Blind

So, I have never been able to visualize things. I don't "see" things in my mind. I can't even "see" red if I think about red. I just don't. I didn't really realize how rare this is until fairly recently, because we rarely question the way our mind works and has always worked since we can remember. Today, however, I read an article in a scientific magazine about somebody who lost his ability to picture things. It apparently is practically unheard of not to have a mind's eye. Here are some of my thoughts on my abnormality.

I thought terms like "visualize the outcome" or "picture his face" or "see yourself in a happy place" were more metaphorical than anything.

I always wondered about those memory devices where you're supposed to come up with a funny picture or imagine yourself walking past each item to help you remember a list. I always thought it would just be more work to remember all the details of the story. For example, this website says "George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Richard Nixon, you could imagine walking up to the door of your location and seeing a dollar bill stuck in the door; when you open the door Jefferson is reclining on the sofa and Nixon is eating out of the refrigerator." Poor grammar aside, I have seen this advice in many places, and it always left me mildly puzzled. Why would I remember a dollar, a sofa, and a refrigerator when I only have to remember Washington, Jefferson, and Nixon?

I can't picture faces. I can recognize faces when I see people or pictures of people, but I cannot call them up in my mind when they're not in front of me. This doesn't mean I've forgotten what you look like or that I don't love you; it means that I do not picture things. My brain does not work in the same way most people's brains work.

I wish I could be in a study and get fame and fortune. Well, to some extent. For privacy reasons, the man who lost his ability to picture things was referred to as MX. And it doesn't mention any money. But whatever. I still want to be in a study.