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Living With Aphantasia, the Inability to Make Mental Images

Recently, reading EurekAlert releases, I came across two findings, the first of which I found odd since I assumed the scientific professions required more visualization, not less, while the second conformed to expectations, so did not find surprising:

- People with low or no visual imagery are more likely to work in scientific and mathematical industries than creative sectors, according to new research. (Title: Aphantasia clears the way for a scientific career path, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER)


- People with low or no visual imagery are more likely to work in scientific and mathematical industries than creative sectors, according to new research. (Title: Aphantasia clears the way for a scientific career path, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER)


Contrary to the idea that aphantasia is a hindrance, one study subject "found as a scientific leader that aphantasia helps greatly to assimilate complex information into new ideas and approaches. By understanding concepts vs fact memorization I could lead complex, multidisciplinary teams without needing to know their level of detail." Granted, we might all feel this way, but...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/well/mind/aphantasia-mental-images.html#commentsContainer&permid=108157642:108157642



On the other hand, excessive visualization could be useful in the arts. but one wonders about the downsides, the possibility of experiencing visualizations too strongly. of remembering bad events, or even worse trauma, vividly. 

He said: "This discovery adds importantly to our understanding of aphantasia. Our research shows that aphantasia has certain benefits to people working in technical sectors while hyperphantasia predisposes people to work in the arts. While this is the overall trend, we know there are many exceptions - for example, we recently organized an exhibition of art created by aphantasic artists which went on show in Exeter and Glasgow in 2019.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/well/mind/aphantasia-mental-images.html#commentsContainer&permid=108157707:108157707



Although I tend to use visualization for all sorts of tasks, I was under the assumption that I had a decent, but not a strong, ability to visualize, until I tried a test of visualization. I do not have aphantasia, and did not finish the test - the site was buggy - but from my answers, I can see that I have middling to lower ability. 

Now I wonder, and although I am not in a scientific profession. I work in a technical field, and much of my non-fiction reading is science-related. Even at work, I need to see something, like programming code, to understand it. I am verbally and mathematically highly competent the abilities do not mesh and find it very had to visualize verbal descriptions of mathematics, in areas like economics and finance, finding it much easier to understand from and work with the math.

Maybe, this is the reason tech people need screen-sharing and whiteboards.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/well/mind/aphantasia-mental-images.html#commentsContainer&permid=108158014:108158014




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