I also didn’t know I had this until I read you writing about it on Warming Up when you first realised, and now obviously realise just what (I didn’t know) I am missing out on. So thanks for that… However my memory and recall have always been terrible but happy to blame it on this rather than being perpetually in my own world.
Agree we should get some form of recompense/benefit. Maybe 50% off in the Apple Store as we need screens more than the MindsEyeNormies.
I have realised I have aphantasia from reading this today! I could describe something as I have seen it before but not visualize it - I didn't really think it was a 'thing' not being able to see something that isn't there. I just had a quick read of some info on it and 'Many people with aphantasia have a strong inner voice' I definitely have this - I wonder if it is to compensate.
That said I can 'see ' things when I dream - asleep dream not day dream.
I'm curious, if I may ask, about why you don't want to try some of the old stomach-psychedelics? It's a totally reasonable position to take, but it seems a bit unusual to me, because the right substance/experience would almost certainly rid you of this affliction (temporarily).
My experience is, they are relatively harmless and non-habit forming (but of course this is not always true for everyone).
I remember from your pod that you had a bad experience on a mystery substance at a festival many years ago, but the decider of whether you have a good time or a bad time is pretty much entirely down to set and setting - if you're in a comfortable, quiet environment, maybe at home with your wife if you can temporarily be rid of your children for the evening, you could have a safe & interesting life experience.
I recommend MDMA or 2C-B, which can both be very warm, gentle, pleasant experiences with significant closed-eye visuals.
I am 57, never really taken drugs, have two kids, the effects would be temporary (and presumably not controllable) and “relatively” harmless is not something I want to risk at this juncture. I’ve seen long term effects of relatively harmless drugs on people I know and as I work with my brain (almost exclusively) I can’t risk that right now!
Interestingly, it gave me much the same feeling* as when, maybe 30 years ago, a broadsheet newspaper article outlined how a regime of daily cold showers had produced a very noticeable improvement in 80% of the ME sufferers who had participated in the study. (Of late, incidentally, the cold shower "therapy" has gained considerable traction as something that provides measurable health benefits).
*As I don't want to be cancelled (again?) I won't specify what that feeling was.
My memory is schematic and semantic, which compensates for the lack of recalled visual imagery, but I didn't realise when developing that coping mechanism that I was masking a deficit.
Did you struggle with 'Kim's Game' like I did as a kid?
As soon as the cloth covered the objects, I had nothing but a list. Hated that game.
I only learned of my own aphantasia from you. So you are doing a grand job of spreading the misery. 😂
I am delighted to help you discover your horrible truth
I also didn’t know I had this until I read you writing about it on Warming Up when you first realised, and now obviously realise just what (I didn’t know) I am missing out on. So thanks for that… However my memory and recall have always been terrible but happy to blame it on this rather than being perpetually in my own world.
Agree we should get some form of recompense/benefit. Maybe 50% off in the Apple Store as we need screens more than the MindsEyeNormies.
I have realised I have aphantasia from reading this today! I could describe something as I have seen it before but not visualize it - I didn't really think it was a 'thing' not being able to see something that isn't there. I just had a quick read of some info on it and 'Many people with aphantasia have a strong inner voice' I definitely have this - I wonder if it is to compensate.
That said I can 'see ' things when I dream - asleep dream not day dream.
I'm curious, if I may ask, about why you don't want to try some of the old stomach-psychedelics? It's a totally reasonable position to take, but it seems a bit unusual to me, because the right substance/experience would almost certainly rid you of this affliction (temporarily).
My experience is, they are relatively harmless and non-habit forming (but of course this is not always true for everyone).
I remember from your pod that you had a bad experience on a mystery substance at a festival many years ago, but the decider of whether you have a good time or a bad time is pretty much entirely down to set and setting - if you're in a comfortable, quiet environment, maybe at home with your wife if you can temporarily be rid of your children for the evening, you could have a safe & interesting life experience.
I recommend MDMA or 2C-B, which can both be very warm, gentle, pleasant experiences with significant closed-eye visuals.
I am 57, never really taken drugs, have two kids, the effects would be temporary (and presumably not controllable) and “relatively” harmless is not something I want to risk at this juncture. I’ve seen long term effects of relatively harmless drugs on people I know and as I work with my brain (almost exclusively) I can’t risk that right now!
Maybe at 77 when the kids have grown up and fled the nest
Yup, doing all the drugs then, all at once
Apropos of nothing, just last week I read something that, after a bit of explanation and analysis concluded:
"𝑨𝑫𝑯𝑫 '𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔' 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕 [...] 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 [𝒊𝒕] 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚"
Interestingly, it gave me much the same feeling* as when, maybe 30 years ago, a broadsheet newspaper article outlined how a regime of daily cold showers had produced a very noticeable improvement in 80% of the ME sufferers who had participated in the study. (Of late, incidentally, the cold shower "therapy" has gained considerable traction as something that provides measurable health benefits).
*As I don't want to be cancelled (again?) I won't specify what that feeling was.
My memory is schematic and semantic, which compensates for the lack of recalled visual imagery, but I didn't realise when developing that coping mechanism that I was masking a deficit.
Did you struggle with 'Kim's Game' like I did as a kid?
As soon as the cloth covered the objects, I had nothing but a list. Hated that game.
Thank you for raising awareness on this.
I found that kind of game easy enough but learned good memory techniques I think. I struggle with maps and thinking in 3D!