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New member, wanting to chat with others

For many years, I have really wanted to share experiences with others who have little or no visual imagination, because this interesting characteristic has helped shape my life.

So, why today? Well, last Sunday afternoon, I was out and about with my neighbour and newish friend ‘A’. She turned her car around while I went on a quick errand. – PROBLEM: previously her car had stayed put, and if I needed to find it when she was not beside me, I only had to remember where we left it. That is in itself was actually a little risky, but my memory of where it was parked had not, as it happened, ever let me down. This time, I needed to find a car that had moved, and I had not bothered to memorize the number plate, or the make, and had no name for the colour!  I can visualize proper colours such as red or blue, but this wasn’t a real colour, wasn’t white, or grey, or off-white or metallic, and it has to be said that I am not interested in cars.

Worried I might approach a car with a stranger inside – it is not easy to see in clearly – I took my time. ‘A’ was horrified because she thought I could not SEE the car!!!! Worse, I had been sharing that I perhaps ought to try driving lessons, even though I am in my 60’s!

Because of this funny incident, I decided to again try to find something on the Internet about people lacking visualization. I last tried maybe around 10 years ago, but couldn’t hit on a successful search term then. Now, sentences and questions work, so I hit info at last! I just want to break the isolation of this quirk, and have a good natter with others.

The trait helped wreck my education because of the methods used at my first school. Several years into failing and being left right behind with reading (hated books) there was a class where the teacher chalked words up on the board, one at a time, then wiped them off – I was probably 7. The class were asked each time to put up their hands if they could spell that word, and it seemed everyone could except me. That was the fateful day that I decided I must be stupid, and would never be able to read or write. On the writing front, the school demanded correct spelling: no mistakes allowed. This scared me out of attempting essays until I was 14, when I began to break free.

With different school emphasis, and different methods, I would have progressed fine and probably done well academically.

I remember being very angry about the illogicality of spelling, and thinking (and probably yelling) “Spelling is stupid. How can anyone remember it!!?”

I need to understand things to remember them, and actually that is positive. I do think the trait has stretched my intelligence.

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Francesca Livesey
on January 11, 2022

If it helps I can never find anyones cars. If I got out of it with them and walked to the building I would remember where it was parked generally but not what it looked like.  If someone came out and turned it around or moved it, I would be unable to find it.

This was a big problem when I used to get a different hire car a day for work.  Also people would ask me what the car was and I would maybe have prompted myself to remember that it was blue, but I would only know it was blue and car shaped.  However I am completly disinterested in cars in general.

Spelling for me has always been a phonic exercise so I would sound out words.  As a voracious reader I often read words before anyone ever said them to me, so I had some interesting pronunciations!

I found it more annoying with strings of numbers and equations.

I cannot remember long strings of digits.  If eg phone numbers or currency are stacked one on top of another in a spreadsheet I will loose digits, transpose them up and down and across, and also to me 3,5, 68,0 are visually interchangable depending on the font/ handwriting which also adds to the fun.  I do have a diagnosis of dyscalcula however I wonder if people who can see the information in their minds eye might find this easier.

I also rely on understanding to remember things.  I cannot remember a bald fact (eg I did geology and despite trying to rote learn it I still cannot list out geological time in order) however because I understand the logic behind structural geology I can remember those concepts.  Equally I find it very easy to rapidly read huge reports for work, and remember all the concepts, but will have to write prompts for actual  individual facts.

I have however had moderate success with rote learning languages, effectively I practice and practice and recite it like a dirge and it eventually sticks.  Because I have to do this, but can quickly and rapidly understand concepts I think may people think I am smarter than I actually am.

 

 

 

rich
on February 17, 2023

Helen,

I noticed your inquiry about Rewine Therapy in regard to addressing PTSD. I sent Tom Ebeyer a copy a PDF manuscript entitled The Other Side of Our Emotions, which is a memoir of my journey addressing hurtful and disruptive emotions, but even more so, an approach I discovered that enabled me to eliminate those emotions, one at a time. The approach does not require creating mental images because I am an Aphant and couldn’t do that no mater how I tried. I would be glad to send you a copy of this unpublished manuscript if you would like to read it. I can be reached at rich@storedfeelings.com.

Rich