ulitmatedakotafan
@ulitmatedakotafan 4 жыл бұрын
I also have aphantasia and just now realized I dont hear my voice while I think, its just thinking to me. But my mind is rarely empty as I get lost in thought a lot but theres no sound I think to me it is like walking through concepts and pinging different parts of my brain. Im not thinking about things around me Im just thinking about my own life a lot and get lost in that. Im really good at remembering where things are and locations but its like i remember the pattern of getting there. I have trouble following someone giving me directions because I cannot see a map in my head and follow it and when they list off ways to get there in steps I get lost. I thought it was because I couldnt memorize them word for word. I cannot walk somewhere in my head but if I walk there irl I remember the steps to get there.
@dunn0r
@dunn0r 4 жыл бұрын
HOLY SHIT! I never knew that was a thing! I thought everybody was like that. I'm terrible at remembering directions but I'm really good at reading maps. I'm absolutely hopeless at verbal descriptions of complex things but I'm really good at understanding them if I can see a crude sketch.
@kevinwest4388
@kevinwest4388 5 жыл бұрын
Hi Stefan, I'm exactly the same as you. No pictures, sounds, or smells 'inside' my head. I also don't dream (that I know of), have no problem remembering a route, even after just looking at it once on a map, and love reading. What struck me most in the video was when Dana asked you what you were thinking about; that's the same for me, absolutely nothing, and it's not a problem at all - it just 'is'! For some reason this is hard for many people to believe?!?! Personally I don't think I'm missing out on anything as I've never had it and am not sure I could cope with all that stuff going on in my head ;-). Kev
@alexandernaslund8890
@alexandernaslund8890 Жыл бұрын
Late to the party here but i also have aphantasia, or parts of if because i can conjure sounds but not images or smells. It was really interesting to hear you talk about your two perspectives and the potential plus and minuses! Hope you are well!
@irian42
@irian42 5 жыл бұрын
This is so interesting! I have had the same experience. I also realized only recently when the term "Aphantasia" popped up everywhere that others do see images in their mind. It never occured to me others would see something in their head because that idea is totally alien to me.
@dond3391
@dond3391 4 жыл бұрын
Hi Stefan - All my life I have had Aphantasia and never knew it until three days ago. Like any good plot twist, all the clues were there but I missed them until I stumbled onto a random tweet that described this, and I realized it was my experience, too! It’s actually pretty mind blowing to realize, after 51 years of life, that nearly all the people around you have this amazing mind power that sounds like science fiction. And it’s real. And possibly a huge part of daily life. Almost everything you described about yourself is the same for me. I have no problem at all with directions. The only thing that is different for me is that I do generally dream in pictures. They tend to be a quite dim and lacking in visual detail, except maybe once a year I will have a vivid, lifelike dream, and I wake up in total awe of the experience.
@alyssarussotti7984
@alyssarussotti7984 4 жыл бұрын
I only just found out a few weeks ago that i had aphantasia and i never knew that other people could see things in their minds. I thought that counting sheep was a metaphor
@jessicajonkman3161
@jessicajonkman3161 Жыл бұрын
I just learned about this (& have it, I think!) and am shocked to now find this video by you as I think I was following you when this was posted! Good for you to bring more awareness!
@ramonaneumann9871
@ramonaneumann9871 5 жыл бұрын
Stefan, wie ist das, wenn Du ein Buch liest? Siehst Du dann auch nichts? Sind das für Dich nur Sätze? Bei meiner Schwester ist das so. Ich fänd für mich das Leseerlebnis sehr arm ohne meine Bilder.
@irian42
@irian42 5 жыл бұрын
Ich sehe auch keine Bilder in meinem Kopf und ich kann sagen, dass ich beim Lesen eine interessante Beschreibung sehr zu schätzen weiß und sie mein Lese-Erlebnis sehr verbessert auch wenn ich nichts "sehe". Ich "weiß" auch, wie etwas, dass ich gesehen habe, ausschaut, nur "sehe" ich nichts.
@lenastorm6280
@lenastorm6280 5 жыл бұрын
IrianGaming Das ist bei mir ganz genau so. Ich liebe es allerdings trotzdem zu lesen!
@m_0613
@m_0613 5 жыл бұрын
Ich sehe beim Lesen ganz ganz grobe Bilder von zB Räumen, wo die Geschichte spielt. Allerdings sind das immer Räume, die ich aus dem echten Leben kenne, zB sieht die Große Halle bei Harry Potter für mich aus, wie die Aula meiner Grundschule 😅
@irian42
@irian42 5 жыл бұрын
@@lenastorm6280 Ich auch! Ich schreibe auch selber gern und habe (glaube ich) keine Probleme, etwas visuell zu beschreiben obwohl ich nicht im Kopf sehe. Möglicherweise lege ich etwas mehr wert auf sprachlich interessante Beschreibungen, aber das ist jetzt nur eine Vermutung...
@Marc-ox6rz
@Marc-ox6rz 5 жыл бұрын
Wenn ich ein Buch lese, dann kommen bei mir auch keine Bilder. Für mich sind das auch zunächst nur Sätze. Um das Geschehen in meiner Vorstellung zu visualisieren, müsste ich mich konzentrieren. Ob ich dann aber gleichzeitig lesen und visualisieren kann, weiß ich ehrlich gesagt nicht, weil ich das noch nie probiert habe. Bin noch nie auf die Idee gekommen, mir das Gelesene wirklich bildlich vorzustellen. Ein sehr interessantes Thema.
@leetester8612
@leetester8612 4 жыл бұрын
Yes I do have this experience. I had never realised other people actually see things in their mind. Your spread sheet description was spot on.
@tsukikage
@tsukikage 5 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I used to think I had face blindness (prosopagnosia), but eventually I just realized I have aphantasia. It seems like Dana has hyperphantasia. I do seem to have a slight ability to imagine sounds, though. Sometimes I have lucid dreams, and I'm absolutely flabbergasted by how vivid the imagery in my dreams is.
@MatteRyd
@MatteRyd 4 жыл бұрын
I feel the same! Got into lucid dreaming, it's so cool to induce and just live in that world where you can decide what to see :o
@markmuller7962
@markmuller7962 Жыл бұрын
Hyperphantasia is about the intensity, fidelity and degree of control, when it comes to recalling smells, sound etc it's a common thing just like conjuring pictures. An exception is the inner monologue of which apparently 40% of the population doesn't have it
@jonathanwetherell3609
@jonathanwetherell3609 5 жыл бұрын
I also have Aphantasia, so has my daughter. I have never met anyone else with Aphantasia. I found the word about 3 years ago but discovered I am different 45 years ago. I think in words, they are everything to me. I can think music, songs are easy, sometimes with a flavour of the original singer but only the melody line. Your description, Stephan, of your world is like mine. I have just learnt that others can "Remember" smells - must be very strange. I too can remember directions very well but "Visualising" things, then give me paper and pencil please.
@MsPandaDoodle
@MsPandaDoodle 5 жыл бұрын
I can't "see" things in my mind's eye, nor smell, or taste. I can hear songs and I do dream, but lately they have been nightmares as well. You are not alone!
@cycnical
@cycnical 3 жыл бұрын
i don't dream, or if i do, im unaware of it
@antoinem3611
@antoinem3611 3 жыл бұрын
I have aphantasia as well, i found that out two days ago and i am traumatized, people can see things in their mind ! It must be sooooo magic ! I would have been so different and maybe way better without this "sickness" (?). I know i am not alone and there is worst situation, but i have the feeling we are missing 50% of our lives
@martinsykes9904
@martinsykes9904 3 жыл бұрын
I'm 50 this year and I've had this all my life but only found that it was a recognised thing with a name a couple of days ago. What's really weird was that before looking up videos today, I had this exact discussion with my wife - down to the detail of what thoughts you have while walking in the woods and being unable to picture our wedding day.
@iit7012
@iit7012 4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing your video. I have aphantasia and it was a long journey, struggling with learning even though I went to college and graduate school for an engineering degree. People tell me that I think differently and I attribute that to aphantasia. If I could flip a switch and all of sudden have the ability to visualize, I would do it in a heart beat. One day this might be possible, but for now I focus on appreciating whatever positive/unique skills that aphantasia has allowed me to explore. Thanks for sharing your story. Rest assured that you are not alone.
@peterkoller3761
@peterkoller3761 5 жыл бұрын
Ich höre lieber Radio, als dass ich fernsehe. der Grund: Im Radio sind die Bilder schöner!
@fnreese4704
@fnreese4704 4 жыл бұрын
I just recently discovered that Aphantasia is a thing. I definitely have it, and my mind is blown that the majority of the world works differently in their brain than I do. It's making me realize soooo many things about myself and why I am good/bad with certain things. I do have the inner monologue where I think with a sort of self-conversation in my head. The rest of the senses though...not so much.
@rachelpatraca8876
@rachelpatraca8876 5 жыл бұрын
I can't imagine or smell either When I close my eyes it's just dark. When I do look at pictures I can remember the times. I never knew how rare this is until you brought it up.
@lanabanham6743
@lanabanham6743 4 жыл бұрын
Just watched your video. I just discovered a couple weeks ago that I have Aphantasia and am trying to find as much info on it as I can. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
@lisakirchkuchen1266
@lisakirchkuchen1266 5 жыл бұрын
I have a few questions: Do you ever have a Deja Vu? And, if you ever, for example, drive past something you've driven past before, could you ever say: " oh i remember this, i've been here already"? If you understand what i mean
@cooky2991
@cooky2991 5 жыл бұрын
I have aphantasia as well, and I've had Deja Vu's before. I can remember having been somewhere, though I might not be exactly sure about having been somehwere when I was there in my youth and didn't remember the name, though it's different for everyone.
@crappiefisher1331
@crappiefisher1331 4 жыл бұрын
@@cooky2991 i can agree with you there. i also had deja vus before and i can also remember places i have been too, if i see them again, but if you would ask me to describe a place it wouldn't go much into detail and only stick to the most basic facts. i could not even describe my mothers face in detail to you past the most basic things like blond hair, blue eyes.. but ofc i still recognize my mum when i see her even tho i could not describe her face to you or don't see her face when i close my eyes and try to imagine what she looks like... aphantasia does not mean that people can't recognize places they have been to or faces they have seen before, it simply means we can't see anything if we close our eyes and try to imagine something... it is just black
@belensanchez2834
@belensanchez2834 3 жыл бұрын
@@crappiefisher1331 yess, I get that too. Do these two have any relation?
@TrueIndica
@TrueIndica 2 жыл бұрын
I have it,omg..im 50 years old..learnd about it in a potcast this morning..good video..grtzz from belgium
@cynthiamackenzie5799
@cynthiamackenzie5799 4 жыл бұрын
I have aphantasia 😊 Found out a few months ago. To be honest is really bothered me at first (I'm an artist and it made me feel like a fake.) I'm ok with it now, I've decided that I am an artist because I have aphantasia. Thanks for bringing this topic up ❤
@emilyl6550
@emilyl6550 4 жыл бұрын
And my whole life my mum told me to not film things coz she said it better to have it in ur memory and now I can’t replay those amazing memories which my siblings can
@kittyco77
@kittyco77 5 жыл бұрын
Finally we discover with Dana 🤣🤣🤣 when you ask a man: what are you thinking??? and he say: nothing..
@thehobbitilei1987
@thehobbitilei1987 5 жыл бұрын
Most of the time we just lose a thought as soon as you ask, like we 've been thinking, but not in a conscious way
@kittyco77
@kittyco77 5 жыл бұрын
@@thehobbitilei1987 Every detail counts, so that's why we ask, but we are not allow yet..🧚‍♀️
@martheluisegortz9341
@martheluisegortz9341 5 жыл бұрын
I have never heard about this, thank you for sharing Stefan!! There is really advantages and disadvantages to everything!
@arynsmidt9361
@arynsmidt9361 4 жыл бұрын
I discovered I had aphantasia a few months back! I'm exactly the same when it comes to dreams. I can never see or really have them, but I still manage to have nightmares. Rather than see them, I feel them. I'll wake up with my heart racing, and I'll be short of breath, but I won't remember ever seeing and hearing a thing. I also can't see my fiance's face. I need a picture in order to really describe it in detail. It really is crazy! I also think it has contributed to my lack of interest in reading. I have a very hard time remembering or comprehending what I've read because I have no image of what characters look like or the scene in which the action is taking place. I can describe the characters, but I've never actually been able to visualize them. That's why I actually prefer movies, so I can put a face to a name! It really is fascinating!
@DeniskaEnialis
@DeniskaEnialis 2 жыл бұрын
I've got it just the same :D I don't have images, sounds, smells, feelings of touch. I also pull things out of the database and I also like the silence in my head. When I found out that other people had it differently, I was shocked. But I think it suits me this way :)
@Matschen
@Matschen 5 жыл бұрын
I have it too. Kind of. The only thing I can imagine are voices. And emotions. So it’s a bit different.
@Oliebollenwinkel
@Oliebollenwinkel 5 жыл бұрын
Stefan, you are not alone! When I first heard that people could imagine (and actually see/hear/smell) objects and settings in their mind I was astounded. I was jealous of these people who have this ability, but now that Dana explained the advantages of being able to 'turn off' your brain I should reconsider 😁
@deannahohn3163
@deannahohn3163 5 жыл бұрын
Y’all are blowing my mind!! 😅 gunna go research myself now 😂
@LeadingQuestionsPod
@LeadingQuestionsPod 4 жыл бұрын
Yep- this is me! I found this out a few years back too. Thanks for the great video to help explain to my friends how this works :)
@astridp4196
@astridp4196 5 жыл бұрын
I can’t see things either. I can imagine songs and conversations in my head , but neither images nor smell. I only need to see a map once and can find my way most of the time. Don’t have a navigation system or use my phone as one. I love reading, but I can’t see a character, just like if their description is good. So I can feel you in that regards. Don’t really dream as well.
@thehobbitilei1987
@thehobbitilei1987 5 жыл бұрын
When it comes to reading i cant see a character aswell, but i feel the character, like based on their personality, i also dont see faces in my dreams. that sounds like really creepy, but like i know if a person is good or bad, i even recognise them. I just "know" that this is that specific person based on the way their hair fall, how they walk, speak and interact
@lrob9584
@lrob9584 5 жыл бұрын
I have the same thing! Can’t picture images in my mind! The closest I’ve come to doing so is during meditations that involve guided visualization. Then I can sometimes sense imagery, although it’s shadowy and not life-like at all. Yet I do have a very active mind when it comes to thoughts and also music (I’m definitely an auditory rather than a visual person). Stefan, I’m totally with you when it comes to not seeing images in my “mind’s eye”! Thanks for this, very interesting 😊
@Sweetycat95
@Sweetycat95 5 жыл бұрын
I have extremely vivid imagination. Combined with a problem of seeing blood this lead to some situations where friends told me something about surgery or some medical problem and I just fainted. So it's really not all positive! On the other hand though I enjoy a lot that I have a continuous playlist of songs in my head which keeps on entertaining me
@allthingsitalian
@allthingsitalian 4 жыл бұрын
You are not alone! I'm a total aphant that can't see, smell, taste, feel or hear in my mind. I'm also great with directions and spacial relations.
@paxtharsis
@paxtharsis 4 жыл бұрын
I’m finding this really weird, I’ve never really seen anything in my minds eye I guess. Anytime I remember back it’s like it’s all being narrated by my inner monologue not like I’m actually there. I can’t fathom literally smelling a smell or visualizing something, if I did this I’d wonder what drug someone slipped me. I do have vivid dreams but those are like million times different then active thoughts. I like the database metaphor that’s exactly what it’s like for me.
@dayanaclaghorn
@dayanaclaghorn 2 жыл бұрын
This is like the opposite of intrusive thoughts, where you can't stop your mind from playing thoughts. Humans are so amazing.
@81danibell
@81danibell 5 жыл бұрын
This is so fascinating! I can’t decide if I’m jealous of Stefan, or if I very slightly pity him. I’ve always felt like my imagination is not as ‘strong or vivid’ as other people’s. Trying to “picture” something in my mind has always been difficult, except for when I find a book that really speaks to me, very few authors use words on a wavelength that allows me to disconnect from what IS. However, I’m also constantly reliving emotions, if I feel embarrassed at some point in my day, that feeling keeps affecting me for days afterwards, and I struggle to recall in my mind’s eye what actually caused it. Humans are so interesting! This video has made me think that we really are unique, and not one of us experiences life in the exact same way. Thanks for sticking around to read all my ramblings! And way too personal to ask, but what do Stefan’s nightmares look like to him?
@madkuya9862
@madkuya9862 5 жыл бұрын
Yea you are not alone stefan. i have that too. no pictures no thinkings just nothing. i need a photo in my front to see things.
@very3516
@very3516 4 жыл бұрын
It's so interesting to hear about your experiences, Stefan! I can imagine things and sounds, but no smells. Also, I have a problem with faces - I kind of get the whole "idea" of a face, but I just can't see faces in my mind, not even of my loved ones. When I dream, I always know who I'm dreaming about, but I can never see their faces. Also, I can't ever imagine what people in books would look like, even though I can imagine e. g. the clothes they're wearing, their eye colour or hairstyle. In general, I'd say that I can sort of relive memories, but I have problems imagining anything I haven't seen before, like landscapes, buildings, or people described in books.
@hayleycooley1699
@hayleycooley1699 5 жыл бұрын
Watching this video made me cry, someone is the same as me. Thank you Stefan for such a good explanation of aphantasia. However, it makes me sad that my memory is so bad.
@jeromemckenna7102
@jeromemckenna7102 5 жыл бұрын
The way Dana describes what she sees describes what I see when I imagine something.
@anonymoushiphopper
@anonymoushiphopper 4 жыл бұрын
Fascinating!!!
@syddddddddd25
@syddddddddd25 3 жыл бұрын
if i’m asked to visualize something simple, like a banana, i can recall memories of when i saw a banana but i have lots of trouble when creating new images in my head that i have never seen before. i could not change the color of the banana because i’ve never seen a banana that’s wasn’t yellow and if i really tried to, it’s the concept of a different colored banana but i cannot imagine it. i can imagine songs in my head and vaguely do smells but images is very difficult (i can imagine touch very vividly though). i also have trouble with imagining things in space. in an empty room, i cannot imagine what it would look like if a couch was there. i just can’t imagine furniture in an empty room
@bo_jelin
@bo_jelin 5 жыл бұрын
I think I have olfactory aphantasia, if something like this even exists... (I can't imagine smells. Weirdly, I _can_ imagine taste, which is mostly handled by the same receptors as smells) Imagining pictures is a bit hard and looks very "vague" in my head but I'm pretty good at imagining sounds
@feothyr6810
@feothyr6810 5 жыл бұрын
Same here. I can remember different smells like rain on warm asphalt but I'm not really smelling it in my mind. It's more like knowing the smell and being able to recognise it again. 🤔
@flowerdolphin5648
@flowerdolphin5648 5 жыл бұрын
That's interesting. I can imagine smells and pictures just fine and sounds really well, probably the best of them all, but I do have trouble imagining taste. For some reason that's quite difficult for me.
@oligreenfield1537
@oligreenfield1537 4 жыл бұрын
I’m the same as you no picture no music just pitch black. I also work IT and when I try to picture something in my mind I just remember the properties of the object. It’s blew my mind when I read that people have pictures, music and video in their mind
@xoxxobob61
@xoxxobob61 2 жыл бұрын
I honestly never knew that some people couldn't imagine pictures, music and video in their minds! Most of my thoughts have always included those.
@marinaab7276
@marinaab7276 5 жыл бұрын
Very interesting video! I had never heard about aphantasia before. I have a very vivid imagination like Dana.
@genevievebrunte2996
@genevievebrunte2996 4 жыл бұрын
Oh my god, I 100% relate - sorry I'm here because of the twitter hype! But Stefan literally described me!! I'm brilliant with directions but I can't imagine someone's face at all - I need photos! I definitely could when I was younger because I remember talking about it with my friend but I haven't had that for a long time now. It's actually quite sad
@boombaby1769
@boombaby1769 5 жыл бұрын
This must be SO strange! I have images, moving pictures, sounds, music, smells and everything else in my brain 24/7. They are even there when I'm not really awake in the morning, and they never stop and to be honest, I love that! I cannot even imagine how it could be otherwise. EDIT: Here on youtube, there is a channel called "AmyRightMeow", she has Aphantasia as well and made a video about that, and what's even more interesting: She's a cartoonist! She deals with visual stuff all the time, but she can't see any of it in her head! So crazy....
@amjan
@amjan 3 жыл бұрын
Same here! I love coming up with some great idea, and then I lay on the bad and phantasize about it the entire evening listening to music, experiencing the phantasy, getting excited about the possibilities etc.
@popodicker
@popodicker 2 жыл бұрын
That's not strange. Because you live with that since you were born.
@xerinaka
@xerinaka 5 жыл бұрын
Stefan, thank you so much for your video. I experience life, pretty much exactly as you describe it except, the only major difference is, sometimes when I am in that place between being awake and asleep, I will, "see" images. I completely relate with the feeling jealousy, especially since someone very close passed away in 2016. I can't explain how I stored her face in my brain, -but it wasn't by an image. But now, each year I'm losing more and more of that memory. That sucks😤 But, enough feeling sorry for myself 😌, I am otherwise happy & extremely excited to find someone else like me! 😊
@jessali_
@jessali_ 5 жыл бұрын
Woa, that's so weird! I always assumed everyone could imagine things. It never ever crossed my mind to question it! :O And speaking of imagination, I cannot imagine not being able to imagine stuff, hehe.
@sarasupertramp4199
@sarasupertramp4199 4 жыл бұрын
I have it!! Its awesome that u guys are making a video about it, thank u
@Speireata4
@Speireata4 5 жыл бұрын
I don't have aphantasia, but my images are not as "wild" as Dana's either. Like with the banana I just saw a normal banana in 3D with black or dark surroundings, floating in the air. When you asked for it, I could rotate the banana and see different angles. Same with the pool. I saw the pool, the surroundings and the shapes of people, but I didn't hear or smell anything and the people didn't move. I again, could change the angle of my view like when you described that I was laying on the towel, I changed my view accordingly. Since I can't smell like normal people, I can't imagine smells. In real life I can only smell very strong smells like in a perfume I only smell the alcohol it contains and a vague hint of "something else" that makes me able to distinguish between two or more different perfumes. I have never smelled a cookie or roses or coconut or anything like that. Only when I am lucky I can catch a very faint hint of what those things smell like. On the other hand, I am great at imagining tastes. Right now I have the taste of Pizza Margherita with oregano in my mouth and it makes my mouth water.
@TheScarvig
@TheScarvig 5 жыл бұрын
Your condition doesn't make sense the way you are describing it... if your sense of smell only reacts to strong smells then what ever you eat can only taste salty sweet sour bitter or Umami... "Tasting" happens 99% with your sense of smell. Only reasonable explanation would be a problem with your nasal canal, prohibiting airflow through your nostrils. But I guess you would notice that...
@siloPIRATE
@siloPIRATE 4 жыл бұрын
Sounds like me. My brain did visualise a banana, fairly realistic (with the black spots that are often on them) but with a sort of cartoony colour grading and no shading. Then it had some surrounding environment until I was asked to rotate it. My brain had to get rid of the surrounding area and spin the banana on its own. With the pool, my brain drew the pool first from an aerial perspective then added things as they were mentioned. When the towel was brought up my brain moved the camera to ground level, added the surrounding area in and upped the draw distance for surrounding buildings etc. Then it added sound because the video asked for it. Then the video mentioned smell and I just got the Metal Gear Solid exclamation sounds and exclamation mark because my brain cannot simulated that. My sense of smell is either awesome or non existent in real life
@vbvideo1669
@vbvideo1669 5 жыл бұрын
Very interesting topic and video!
@SimonKelk
@SimonKelk 4 жыл бұрын
Wait until you get into lucid dreaming. It's like a meditative state where you interact with your mind and can do whatever your heart wants.
@tsurek
@tsurek 4 жыл бұрын
Another negative of having a mind's eye, are intrusive thoughts... certain environments/people can bring up memories, images, and emotions that hinder your ability to function or uncomfortable within a seconds notice and make it extremely difficult to come back to a calm relaxed state of being...
@milenakerst654
@milenakerst654 5 жыл бұрын
I wasnt able to imagine things in my mind when I was a kid and I remember this very well. I first realized it when a teacher in kindergarten told us to imagine some stuff... But one day, years later it suddenly worked. And it still does. My banana was just a banana though... without a face :D
@MatteRyd
@MatteRyd 4 жыл бұрын
This gives me hope! I'm gonna practise tryig to see
@arhon888
@arhon888 4 жыл бұрын
I think I was the opposite. My primary school reports always said I daydreamt too much:-) I think I must have unlearnt the ability somehow, as I associated it with being 'bad'. I have fantastic vision when I am dreaming but it switches off when I am awake.
@zorrothebug
@zorrothebug 5 жыл бұрын
When I am told a nice funny story I literally get the "Kopfkino" it's a movie in my head playing along I cannot stop. On one hand I feel sad or Stefan he didn't had Kopfkino once in his life but on the other hand I envy him to be able to close eyes at night and don't have to think.
@Eldoran1989
@Eldoran1989 5 жыл бұрын
Hej Stefan, mir ging es genau so. Hab vor ca 2 Jahren erfahren das es so etwas wie aphantasie gibt bzw. genau genommen, dass andere Leute in der Lage sind Bilder zu sehen die sie sich vorstellen. Was ich besonders spannend find ist wie schwer es ist sich vorzustellen wie es ist seine Vorstellung im Kopf zu sehen, aber auch wie schwer es Leuten fällt sich vorzustellen wie es ist das nicht zu können. Hab in den letzten Jahren auch mit vielen Freunden drüber gesprochen und oft kommt das Missverständnis auf man könne sich nichts vorstellen. Ich mein ich kann mir ne Banane vorstellen und ich kann mir Szenen vorstellen. Ich schreibe ab und an auch Geschichten und die Charaktere in meinem Kopf entstehen. Aber ich sehr sie nicht, es ist mehr als entstünden in meinem Kopf beschreibungen dessen was ich mir vorstelle. Also eher wie n Lexikon und nicht wie n Bilderbuch. Ich kann mich auch gut an Sachen erinnern aber eben nicht in bildliche Art. Dein Vergleich mit der Database ist auch ganz gut. Allerdings träume ich, wenn auch selten, und auch meistens Albträume.
@fixit4387
@fixit4387 5 жыл бұрын
Das macht mich etwas traurig, dass du das nicht kannst. Vor allem als Kind träumte ich wie ich über die Landschaft geflogen bin. Sturzflug um es genauer zu sehen und dann sich vom Wind weiter treiben zu lassen.
@sandraschwarz8464
@sandraschwarz8464 5 жыл бұрын
Ich kann auch nichts in meinem inneren Auge sehen oder nur manchmal, wenn ich sehr starke Emotionen habe. Meistens ist es eher wie ein Roman, der manchmal Comic-ähnliche Illustrationen hat, den ich in meinem Kopf habe. Ich kann alles wunderbar genau beschreiben und mir auch Geschichten ausdenken, aber es ist eben eine Beschreibung und kein Bild in meinem Kopf. Auch meine Träume sind eher so eine Art vorgelesener Roman als ein Film, der abläuft. Gerüche kann ich auch nicht abrufen und mir vorstellen, dafür läuft aber immer irgendwo Musik im Hintergrund. Die dafür sehr genau, mit allen Instrumenten, Stimmen und Sound-Effekten.
@sabinewustenhagen7008
@sabinewustenhagen7008 5 жыл бұрын
I'm 30 years old and until today I thought, that it was normal to "see" nothing... I really thought it was like this for everyone... Kinda mindblown right now...Thanks for the interesting video :-).
@5onnenschein
@5onnenschein 5 жыл бұрын
Haha, same name, same age, same experience 🙌
@faultier1158
@faultier1158 5 жыл бұрын
Funny thing about picture memories: they are fake. The brain doesn't store the actual images - it reconstructs them from the information it has. I was once thinking about the ceremony where I got my Abitur. People of my class were on stage, but then I remembered that one of those guys in that image hadn't actually been there, and that the view was from the audience, even though I was actually on stage at that time. :D Also: imagining controlled 3D movies requires me to focus, while motionless images just fly into my head randomly without me being able to entirely stop them.
@silkwesir1444
@silkwesir1444 5 жыл бұрын
That's not just true for picture memories, but all kinds of memories. They are re-constructed each time they are recalled. Which also means they are slightly changed each time they are recalled. That leads to this kinda sad issue: Let us say, two people kiss but then they part. Years later they meet again. One of them has thought about that kiss a lot. The other one did not, in fact this is the first time in a long time they even recalled it. The first person, to whom the event was so much more significant, who thought of it so often, their memory is most likely much more altered than the memory of the second person. The second person has probably the more accurate memory of the situation.
@Phelie315
@Phelie315 5 жыл бұрын
@@silkwesir1444 that's also a huge issue for witness accounts in crime investigation. That's why people's accounts of an event can change over time or why when you have several witnesses their accounts often differ from each other. It's a whole can of worms, the human memory
@leximatic
@leximatic 5 жыл бұрын
Questionable, if the brain itself does store anything at all, for no scientist has ever extracted memories from physical structures. So they can't even tell, what memories are. You can say, that Neurobiology has identified structures associated to originating memories, but not memory itself. So the brain probably doesn't store, but the mind does surely.
@cristinarusu6133
@cristinarusu6133 3 жыл бұрын
I just found out about this yesterday, on tiki's Tok. I was gobsmacked. It's crazy to me how people can do that. I can't see anything, can't smell or taste. Exactly like you, I do have loads of nightmares but when I wake up I rarely can describe them, some thoughts come up in my mind about the dream and I can vaguely describe it but no images. I do remember seeing images in a dream two times when I was a kid but it was a lucid dream.
@wunndergurl911
@wunndergurl911 5 жыл бұрын
Well now I realize how deficient I am...I just never thought about it but I can't picture or smell
@cooky2991
@cooky2991 5 жыл бұрын
It's not a deficiency at all! I'd even call it a superpower and I've had it my whole life long. There are endless possibilities, like watching horrormovies and astounding others by being able to not even bat an eye at the horrific slaughter scene, a second after you can't picture it anyways. You can talk about all the gross things you want and while you don't picture it, the one you want gone do, why do you think telling people to imagine the ugliest people they can imagine to have sex with each other, makes others physically sick?
@Wanderer-xp3wg
@Wanderer-xp3wg 4 жыл бұрын
Stefan's shock at realizing that other people's minds do not work the same reminded me of myself when I first learnt I'm synesthetic. I was also shocked that other people actually do not experience the same things as I do and for all my life it felt so natural that I never questioned my mind :)
@markmuller7962
@markmuller7962 Жыл бұрын
Same for me 39 years undiagnosed ADHD
@jenwieland2130
@jenwieland2130 5 жыл бұрын
This concept is fascinating! I read an article about this once, and took a test about it. It basically said I have the opposite of aphantasia, because I can vividly recall sounds, images, smells, and even what things feel like. I was astounded to learn there are people who can’t. I love to read, largely because I’m picturing things as I read them. I’d never want to give it up, even though it’s pretty much impossible for me to “shut off” my thoughts, which often causes me a lot of anxiety. And I would especially miss conjuring the images of loved ones who’ve passed away. Do people with aphantasia like to read? If so, how does one enjoy a story if they can’t picture it in their mind?
@elinehegrand5487
@elinehegrand5487 Жыл бұрын
hello! i have aphantasia. when i was in school and for example the teachers would have us write down what we thought about when we heard said word, i never could do that, i would just think the word and then "what am i thinking off?" so...yeah (i dont know if thats just me) now, i do not like to read since i cant picture what i am reading. althrough i like to read a story with pictures. therefore i love watching movies, series, anything like that! thats what gets me emotional.
@Snowshowslow
@Snowshowslow 9 ай бұрын
I'm not sure I have full-blown aphantasia, but I think at least a basic version. And I love to read! I don't really understand why we wouldn't either, haha. The story can grasp you so well without having actual 'pictures' with it.
@EnigmaticGatekeeper
@EnigmaticGatekeeper 2 ай бұрын
I have it too. You're definitely not alone.
@EricB256
@EricB256 5 жыл бұрын
Danke Euch für das interessante Thema. Wenn ich in der Vorstellung etwas sehe, höre, rieche, schmecke, eine Berührung oder etwas im Gleichgewichtsorgan spüre (z.B. Seegang vom Schiff), dann ist das eine Erinnerung, und wenn ich darauf aufbauend weiterdenke, dann können solche Sachen passieren, wie einen Gegenstand in Gedanken zu drehen. Stefan, bist Du in der Schule im Kunst-Unterricht klargekommen, obwohl Dein "inneres Auge" das nicht macht? Hast Du eine "innere Stimme", also spontane Einfälle (können auch Erinnerungen an einen Punkt auf Deiner To Do-Liste sein) und spontane Ideen (unkreatives Beispiel von mir: "Lass uns heute nachmittag einfach mal woanders spazieren gehen") ? Wie nimmst Du Musik wahr, speziell Filmmusik, die aus dem Gedächtnis der Zuschauer bestimmte Emotionen abrufen soll, um den Film interessanter zu gestalten?
@nickrider5220
@nickrider5220 Жыл бұрын
Only found out there was a name for my lack of mind's eye last night...! I had it until some time after an illness (lyme disease) and one day I realised I couldn't recall faces, scenes, anything, maybe a very brief, grey image, then nothing. Can't imagine smells, but can 'play' music in my head and recall conversations. Glad I'm not alone, I've mentioned this to some doctors and they couldn't shed light on it. Google is your friend, I typed - have lost my mind's eye and it came up with Aphantasia !
@corinnabronisch8149
@corinnabronisch8149 5 жыл бұрын
Love that video!
@Trelokor1
@Trelokor1 5 жыл бұрын
Stefan du bist nicht allein. Mir geht es genauso wie dir. Ich hab mir nur dazu nie Gedanken gemacht. Auch ich dachte bisher immer, dass es so wie bei mir normal ist und dass mit dem sehen der Bilder nur eine Umschreibung des ganzen ist.
@ankakannengieer4184
@ankakannengieer4184 5 жыл бұрын
Huhu :) wow das ist mal ein interessantes Thema! Ich habe nie darüber nachgedacht, aber aufgefallen ist es mir schon bei ein paar Freunden, dass es ihnen schwer fällt sich etwas vorzustellen. Wir sind aber nie weiter darauf eingegangen, haben es einfach hingenommen. Ich für meinen Teil habe eine sehr ausgeprägte Fantasie. Wenn ich zB jemanden anrufe (beim Arzt oder einer offiziellen Stelle), stelle ich mir unfreiwillig vor wie derjenige wohl aussieht und wie er oder sie am Schreibtisch sitzt und mein Anliegen bearbeitet. Ich wundere mich im inneren ob derjenige einen Bleistift nutzt oder einen Kuli um etwas zu notieren. Wenn ich dann in eine Warteschleife gesetzt werde, geht das Kopfkino weiter ohne dass ich es aktiv möchte, und so kann es passieren, dass ich total überrumpelt bin, wenn der Gesprächspartner wieder zurück ans Telefon geht. Mein Hirn stellt sich fast ununterbrochen eine Situation vor, eine Erinnerung oder eine zukünftige. Das kann nett sein, ist aber auch oftmals störend, wenn man sich konzentrieren will 🙈 ich stelle es mir sehr still und emotionslos vor, das nicht zu haben, allerdings ist es mit Sicherheit auch sehr angenehm nicht abgelenkt zu sein sondern 100% bei der Sache zu sein :D also sehr gerne mehr Videos dieser Art! Das regt zum Nachdenken an :) liebe Grüße
@wickerbeastinlila
@wickerbeastinlila 5 жыл бұрын
I have constantly music playing inside my head! Which is pretty useful when you are stressed. Just tune in my davourite song!
@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard
@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard 5 жыл бұрын
Ich bin sehr realistisch: Ein kilo Bananen mit Plastikband im Regal in der Gemüseabteilung vom Supermarkt
5 жыл бұрын
Ich seh immer nur ne leere Bananenschale, weil Bananen ungegessen unvorstellbar sind.
@xaverlustig3581
@xaverlustig3581 5 жыл бұрын
Meine hat einen Chiquita-Aufkleber
@roesi1985
@roesi1985 5 жыл бұрын
Ich seh die Bananen, die aktuell in unserer Obstschale liegen. Wahrscheinlich, weil ich sie genau vorhin angeguckt und überlegt habe, dass man die mal essen sollte.
@draickin
@draickin 4 жыл бұрын
Die Frage hierbei ist doch warum die Bananen in der Gemüseabteilung liegen? 🤔
@lilantern
@lilantern 4 жыл бұрын
I also have this, with pictures as well as smells and sounds. I think your database explanation is how I would explain it too. I'm also really good at remember directions and stuff too which does feel kinda strange now. I've also been told I'm very creative and imaginative, I write fantasy worlds, so it's also sort of ironic. It's a very strange thing to come to realize.
@Lilymaus3434
@Lilymaus3434 4 жыл бұрын
I can't imagine smells. I can imagine the rest.
@claressalucas8922
@claressalucas8922 3 жыл бұрын
I've subscribed to you for two years, how did I miss this video?!? I'm 0 to 1 on the scale. I see black too. Sometimes I can get a flash of an outline in my head for something I saw very recently but it fades almost instantly. Mostly I rely on touch, taste, and smell. I could never understand why people who were asked whether they would rather go deaf or blind would have to think about it until I was this many years old (50!). Blind, would be my obvious answer because, apparently, I'm half blind already.
@Krieghandt
@Krieghandt 5 жыл бұрын
I have the opposite, not only can I create images in my mind, I can manipulate them. I see blue prints in 3D, and can rotate them at will.
@8circlesofhell
@8circlesofhell 4 жыл бұрын
that's very interesting! I think it's called hyperphantasia... I can't imagine that you can actually do that... although I can't imagine anything (aphant here xD)
@siloPIRATE
@siloPIRATE 4 жыл бұрын
I can do this with some things. Not everything though. Same as with lighting and colour, some can be changed and others resist
@narmora666
@narmora666 5 жыл бұрын
Wow! Das haut mich total um! Ich habe ZU VIEL im Kopf. Ich bin hochsensibel, habe ein sehr ausgeprägtes "inneres Leben"... ZU VIELE Bilder, ZU VIELE Geräusche, Gerüche, manchmal Geschmäcker.. unglaublich viele Erinnerungen und Vorstellungen von Dingen, die (noch) nicht stattgefunden haben. Ich träume enorm viel, habe auch tagsüber eine Art Träumerei - ich bin IMMER Bildern vor meinem inneren Auge ausgesetzt. Selbst wenn ich mir richtig viel Zeit nehme und versuche, an nichts zu denken und den Kopf frei zu machen. Das kann ich nicht. Ich kann mir absolut gar nicht vorstellen, wie das für mich wäre, einfach n-i-c-h-t-s innerlich zu sehen 😱 Beim Lesen verschwindet für mich sogar nach den ersten Sätzen der Text. Ich lese automatisch, sehe aber keine Buchstaben und Wörter mehr. Ich SEHE stattdessen, was da steht. Mir gar nichts vorstellen zu können wäre einerseits bestimmt sehr entspannend, andererseits furchtbar gruselig und eintönig 😂
@irian42
@irian42 5 жыл бұрын
My Aphantasia is interestingly not related to sound or music, only to visuals and smells (and touch but I doubt anyone is actually "feeling" something in their mind)...
@katharinaa.9166
@katharinaa.9166 5 жыл бұрын
Same here! The 'hearing' is definitely different (than real/physical hearing), but it's there, vividly, realistically - especially when it comes to songs or song snippets. As to your other comment about different vocabulary - an interesting thought, I had a similar one when I first heard about aphantasia ... The interesting/frustrating thing is, we'll never be able to experience the world the way anyone else does, we're limited to our own mind/brain, and explaining what goes on in there always falls short to some degree ... We can't even be sure that when I say "this object is blue" and you agree that it is, that my "blue" and your "blue" look the same - if you know what I mean? Having said that, I think if I could imagine images and smells I would know, because I know I can imagine sounds, or hear sounds in my mind.
@Syne7h
@Syne7h 5 жыл бұрын
Many years ago, I had a friend who was like this. It was fascinating to discuss it with him.
@lindsaynic
@lindsaynic 5 жыл бұрын
Oh my gosh, I heard about this a few months ago and it blew my mind that people SEE things! When I “imagine” things, it’s more like I’m hearing myself give a description of it. I can “hear” songs but it’s more like I’m just singing the lyrics in my head. I can’t smell things! I can recall how things smell but I don’t smell it. I do think about things, but it’s just basically me talking. My brain is a novel, not a movie.
@baldfairy3393
@baldfairy3393 5 жыл бұрын
I don’t “see”, “smell”, or “hear” either. In my head I “hear” my own voice, not he artists..
@blenderpanzi
@blenderpanzi 4 жыл бұрын
"In my head I “hear” my own voice, not he artists.." Yeah, for me its strange. Sometimes I only hear my inner voice, sometimes I can hear the song. The better I know the song (one particular recording) the better I can hear it in its original form. And when I'm about to fall asleep I can hear music in extreme clarity. Whole new orchestra compositions with many instruments. Can't be sure I really hear that though or if my judgement of what I hear/imagine is the first thing that goes when I'm falling asleep.
@embasador4yhvh
@embasador4yhvh 3 жыл бұрын
So interesting!! I can see images but not in vivid color or detail. I cannot conjure up a smell. Music yes, when I want to hear them. The mind is so amazing and beautifully made.
@Booyakasha787
@Booyakasha787 5 жыл бұрын
TL:DR: There's something called maladaptive daydreaming, which is when you daydream costandly, so it's kinda the other exreme and also try amino to find/join a community of people with aphantasia. I don't have aphasia but have you ever heard of maladaptive daydreaming? It's kinda the opposite, I think? It's when you daydream for long periods, sometimes even hours at a time and you typically have your own worlds and characters, including an idealised version of yourself. And it just plays like movie in your mind and you always come back into those dreams for 'world building' and 'character development'. Maladaptive daydreaming is different for everyone, but most people have more than one world they frequently immense themselves in. Some daydreamers also have more control over what happens in their dreams than others do, some even have none at all. Sometimes my daydreams get so intense that I feel really strongly about what happenes in them: when something good happens, I get happy and i tend to smile and laugh out loud, which is really embarrassing when there's people around. Same with bad things, when there's a death for example, I can feel grief, like someone died in real life and I even made myself cry in the past. But I can't control if something like this happens, it just does. Like when you're watching a movie where you're fav character dies and you can't do anything about it. And MaDD can also really impact your life in a negative way, again for some more than others, cuz you're constantly daydream and it interferes with your daily life and tasks a lot. Some people can't even control when they daydream, there are different things that trigger it, like a book you're reading, a movie or even music. Some of us, myself included, tend to also talk or murmur to ourselves or pace around the room in order to get out the energy we get from our dreams, which can also be embarrassing in public, so I try my best to not do that, which is really hard sometimes. It's not yet categorized/recognized as a mental illness but I think that, once there are more studies about it and once more people know about it, it'll get recognized. Sorry for the long-winded comment but I thought that this might be interesting to you. That there is also the other extreme. And just like you probably can't fathom my situation, I just can't imagine what it's like not to daydream or to not be able to even imagine anything at all. (What do you do all day?) Sadly I don't know any people with aphasia but maybe you could try amino. It's an app that has loads of different groups all based on different interests, fandoms or even mental illnesses, like MaDD. I'm sure there's one for aphantasia too.
@IsleNaK
@IsleNaK 5 жыл бұрын
What about having Maladaptive Daydreaming and aphantasia at the same time....? XD
@Booyakasha787
@Booyakasha787 5 жыл бұрын
@@IsleNaK I don't think that's possible Since aphantasia is the inability to imagine things (and i think you wouldn't be able to daydream either) and MaDD is a heightened urge to daydream and escape reality But I'm not an expert, so maybe it is possible to have both Who knows
@IsleNaK
@IsleNaK 5 жыл бұрын
@@Booyakasha787 well it's just that there's a comorbidity between autism and aphantasia and autism and maladaptive daydreaming 🤔. And not being able to picture things in your mind doesn't that you can't "tell" yourself stories in your mind. Also, I think there are different degrees of aphantasia: in a seminar I attended a professor asked the students to imagine trees and then he asked what trees people imagined. Almost all people pictured a certain type of tree, i.e. really existing trees like chestnut trees etc. But two people said they were picturing something like a children's drawing of a tree. A rather rough sketch of a tree... 🌳And one of them was autistic and a maladaptive daydreamer. I could see that as one way for aphantasia to manifest itself 🤔
@Booyakasha787
@Booyakasha787 5 жыл бұрын
@@IsleNaK Personally, i don't have autism but maybe I'm just an exception and there IS some link between MaDD and autism. I dunno the specifics I read that MaDD is a coping mechanism or sometimes the result of past trauma, like PTSD but instead of having nightmares and flashbacks, you daydream. That's an interesting idea, but MaDD like normal daydreams happens at random, when you're bored or doing some mundane task that doesn't require your attention, you drift off. At least it's like that for me but my point still stands: If you have aphantasia and 'tell' yourself stories in your mind, wouldn't that just be thinking?
@MmeTalinee
@MmeTalinee 5 жыл бұрын
Okay, here's the point where I'm like "wait... doesn't anybody do that?!" I'm not constantly daydreaming, I can control when I want to do it at least most of the time. But I do it a lot when I'm bored, waiting somewhere, got nothing else to do... Also I do it a lot when I'm sad to give me some good mood. Looks like I belong to the happy group of people with full-control over it. I can create what I want, I can make everybody do what I want and I often use this in my own menthal therapy. When I'm depressd, I sometimes can just go in my favourite inner world and let me (the better version of myself) expierience what I need to feel better and then really feel at least a little better in reality. I really thought, everybody at least was technically able to do this, even if some do it more frequently then others or some might find it easier to do and others harder. I know that in psychotherapy, they sometimes use imagination as a kind of tool. But I never thought this out, that maybe some other people rather don't daydream all that stuff but "just" imagine pictures, places, videos or something like that. Our minds are really kinda crazy things...
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