brains, curious, visualization
Dec. 4th, 2008 04:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wispfoxWhen you close your eyes, do you see something?
I was asked this at Thanksgiving, after a long conversation involving face blindness, the fact that I have no visual memory and only vague glimmerings - after a _lot_ of work - of visual imagination. My initial reaction was utter and complete confusion, to the point of asking if the person only asked to get that reaction from me. It was, in fact, a serious question, although the reaction was itself appreciated.
I see nothing at all. I didn't really consider that other people might see something.
Indeed, this makes me wonder if this is why I am so sound-oriented when navigating a dark room; at least some of the other people in the room apparently visualize the room they are in when their eyes are closed. And were, indeed, perplexed when I said that I _listen_ to get around places that I cannot see, in addition to feeling my way. In fact, making noise so other people know where I am actively interferes with my ability to not run into things, because I am no longer able to _listen_. (I can hear when I am near objects because the sound quality changes, especially walls and doors and such. Less so smaller objects, since they are not at my ear height, I suspect, and are less fully encompassing and thus causing echos that I can hear)
I was asked this at Thanksgiving, after a long conversation involving face blindness, the fact that I have no visual memory and only vague glimmerings - after a _lot_ of work - of visual imagination. My initial reaction was utter and complete confusion, to the point of asking if the person only asked to get that reaction from me. It was, in fact, a serious question, although the reaction was itself appreciated.
I see nothing at all. I didn't really consider that other people might see something.
Indeed, this makes me wonder if this is why I am so sound-oriented when navigating a dark room; at least some of the other people in the room apparently visualize the room they are in when their eyes are closed. And were, indeed, perplexed when I said that I _listen_ to get around places that I cannot see, in addition to feeling my way. In fact, making noise so other people know where I am actively interferes with my ability to not run into things, because I am no longer able to _listen_. (I can hear when I am near objects because the sound quality changes, especially walls and doors and such. Less so smaller objects, since they are not at my ear height, I suspect, and are less fully encompassing and thus causing echos that I can hear)
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An excuse to use this icon again!
Date: 2008-12-05 03:43 am (UTC)Generally, 'no'. I put it in quotes because there is some noise there. But I have visual noise when my eyes are open, too. (We've discussed this.)
Sometimes, though, I get the impression of a strong light from just outside my vision in some direction. It's bright enough I feel like my irises should be constricting tightly, but not painfully. It only seems to happen in pretty dark rooms with my eyes closed.
re listening for spaces: I do this a little bit, but you're better at it. There's also a thing called "seeing with your face", which has to do with feeling air currents near walls and doors.
Re: An excuse to use this icon again!
Date: 2008-12-05 04:20 pm (UTC)