Visualising without a minds eye

Thanks for sharing! I cannot relate with this sort of memory however many aphantasics can. It sounds like you are exercising spatial imagery and motor imagery (the mental simulation of physical movement).

Based on limited data, it appears that spatial imagery is often still accessible by people with visual aphantasia. Motor imagery is less commonly discussed or examined, but I suspect strong motor imagery may be a little less common in aphantasics.

And not only are there spectrums of vividness in different domains (visual, auditory, etc.) but also vast variability in things such as the imaginable content (ie. objects vs a places or faces) and sensory recall vs novel imaginings – my brother and dad, for instance, have eidetic memory but cannot manipulate the imagery or imagine anything they haven’t seen, exactly as they actually saw it with their eyes….

Sorry, I can get carried away 😅 can you imagine places you arent as familiar with? Also, can you imagine someone close to you walking through your imagined house?

Also, here is a discussion around motor imagery.

Fortunately, we soon will have much better data around these non-visual domains Imagination is a spectrum that ranges from aphantasia (no mental imagery) to hyperphantasia (extremely vivid imagery). Our team is currently collaborating with world-leading scientists and experts in mental imagery to develop new ways of quantifying human imagination across the various domains. We’re calling it the Imagination Spectrum. You can sign up on our waitlist at the bottom of the Evaluating the Mind’s Eye article.

Hi there. Your experience sounds just about the same as what I would describe my aphantasia as. I didn’t know this way of visualization was uncommon until recently. It’s nice to know that there are other people out there with the same experience because when I first found out about it, I was shocked and worried that there was something wrong with me. I honestly felt like I was missing out on a world that everybody else could experience with closed eyes and imagination. What’s more – is that I’m an artist. I draw and paint, I read and I write, and I can’t help but wonder how much greater my experience with drawing or writing would be if I could clearly visualize the images I’m trying to portray. Maybe there’s a correlation between aphantasia and creative work that I haven’t figured out yet because I’ve heard of other artists having aphantasia too.

Hello, I have so many questions, I just found out I may have this condition and as I am reading what everyone is saying, I can’t relate so much. I also know exactly the way you described. What really worried me and I am sad now, is that i have been practicing the law of attraction for a while, and I have been able to manifest anything, since the law works by visualizing and feeling, all the senses that are hard to have according to this condition. 

> does anyone else have different or similar ways they remember or imagine?

Me too exactly!

> When I close my eyes I see nothing

Actually I see a black screen 😀 

> if someone asked me to do the same with a random object or person (like a pink rhino) I can’t.

You’re not easily suggestable, just like me. Maybe you’re good at suggesting others, because I relate you to my case who can hypnotize 😉 

See more here: Thinking: Visual vs Abstract vs Verbal vs Logic vs Connective vs Kinesthetic etc.