Any other non-imagers? and a wierd story

[Chizadek]

The only time I can 'see' something that is not there is when I dream. I mentioned that in a comment to this blog post, and got an interesting reply (check out the links). Apparently I'm by no means alone, but the reason has not yet been found. I can easily imagine that my lack of sexual attraction is related to my lack of visual mental imagery. So the obvious question, is anybody else here the same?

This reminds me of the weirdest thing that ever happened to me. At around age 8 my primary school's dining hall was a separate building from the rest of the school and teachers would line us up in rows of 3 then after what seemed like an age would let us take the short walk over. One particular day the wait was surprisingly brief, and I walked out with the other students, but then weirdly the students around me split off and faded away leaving me alone on the pavement (US: sidewalk). My confusion was interrupted as a teacher woke me up. I had sleep walked out of school! I was taken back and when we walked over properly, I saw the footprints in the snow that stopped part way. I don't remember anything else being said to me about it by a teacher, student or anybody else.

Anyway, please don't get too distracted by the anecdote, and let me know what you think about a-visual-mental-imagery-ity.

[waffo]

I get some very vivid dreams that I can still recall to this day. And they all feel like a memory, but I doubt I ever drove away from my mom when I was a toddler, or had a forest and giant river in my backyard.

I don't look at pictures or anything and get a real image of it in my head, though.

As for that story, that's kinda weird. So you were sleepwalking but sort of conscious?

[Dargon]

I am the opposite. There are times I can get a complete picture in my head, sometimes of something I have seen, sometimes of something I haven't, sometimes I will it, sometimes it just happens (problem is, when I look at specific details of the picture in my head, they dissappear, which is a problem when trying to draw them).

Dreams on the other hand, either I don't have them (or don't remember them), and if I do, it is only dialogue, action, people, and places, and other very basic details I remember. For instance, if someone I knew was in my dream, said something, and did something, I'd remember who it was, what they said, and what they did, but I wouldn't be able to tell what they were wearing, what was around them, etc; nor would I be able to get a mental picture of it.

[Dindrane]

I can easily imagine that my lack of sexual attraction is related to my lack of visual mental imagery.

I can't imagine that so easily. I myself am not at all a visual person, and am still uncertain as to my sexuality. However, I can tell you that despite not being a visual person, and also despite not being attracted to someone based on their appearance, I have still experienced sexual attraction.

Now generally, I'm not a visual person, and it's hard for me to tell from just looking at someone whether they're sexually attractive or not.

However, once I get to know someone's personality (or have a personality I can associate with them, in the case of an actor playing a particular character), I can develop sexual attraction towards that person. I will say, however, that there is one thing that can attract me to someone without knowing them -- accent, or voice quality. I find certain accents/voice types very attractive -- again more evidence that I'm an aural person, and not a visual person.

So, I guess I can understand that someone who isn't visual would have difficulty feeling sexual attraction towards a purely visual stimulus, and since (I think) human beings tend to rely more on visual than any other sense, it's probably also the case that non-visual people might experience sexual attraction less frequently or to fewer people. However, I don't think being non-visual would automatically make someoen asexual, since people can be attracted via their other senses (in my case, hearing), or through getting to know someone -- sexual attraction AFTER emotional attraction, and not the other way around.

My 2 cents.

Dindrane

[Face]

Different people have different types of memory.

I have a very visual memory. I can picture parts of cities and places at home that I haven't been to in years but I'm useless at remembering words and names or conversations or jokes.

I can remember my pin numbers and passwords only by visualising them until they become habit.

My friend (also male) is useless at remembering directions but great at remembering names and conversations.

I'm not sure which is more common but the tricks you see of memorizing a sequence of objects to help remember phone numbers and stuff seem to be geared toward those like me.

[waffo]

I get some visual images in dreams but the most vivid senses I get in them are pain and taste. I once woke up from a dream where a tooth fell out. I could still taste blood and feel the pain in my mouth for a few minutes when I was wide awake.

[Ten]

I have very, very strong spacial management skills,

visual skills, and mental imagery skills

both inside and outside of dreams.

I can replicate and/or simulate a real world event in my imagination

and then change certain aspects of it to guess how the outcome would change.

For example, if I'm playing ping pong, and I miss the ball,

I can replay the instance in my mind to find out where my footing should

have been previously or how I should have been holding the racket...etc.