curious, brains

[wispfox]

Utterly fascinated by the answers I'm getting to my previous post question, but in some cases at least, I think I phrased the question poorly in terms of what I actually wanted to know.

I don't mean the physical appearance of the inside of your eyelids (although, I note, that I _do_ also see; it's why I need as much darkness as possible to sleep), although those answers are surprisingly varied as well.

I mean... visualizing, imagination, things like that.

My imagination is not visual. The closest I get is motion (gestural communication? body language? Not really sure), and that's really only if my mind is wandering, I'm dreaming, or I'm parsing a figurative statement literally (as I nearly always do before catching the intended meaning).

Do you "see" the room around you if you're trying to navigate it with your eyes closed? Some other similar thing where you're seeing something with your eyes closed, but it is not the inside of your eyelids?

I note that I do sometimes see color/light flashes, when listening to techno and similar. But that's there with my eyes open in that case, too, it's just clearer with them closed.

Comments

[starphire.livejournal.com]

While I think the ability to visualize things (such that one can navigate a room eyes closed or imagine seeing something you've not seen before) is kind of a skill that can be developed, there seems to be some kind of prerequisite visualizing capability that isn't learned, or at least not at an age that people can remember suddenly having it. Maybe it's something determined early in life?

Here's a question: do you have an equivalent ability in the auditory or kinesthetic realm? Can you imagine how something might sound, or feel? If so, do you also remember that sense vividly? Some people do, but don't have the equivalent visual ability-perhaps some other sense serves the purpose for you?

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

I cannot imagine/remember how something sounds, although my recognition of sounds is decent. Ditto on scent.

But I can... sort of... imagine how something might feel. Sort of.

I don't really have vivid memory/imagination for sensory things. I have to wonder if it's because they are generally somewhat overwhelming.

I have a decent imagination, it's just not sensory. It's ideas, concepts, that kind of thing.