Here's a very strange question

[y4m]

When you try to picture something you've seen before, like your spouse or a pet or a place you've been or a pattern, do you actually see a visual of that thing in your mind?

I don't at all--I get words, and a feeling of the essence of that person, place, or thing, but no visual picture.

There's this test psychologists do where you look at an image on a card for a few seconds and then have to draw it from memory: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benton_Visual_Retention_Test#/image/File:BVRT.JPG. I'd do this by remembering the image in words: circle in the lower left, boxes in the middle, backward z on the right. I'd never be able to picture the actual thing.

Is that weird or normal?

Deep thoughts from 35k feet...

[katlizabeth]

I vote not normal, but the only tihing I base that on is the fact that I DO see visuals when I try to picture a person, place, or thing.

[kathybela]

Not strange at all - I think it depends on the type of learning style that you have. I'm combination of visual & kinesthetic and can form pictures in my mind. If you're an auditory learner you may relate more to the words or sounds than a picture.

[tacokick]

I don't. I can't really picture things at all.

[wannabe]

I definitely see a picture of it in my mind. I'm totally a visual learner.

[azurely]

I see a picture of it in my mind. No idea if that's normal or not, but I am a very visual person.

[gibbinator]

I see a picture in my mind. That's how I recall things like phone numbers too - I visualize the pattern of punching in the numbers.

[cosmowife]

I am curious - if you can't picture people in your mind, do you daydream?

[polarbearfans]

I see a picture. When I try to remember something, I get a picture, and then the words come after.

[polarbearfans]

We actually had a discussion of this in my biology class once. Like when I read a book, it is like a movie in my head. Our teacher was talking about how for her, it was just words, but her husband can clearly visualize what he is reading. Everyone is different.

[Pom]

Visualizer over here.

[y4m]

Nov 16, 2014 14:22:01 GMT -5 cosmowife said:

I am curious - if you can't picture people in your mind, do you daydream?

In words and feelings, but not pictures.

I do sleep dream in pictures though.

[krystee]

If that was a picture, I'd see it in pictures. But I am remembering it as "forward z, box at the top," "backward z, box at the left," etc., for this one.

[rubytue]

Nov 16, 2014 14:25:54 GMT -5 y4m said:

Nov 16, 2014 14:22:01 GMT -5 cosmowife said:

I am curious - if you can't picture people in your mind, do you daydream?

In words and feelings, but not pictures.

I do sleep dream in pictures though.

Do you dream in color? I always get this question when I try to describe how I can not "visualize" things. Like meditation. I can't "picture the ocean" or anything. Then I get all frustrated and my mind starts arguing with itself. Therefore, I suck at meditation.

To answer the question, I don't see things in my head. But, strangely, I do know what things will look like from words. Or maybe it's because I don't see things and know from words? I run into this with H. I have to draw him pictures to prove something will work/look good. Yet I can't see it in my head.

Bah... I'm babbling...

[audette]

Memory is weird. I don't think your way of remembering is unusual, but it doesn't match mine. I'm very visual in memory - a lot of my older memories are literally snapshots. I can see the image, but I have no context for it whatsoever...

[isabel]

Huh. I think that's really interesting. I'm very much a visual and kinesthetic learner, so I see pictures and images.

[flatlan]

I see a picture.

[cjeanette]

I see pictures. what is often stronger is the my memory of the thoughts that went through my mind at the time.

[LoveTrains]

Nov 16, 2014 15:03:35 GMT -5 krystee said:

If that was a picture, I'd see it in pictures. But I am remembering it as "forward z, box at the top," "backward z, box at the left," etc., for this one.

Me too. In that link I would remember it by words.

But in terms of memories, I do have visual memories and snapshots. If I'm trying to remember where something is, I can generally visualize where I last saw it or left it

[ESF]

Nov 16, 2014 13:38:19 GMT -5 kathybela said:

Not strange at all - I think it depends on the type of learning style that you have. I'm combination of visual & kinesthetic and can form pictures in my mind. If you're an auditory learner you may relate more to the words or sounds than a picture.

Exactly. I believe I have an exceptionally strong visual memory and an exceptionally poor auditory memory. The way I remember things is not by recalling what someone told me, but by recalling the piece of paper that I wrote the information down on. If I'm asked a trivia question, I can usually picture something - a map of the country, the Internet page I read it, the classroom I was in when I learned it. That's assuming I can remember the trivia question that's read to me - my auditory memory is so shitty, that I often just read the question so I can answer it.

[tine]

I'm glad you posted this y4m. I always thought I was the only person who couldn't visualize things! I can't picture anyone's face in my head, not even DH, DS or my mom!