Seeing Things in Pictures?

Post Reply New Topic

What does this mean to you? This is the most recent aspect I am exploring and, if it is what I think it is, then it is "normal" to me. Everything I read, hear, or whatever I visualize in my head as an image of some sort. Whether real or imaginary or conceptual. I don't see how anyone would do so differently, but am curious what other people ASDs think about this and how they perceive things.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt37650.html

Ya, absolutly I experence all my memories as pictures 90% of the time but also experience all the other sences the other 10%. I feel I have a very detailed and much better then average long term memory.

I didn't realize this was not the normal way of thinking. I've always thought in pictures, I don't even know how one would think in words or verbally.

Well... ya, I am shocked that most dont experience their memories in pictures mostly eather, mine is more like a movie, with little sound, and I can remember my experiences well in those movies, but picture is the dominant thing I see.

SO now my ??? is... How do NT's typically experience their memories, I guess the way us ASD'ers remember stuff is the reason that we have superioir memories of long term stuff (typically I have found and read) what do you NT's out their experience when you remember stuff????

Cool! Did you know you that thing in your head used to be called a Trigger11?

Would this be a form of photographic memory?

If someone reads something and they remember what they read, is that verbal or picture?

I would just like to add that there is more to thinking in pictures than just looking into memory, for me I tend to dream up new visions and create some kind of new mental designs which to some point are a warped and twisted mixture of invented visuals. There is also the diagram style of thinking which I use to explain almost any kind of animated sequence or theoretical instruction in a very methodical and logical style.

The best way to develop this visual power is to masturbate to mental visions to create the ultimate fantasy situation and please while that sounds a little crude in the too much information area its a truth which I reveal with a shy discomfort. I can also think in verbal terms but that tends to be the inner voice that I find to control to some extent and at times feel compelled to talk to myself in the open which tends to be whispered while in public.

I remember when I first questioned my seeing in pictures from wondering why I paint from mental imagery and got lead to all sorts of things and find it a very interesting subject. Some people have said thats a very primitive and ancient ability that is continuing to die away through the rigid educational system that promotes left brain style academic subject in a way without nothing more than writing to explain things. To be able to think in pictures is also a very powerful mental system that can offer the potential to develop some awesome esoteric beliefs that give way to some amazing discovery's yet may prove to drive one insane if to much is learnt into that area and that are currently also being hidden away from todays persons.

Please be aware that a lot of people do think in pictures but don't look into there mental function and would happily deny not doing as not to feel different which is such a shame. Anyway keep researching this form of thinking and by developing gives aid for it is a great tool to solving issues especially with using computers etc.

As a child, when learning the calendar, I envisioned the months laid out along a track that had a certain shape, like a path or racetrack. I use this picture to this very day, when thinking ahead or back in time.

I also associated colors with the days of the week, and when imagining or writing the names of the days, I saw the letters in the colors for the particular day. This has remained consistent since I was a child. As a certain irony, my color for Friday was black. This was way before I had ever heard the term 'Black Friday' (retail term, also the name of a Steely Dan song, was it coined during the crash of '29 ....?). You might say I was ahead of my time.

On a more practical note, I have no problems visualizing an object from various perspectives. I can mentally rotate obejcts, buildings, etc., seeing clearly in my mind's eye how everything looks from bottom, top, etc. without resorting to a drawing. I have been told that not everyone has this ability, but I am not sure if it is more more prevalent in ASers vs NT's per se.

I have a really good memory and remember nearly everything in pictures. Once I got sea sick after eating a lemon poppyseed muffin. I remember that experience in taste and sensation as well as pictures.

I remember when I first started reading, and even some time after that, I just kind of felt the meaning. Even TODAY, I can scan books VERY fast. I am almost embarassed to do it in book stores or libraries, because it looks PHONY, like the SCI-FI pictures with androids reading at a blinding pace. Of course, I read a LITTLE slower, and it is really SCANNING, basically looking for a certain word or format, or maybe an illustrated concept. At about half that speed I can actually read, but with relatively low comprehension, because it takes me longer to remember what I read. If I read by basically speaking mentally, it is at a veritable SNAILS PACE compared to that!

You mean you NEVER basically speak mentally? MOST people reading books DO do this. Anyway, THAT is what my verbal memory is like. Visually, I HAVE seen this very good, but it is almost as bad as my vision without my glasses. 8-( I have reason to believe that MOST claiming to have photographic memories(even autistics) are worse than I am. OTHERS may be far better. With irulan, for example, I think her level of ability for languages(HEY, she OBVIOUSLY does well, but I think someone with a REALLY eidetic memory could learn more faster and easier) indicates she isn't THAT good.

I WISH I could really SEE what you guys are talking about, but I may never see it.

Yeah I'm the same. I think in pictures. I always thought it was something everyone did until I read otherwise.

I envision the months in a similar way too.

My thoughts are largely non-verbal and non-visual. Until I found WP I thought I was the only one - my mother kept telling me I must have an inner voice or 'little man' because that's how people think. I suspect this is the reason may people with aspergers like to think aloud - it's a way to organise and examine abstract ideas that are not defined in an easily communicable way.

My memories tend to be more visual, but not like a video, more like a sort of slide show where the slides are more conceptual then exact replicas. I'm not sure how to explain this any better.

I read your first post there, and that made me think that the reason I read slow (at least I think I do), is because I always think each word in my head.

So yes, when I read books, I think in words, though I try to visualize it too, but my memories are are pictures (or videos), how else would my memories be? I really don't understand that. Anyway, I'm not sure if I think in words or pictures usually, but I've heard that people with Asperger's do think in pictures.

But I don't claim I'm a person with this kind of memory. I even read in that topic started by me:

When I talk I see the picture of what I want to say. If I talk about a pumpkin pie, I see it, smell it, it is all visual. Then I describe it or remember something about it. When I have a conversation with someone, what they say to me I run a movie through my head. When I respond, I run a movie through my head.

As far as reading, I suppose there has to be some element of verbal memory, or you couldn't read. However when I read, I view the story as a movie.

Hope that makes sense.