I recently learned that many people who are dyslexic can actually visualize in 3D. They can visualize objects in 3D and move them around in their mindseye and see it from different angles. That’s why letters are confusing because their mind can see them from any direction. This is fascinating to me because, as someone who cannot visualize at all, it means most people cannot visualize to that extent. Most people visualize in 2D. I have asked a few dyslexic people about this, and 2/3 confirmed they could, the third has aphantasia and cannot visualize… So perhaps your friend is dyslexic or has hypophantasia? Perhaps your visualization is closer to normal? Apparently this whole thing is a spectrum and everyone is different. I’m wondering if there is a “normal” or “average”, or simply a median on the spectrum of visualization.