135
Where do you fall on the aphantasia scale? (lemmy.world)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/casualconversation@piefed.social
124 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

So I'm a 1, except for faces. Does anyone else get this?

If its a face I know, then it's a 2. But if I'm reading or listening to fiction, faces are more like a 4. Everything else appears in vivid detail when described - clothes, surroundings, etc. - I can even conjure tastes and smells, but I really have difficulty holding onto a face in my mind. It's made me appreciate fan art.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    Faces are processed differently by our visual system. There is a condition called prosopagnosia or face blindness which affects about 2.5% of the population. I wonder if there are milder forms that are not as well known or studied.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 11 months ago

    Oh I'm awful with faces. If I see someone I know outside of the context in which I know them I won't recognize them. Like running into a coworker at the grocery store I won't realize who they are unless they come speak to me and then it takes a second to click.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago

    I am also a 1 on this scale. I can remember faces I'm familiar with pretty vividly, and what happens when reading books is I picture people, probably actors, I've seen before. It's not impossible that I'll re-cast them as I go. An example: In the Blood of Kerensky trilogy of Battletech novels, the character of Dierdre Lear is sometimes played by Tia Carrere, and sometimes by Lexa Doig.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent