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Comment by Monroe13 | Hacker News Reader

> Doesn't everyone do this?

I wish I had the ability of imagination like you describe.

I don’t think I have full-on aphantasia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia) but I definitely can’t run simulations in my mind.

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I do have aphantasia, and until reading about it a couple of years ago I had no idea most people meant it literally when they talked about seeing things in their mind outside of dreams.

I can describe things in detail based on spatial relationships very accurately with my eyes closed, but at the very most I sometimes see vague subsecond flashes.

Same here. I now describe how i imagine things as probably bring similar to how a blind person would imagine things.

Cheekily, I sometimes claim I have no need to close my eyes when I think, so I can work simultaneously from what's modeled in my head.

we're really lacking in ability to effectively describe the qualia of "imagining" - it could be that some people visualize internal fidelity more closely matching the raw signal of their optic nerve and others have an entirely separate way of experiencing. for myself I can say that I mentally visualize just fine but it is nothing at all like actual vision. if you asked me how is it different then this is where words fail. it's entirely different but I can't describe how.

My inner imagination pales in comparison to the visualizations I experience on LSD. This experience sets up a nice contrast of what my mind is capable of VS what I generally am able to do when imagining.

I'm eager to try spending time imagining / visualizing things as I used to do when I was a kid, but it's hard to find time with all the exciting projects and busy life stuff in the way.

It's weird. I can construct objects and run physics experiments in my head (not on Tesla's level), and it's a clear tactile sense to me, textures included. I can also play familiar tunes (in my youth this included symphonies, simplified into sections and solos) and mix flavors in my head. But the weirdest part is, I can hardly see a thing in there.

I think most people in the culinary space spend a lot of time tasting imaginary dishes. Running experimental flavours before trying to make it.

The caveat is that you probably should have a certain level of experience and mastery to make full use of this ability.

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