Can you see letters?

[Goughy]

Found another person who's blogged about it, and that sounds very similar to Goughy's description. (Not anything particularly unique to be read there, ftr)

When I started this thread I was primarily thinking about letter. Like how the little 'freaks' in spelling bees who view the word in their mind before spelling it but from the link:

"When I read a novel, I don't picture the characters or the places. I have an intellectual idea of the characteristics of the various people, but I don't have a picture in my mind of them."

I don't do that either. It would be a real surprise to find out that others did.

[sledger]

When I started this thread I was primarily thinking about letter. Like how the little 'freaks' in spelling bees who view the word in their mind before spelling it but from the link:

"When I read a novel, I don't picture the characters or the places. I have an intellectual idea of the characteristics of the various people, but I don't have a picture in my mind of them."

I don't do that either. It would be a real surprise to find out that others did.

I usually have a rough image, like a painting that is half complete, or like I can see someone behind a veil or something when I visualize characters from a novel, not often I think of a complete picture of them.

[GingerFurball]

"When I read a novel, I don't picture the characters or the places. I have an intellectual idea of the characteristics of the various people, but I don't have a picture in my mind of them."

I don't do that either. It would be a real surprise to find out that others did.

I definitely do that.

edit: actually, what sledger said. I can't say for certain I have a complete picture of characters in a novel. The veil analogy is a good one.

[Fusion]

I can see it in my head. I can't see it as if I'm actually seeing it in front of my eyes though.

If you can see it in your head, isn't that the same as visualizing it with your eyes closed?

[sledger]

I definitely do that.

edit: actually, what sledger said. I can't say for certain I have a complete picture of characters in a novel. The veil analogy is a good one.

I suppose I sometimes have a complete image, but this is usually only when I have seen a visual adaptation or something before reading the novel, and the image is impossible to shake off. But this is about the only time that happens.

[Prince EWS]

If you can see it in your head, isn't that the same as visualizing it with your eyes closed?

I don't know. That's why I asking. When my eyes are closed I can still see the darkness in front of my eyes, but I can picture any image I like in my head (I can do that with my eyes open too though). I also assumed the latter was visualising, but this thread made me doubt myself. It seems as if Goughy can't do any of that at all though.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I understand what Crabb is saying and am the same. I can picture a scene in my imagination, but it's not represented as actual sight as if light spectra were coming into my eyes. Mentally picturing something is very different to actual ocular sight. At least for me it is.

[Howe_zat]

When I started this thread I was primarily thinking about letter. Like how the little 'freaks' in spelling bees who view the word in their mind before spelling it but from the link:

"When I read a novel, I don't picture the characters or the places. I have an intellectual idea of the characteristics of the various people, but I don't have a picture in my mind of them."

I don't do that either. It would be a real surprise to find out that others did.

I certainly picture characters and settings. I remember being a kid going to see the first Harry Potter film, and being somewhat thrown by the fact that the actors looked different from how I'd pictured them to look from the books.

[G.I.Joe]

When I'm reading, I generally picture the significant things - people, faces, places. It isn't as detailed as picturing the colour of the buttons on their clothing, or what everyday objects lie on the table in the corner. It's generally like a low-resolution movie playing in my head, with the dialogue, but without the music or the general background sounds. It's all strictly contained within my head though. I view the proceedings with the 'inner eye'. Like PEWS, I can't project them outside and view them with my actual eyes; which is well and good because if I could, I'd be hallucinating.

[99*]

I can't. And when I dream it's not in images. I just assumed it was like that for everyone...

Same.

I don't know. That's why I asking. When my eyes are closed I can still see the darkness in front of my eyes, but I can picture any image I like in my head (I can do that with my eyes open too though). I also assumed the latter was visualising, but this thread made me doubt myself. It seems as if Goughy can't do any of that at all though.

I know I can't. Whenever I "think" of anything I don't/can't visualise it.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I find that I can visualise things when I just daydream quite well, but once I'm aware and consciously trying to visualise something, it just doesn't happen at all.

[sledger]

I find that I can visualise things when I just daydream quite well, but once I'm aware and consciously trying to visualise something, it just doesn't happen at all.

Yeah, I always find this as well.

[cpr]

I find I have a very visual brain - reading a book is pretty much like a film to me - OK i dont hear every clatter or bang, but the story plays out in action in my mind. It does leave me dissapointed many a time when I see a TV/Film adaptation.

As for visualising objects, I tend to find that quite easy. Like most, I can't physically see it in my eyes, but in my brain I can move it, change its colour etc. As a strange aside, when my mind gets an object in it, it can be very difficult to shift it - For example when I'm dreaming, my mind will put a random object in a place it doesnt fit, and will constantly focus on that - even though my dreaming self knows its out of place, it can't manifest it back into what it should be.

Find I'm also a very vivid dreamer, and will tend to have one or more a night. I find it bizarre some people can't dream in colour, it seems alien to me. I also find my dreams invoke my physical senses too - Being hurt in a dream will make me feel pain to the same intensity (and still do feel my muscles ache after I wake up for a bit).


Despite my brain being in overdrive on the activity front - absolutely no creative outlets for it. I lack all artistic skill, be it music, drawing, writing....

[dontcloseyoureyes]

When I read a book I'm similar, it's a very visual story in my head and when I think about it, I picture myself in it as the character being focussed on, generally. I forget what happened in books, tv shows, video games and movies quite quickly though. I guess it makes replayability quite good. I don't have the time to re-read/watch/play though, there's so much more to do in life that I find it hard to spend time re-reading when I've got millions of other things I could read.

[Burgey]

When I read a book I'm similar, it's a very visual story in my head and when I think about it, I picture myself in it as the character being focussed on, generally. I forget what happened in books, tv shows, video games and movies quite quickly though. I guess it makes replayability quite good. I don't have the time to re-read/watch/play though, there's so much more to do in life that I find it hard to spend time re-reading when I've got millions of other things I could read.

Especially scat novels