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http://www.iflscience.com/brain/cant-imagine-pictures-your-mind-you-might-have-aphantasia

I'll let someone else hyperlink that because I'm too lazy. 

So I came across this earlier today, and I know it's IFLscience but please bear with me, because it's actually pretty interesting. Apparently some people can't form mental images in their minds! I mean, personally I didn't know this, and since it's newely-discovered, I don't think any of you guys would've seen it either. 

So it got me thinking: are there people with Aphantasia in the writing industry? For starters, I wanted to know if anyone on the site had it. I can't really comprehend what it'd be like to not have images in your head. Well, obviously it means you can't imagine things, but does that impair you in things like maths or English classes where you're required to visualise an image? 

But back to the writing industry. What if critics had it? Does that mean that they simply read a text for what it is, and can't imagine it? In future, if this turns out to be a big thing, will writers needs to write so their works appeal to both those who can imagine the scenery in their head, and those who can't? 

Thoughts, guys? 

Oh god... I can't imagine how horrible it would be for someone with aphantasia... I mean, seriously! Watching porn would be their only option!

Dear god, I didn't think of that at all! There's a world of possibility in their heads, and-... Let's just say imagination is awesome. :P

Clicky link. You're welcome.

As for me, I can still imagine and visualize things mentally, but it just takes longer for the "picture" to form in some cases. I suppose it's normal-ish.

I don't suffer it. But this is quite interesting to read...

Well, I don't have it, but I'm thinking it'd be terrible to have it.

I have trouble keeping the picture in my head... crisp. But no, I don't have aphantasia. 

By the seven gods above, I pity every single soul that is struck with such a nefarious curse, I can't even imagine what this must be like..

Hah.. Imagine.

Duly noted, dear sir/madam.
 

I'm pretty sure I have this, actually.

It's... really not that big of a deal to me? I mean, I love books (and other forms of written fiction). I don't need books to also be movies playing in my head. And it's something I've been aware of for a long time, so it's not like this is a sudden shocking reveal or anything. I'm sure visualization is nice to have, if you have it... but I get by just fine.

Given the "one in fifty" estimate and how many active posters there are around here, I miiight end up being the only one. Happy to answer any questions. ^_^

How are books enjoyable without a clear picture of what's going on?

Concepts, voices, smells, sounds. Life is more than just sight, my fuzzy friend.

Sight's still pretty freaking important, my blue, swirly friend. 

:P Not to blind people.

Hey, Morgan, are you blind?

Owls actually have extremely good eyesight.

Otherwise she looks like this:

RIP iOS users.

Better?

BRAD WHAT DID YOU DO

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ComicallyMissingThePoint

Nobody gets my humor. >_<

...no, I see the GIANT OWL just fine. :P

Not really sure how to answer your original question. But I love books. I don't need to be able to picture Miles or Kvothe or Aud, or whoever else, to be immersed in their stories.

@betaband - Dammit, Beta... fix the size or don't post pictures, please. Your owl is trying to eat the thread. Hurry before Berka sees.

For those of you posting high-resolution images, remember:

<img src="URL" style="max-width:100%;">

Sometimes giving things fancy names make them seem like they're recognized by the governing bodies of medicine/psychology. I just want to point out that this is a hypothesized condition and may or may not exist.

Sounds like it would suck though.

I have a great deal of difficulty with mental pictures, but it's not... impossible for me or anything. They're just usually hard to form and even harder to hold onto for any period of time, aside from also being rather fuzzy. My dreams, alternatively, are extremely vivid. I guess, because of this, my mind focuses more on concepts, sounds, and sensations rather than images.

I imagine things all the time, they just tend to be a shade darker than real life, like I can only view my mental world through sunglasses... There's a "They Live" reference in there somewhere...

I can't imagine in color, but I don't have this. 

I have the opposite of this. When I use my imagination when I'm bored, I literally see my characters. Like, I close my eyes, but I'm still seeing the room with my imagination, with my characters added to the room, in front of me.

And then there are those times when I talk to walls because of my overactive imagination.

Talking to the walls isn't that overactive, unless you're also imagining that the walls are talking back at you.

Oh, god. I do.

Yeah, I don't have this.

So, if you had to give a score between Semra and Brenda, who would score higher?

What?

How do you remember things? Do you remember them as words? Do you remember them as just lines of speech?