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Never knew

Just learned the term (Aphantasia) {see spellcheck does not even know it}. I always knew I could not picture things in my mind, however, I had no idea that most people could experience or recall their other senses. I, am apparently void of all sensory recall. I do however, have a good memory. This memory is pure thought. I have no idea how it works. I also do not know if other people experience a flood of ideas every time they face a challenge, or new information about a subject. It’s as if every thing I have ever experienced relating in someway to this new thing gets tagged. It gives me possible solutions to challenges. I have studied my whole life, I have a need to know things. One problem I have noticed in other post, plages me. As I experience the thoughts that invade my mind when I consider a challenge, I can be easily distracted. I am happy to find this subject being discussed, I thought I was alone. It would be nice to find that this condition might be helpful to the challenges we all face. Maybe some of us should get together and see if our unique thinking process has advantages.    

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Astrid Vogel
on July 14, 2021

I also just recently stumbled over Aphantasia. I share you’re difficulty to concentrate. I’m a fast learner tho and always had it easy in school. Holding still also is no problem for me. I can best describe it as having many, many thoughts in my head at the same time and not being able to hold onto one. But I get bursts of energy when something interests me. Then I can spend hours reading all I can find about said Topic. But to study something for e.g. school that doesn’t really interest me is hard for me. My brain just really wants to think about other things then.

John Bennett
on July 14, 2021

Hello Astrid, Isn’t it comforting to find out we are not alone in this.  I always felt as if my place in this society was a bit outside the norm. An example would be, I observe other people and copy (to some degree) their response to a situation, especially when the expected response is emotional. Do you have any sensory recall? I have none. I can know a sensation when I experience it, (for example I recognize the taste and texture of an apple when I bite into it, however I cannot recall it independently. In other words, I have no recall of any of my senses. Curiously, when it comes to creativity, especially in my profession, I have always excelled. I do seem to be rattling on, this is a very new experience for me. This is the first time I have ever communicated electronically with someone , or some group other than in a professional context. Here we go with my mind jumping around a bit. Do you find that in some situations you simply want the answer to a question from a trusted source rather than the search.I think I better stop, save some comments for another time.