Thanks Nik for such a detailed description of your inner perception. I feel my perception closely resembles yours if I would try to describe it in words. Its very hard for me to maintain feelings of closeness with people when I'm not seeing them or better yet, doing a shared activity together on a daily basis. My form of aphantasia has no "recallable" visual memory of faces or body form, gait, etc. although I do have a slight recollection of voice tone. Also events in memory are jumbled because I cannot recall specific images or any kind of "movie-like" sequential recall of events. I do use photographs as well as a "proof" of doing things with others. I find also I have a better sense of spatial relationships with objects or locations as it relates to memory. Meaning: I have an excellent spatial memory of driving all roads in my hometown and can't imagine ever getting lost if I were to return there after many years living in another city. Recently returning from my wife's hometown in Japan, my daughter was amazed I was able to navigate the city with only being there once a year. Neither my wife or daughter are Aphantasic. Directly related to your topic, as I write this: my wife is still in Japan but I struggle to feel connected. This was not understood until recently discovering my aphantasia like many through the "apple test". Thanks for your insights with using photographs as a communication and integration tool. I may use that, as I'm learning how better navigate this as well. My interior world was my own and now I'm starting to see how everyone is so different in perception (and similar!).

Thanks Nik for such a detailed description of your inner perception. I feel my perception closely resembles yours if I would try to describe it in words. Its very hard for me to maintain feelings of closeness with people when I'm not seeing them or better yet, doing a shared activity together on a daily basis. My form of aphantasia has no "recallable" visual memory of faces or body form, gait, etc. although I do have a slight recollection of voice tone. Also events in memory are jumbled because I cannot recall specific images or any kind of "movie-like" sequential recall of events. I do use photographs as well as a "proof" of doing things with others. I find also I have a better sense of spatial relationships with objects or locations as it relates to memory. Meaning: I have an excellent spatial memory of driving all roads in my hometown and can't imagine ever getting lost if I were to return there after many years living in another city. Recently returning from my wife's hometown in Japan, my daughter was amazed I was able to navigate the city with only being there once a year. Neither my wife or daughter are Aphantasic. Directly related to your topic, as I write this: my wife is still in Japan but I struggle to feel connected. This was not understood until recently discovering my aphantasia like many through the "apple test". Thanks for your insights with using photographs as a communication and integration tool. I may use that, as I'm learning how better navigate this as well. My interior world was my own and now I'm starting to see how everyone is so different in perception (and similar!).