[Josy]

How do memories work for you then Jess?

[Kizzy]

You don't see a freshly cooked pizza with cheese all stringy and delicious ( yes I'm still juicing )

My head hurts, I'm gonna ask about see if I know anyone who thinks this way.

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Josy

I would describe my inner monologue as like a narrator lol

When you read a sentence/comment its words running in a sequence so how do you do that

It's not really narrating to me, I just like absorb the meaning on the word, idk, like I don't do it when I'm typing because I'm not right now but when I'm reading I just like breath in a certain way to voice the words to myself, idk. I guess it's a monologue in some fotm when I'm reading but not for everything else? It's really hard to explain when I can't really fathom the fact that other people have a whole voice in their heads that's dictating their thoughts and actions

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Josy

How do memories work for you then Jess?

Badly, I don't have any visual memories, I just remember the facts of what happened, I'm kind of glad though because my early life was quite crap and I don't ever have to reexperience any of it.

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

You don't see a freshly cooked pizza with cheese all stringy and delicious ( yes I'm still juicing )

My head hurts, I'm gonna ask about see if I know anyone who thinks this way.

Nope, I've never imagined anything in my life, sometimes if I close my eyes really tight I can see colours on the backs of my eyelids for a second but I think that's a physical thing with the eyes and not imagination 😂

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Nope, I've never imagined anything in my life, sometimes if I close my eyes really tight I can see colours on the backs of my eyelids for a second but I think that's a physical thing with the eyes and not imagination 😂

Aw Jessica it seems really sad, maybe you could practice? Maybe draw a pizza and then try to imagine it all cooked and in colour?

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Aw Jessica it seems really sad, maybe you could practice? Maybe draw a pizza and then try to imagine it all cooked and in colour?

I've tried loads of times, apparently the best time is at night before sleep and I've tried that. I'm not really sad about it. I've chatted lots of other people who are the same as me thanks to online communities and stuff, it doesn't make me sad, I've come this far in life without that ability. I'd love to learn more about it but it's still early, it was only discovered to be an actual way of thinking in 2014 when a man woke up from anaesthesia without the ability to create mental images after previously being able to for his life whole life. There's a study going on at a University in the UK, I've done a survey for them.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

If someone tells me to think of a pizza then I can't imagine a pizza but I know what a pizza is, it's round and has bread and cheese and toppings etc.. I think of the concept and the facts of it but not an actual pizza

You can't visualise anything?

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Aw Jessica it seems really sad, maybe you could practice? Maybe draw a pizza and then try to imagine it all cooked and in colour?

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

You can't visualise anything?

Nope, it's called aphantasia

[Jessica.]

There are many ways of imagining things though, I have a friend who doesn't think in colour, everything he vizualizes is in black & white

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

It's not really narrating to me, I just like absorb the meaning on the word, idk, like I don't do it when I'm typing because I'm not right now but when I'm reading I just like breath in a certain way to voice the words to myself, idk. I guess it's a monologue in some fotm when I'm reading but not for everything else? It's really hard to explain when I can't really fathom the fact that other people have a whole voice in their heads that's dictating their thoughts and actions

The voice isn't dictating, it's just verbalising your thoughts. It's not like a voice of God.

[Morgan.]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Nope, it's called aphantasia

Do you have dreams then or not?

(As in like sleep dreams not aspiration )

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Morgan.

(As in like sleep dreams not aspiration )

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Nope, it's called aphantasia

Well at least it's not a necessity in life to need.

You've definitely taught me some new things that I never knew about today Jessica.

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Morgan.

Do you have dreams then or not?

(As in like sleep dreams not aspiration )

Dreams happen in a different part of the brain, I think where memory is processed, so I do dream, I just don't remember them visually

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

I've tried loads of times, apparently the best time is at night before sleep and I've tried that. I'm not really sad about it. I've chatted lots of other people who are the same as me thanks to online communities and stuff, it doesn't make me sad, I've come this far in life without that ability. I'd love to learn more about it but it's still early, it was only discovered to be an actual way of thinking in 2014 when a man woke up from anaesthesia without the ability to create mental images after previously being able to for his life whole life. There's a study going on at a University in the UK, I've done a survey for them.

Do you think it could be a survival technique for trauma then maybe, you did mention some bad experiences yourself. Could this be that by blocking them out it blocks out everything else?
Do you have a link for it or any info on this thanks?

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Do you think it could be a survival technique for trauma then maybe, you did mention some bad experiences yourself. Could this be that by blocking them out it blocks out everything else?
Do you have a link for it or any info on this thanks?

No, I'm in a Facebook group with thousands of people and there isn't really anything consistent (people from the study are in it too). We haven't really found a link between our lives, there are people from everywhere, all ages and some had great childhoods with both parents present while some were less fortunate.

[Jessica.]

This is the first article I ever read about it

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-34039054

[Marsh.]

I suppose this is obviously why you get such different people from creative types and genius mathematicians and autism etc, it's all the differing ways the mind works. So interesting.

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

I suppose this is obviously why you get such different people from creative types and genius mathematicians and autism etc, it's all the differing ways the mind works. So interesting.

Yeah, it's really fascinating. When I found out that counting sheep was not just a metaphor for counting quietly and that people actually imagined sheep jumping along I was flabbergasted, I couldn't believe it!

[Marsh.]

Yeah, I remember doing a test in school which told you whether you were a visual, audio or kinaesthetic learner, which I guess is what that was all about.

Did you learn more from actually doing physical activities, Jess? Then there's no need to visualise as you are actually doing it?

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Yeah, I remember doing a test in school which told you whether you were a visual, audio or kinaesthetic learner, which I guess is what that was all about.

Did you learn more from actually doing physical activities, Jess? Then there's no need to visualise as you are actually doing it?

Yeah, I am definitely more of a hands on learner, I need to be doing things and engaging myself if I want to retain information more efficiently.

[Josy]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Badly, I don't have any visual memories, I just remember the facts of what happened, I'm kind of glad though because my early life was quite crap and I don't ever have to reexperience any of it.

Oh really that sounds really weird and also sad but I guess like you say it can be a good thing too for certain people.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Josy

What do they mean though, think in concepts?

He didn't know how to explain it because to him it just happened, I guess it's like trying to explain how to wave or something