I read an article about aphantasia a couple days ago, just stumbled on it, and realized that I have complete aphantasia. Iāve been feeling a kind of vague depression about it ever since, like a new distinct feeling that something is missing, even though Iāve been like this my whole life. I started sobbing just reading the article, making these connections.
I guess Iām just wondering if this is normal, did anyone else in this community grieve over the loss ofā¦ something weāve never had anyway?
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For me itās isnāt complete aphantasia but nearly, as I can only get a fleeting glimpse when I visualize something.
But I am a creative individual in many ways, so I try not to beat myself up over the ways in which I lack, especially given that I have no control here.
Thatās a really good attitude! ā¦ Not me though haha I want so badly to be able to control this š®āšØ
I have put way too much effort in self-hatred. Iām trying to be more self-forgiving. Itās a slow process.
Maybe there are techniques to pursue, akin to meditation and mindfulness. I honestly donāt know if itās possible to treat aphantasia, but looking into it is worthwhile.
You know what, that is something I struggle with a bit in general too. Maybe that is part of me feeling so weird about this!
The thing that changed my viewpoint is learning that the act of remembering changes the memory in your brain.
So when something pops in from your past and you cringe and beat yourself up over it, you also poison the well. Suddenly you find there are no memories left that donāt evoke shame.
You have to forgive yourself, or at least try. Most of us have nothing that terrible to be ashamed of in the first place, and the restā¦ this will still help whittle down the list to things youāre ashamed of that you can atone for in acts of service.
the act of remembering changes the memory in your brain.
Thatās kind of why I feel so sad about having aphantasia. Maybe Iād be a whole different person if I actually saw things differently!
I really appreciate your perspective, thank you. This is out of our personal control, being more mindful of how I let myself think about it will probably help more than anything.
Not really bothered here. Finding out some people hear voices was the weirder one (e.g. internal monologue thatās actual audible), but I feel relief that I donāt have that
Some people WHAT
Is this a thing for every sense? I swear if thereās people out there who can just conjure the taste /smell /sensation of whatever they want Iām going to lose my mindddddd š©š
I donāt know the word for it, but I found out that people with aphantasia also āhave thisā which apparently means ānormalā people actually hear something with their internal monologue and/pr thoughts. Thatās horrifyingly noisy to me.
That does sound awful! I thought thatās basically what auditory hallucinations were, so (like so many other things now) Iām wondering if Iāve always misunderstood what that is too. Brains are crazy wow!
ADHD made me feel that way, but aphantasia didnāt. Being able to see things in my mind feels like a party trick though. Kinda cool, but not something I worry about not being able to do
Do you feel like your aphantasia has affected the way you perceive or remember your own life?
I think thatās what I feel Iām missing out on the most. Thereās so many things that Iām longing to remember with imagery now.
I canāt imagine how thatād mix with ADHD! Do you get the ADHD āwandering mindā? Iām not a daydreamer at all but I think I would be if I could actually see things!
I donāt know that affected is the right word. I have no doubt that it influences the way I remember, but I have nothing to compare it to. And I donāt really think having an image attached to a memory would fundamentally change my experience of it.
And interestingly, no, I donāt get the wandering mind thing with ADHD. I get distracted plenty, but never inside my own head
Yeah, influenced is a better description. I feel like Iām missing out on an important perspective, like, you know the term seeing things from someone elseās point of view but actually seeing things haha
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