Exercises that caused a change in my aphantasia

Summary

The speaker shares a personal journey of overcoming aphantasia, a condition where one cannot visualize images mentally. They describe their initial struggle with mental imagery and the subsequent development of their ability to imagine in color after engaging in intentional exercises. The script delves into concepts like 'mindscape', 'homunculus', and 'sense calibration', outlining methods to improve mental visualization. It concludes with reflections on the potential neurological underpinnings of these phenomena, suggesting that the barrier between sensory perception and imagined sensations may be overcome with practice.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has a condition called Fantasia, which affects their ability to visualize images mentally.
• 🧠 Despite having Fantasia, the speaker's image recognition and memory are unaffected; they can recognize faces and remember things well.
• 🌌 The speaker describes their previous mental imagery as being like the darkness of night with only the barest sense of shapes, lacking clarity.
• 🔑 An intentional process led to a significant change in the speaker's ability to imagine in color, though the exact mechanics are unclear.
• 🖼️ The speaker's mental imagery now is compared to a full-color screen with glare, suggesting an improvement but still not perfect clarity.
• 🌄 The concept of 'mindscape' is introduced as a term to describe the mental space where one imagines, remembers, or creates scenarios.
• 🕺 The process of 'virtualizing' is discussed as a method to improve mental imagery by imagining sensations across all senses, not just sight.
• 🤸‍♂️ The importance of focusing on sensations during virtualizing, rather than trying to create a coherent story or goal, is emphasized.
• 🔄 'Sense calibration' is introduced as a technique where one tries to match their mental imagery with their actual sensory experience.
• 🔮 The speaker mentions the use of chakra focusing exercises as part of their process to improve mental imagery, despite initial skepticism.
• 💡 The speaker speculates that the barrier between sensory input and the brain's ability to create mental images may have been weakened, allowing for improved visualization.

Q & A

What is the condition called 'Fantasia' mentioned in the script?

Fantasia, as described in the script, refers to a minor condition where a person is not good at imagining images. It doesn't affect image recognition or memory but inhibits the ability to visualize images or mentally map places.

How did the speaker's mental imagery change after 18 days?

After 18 days, the speaker's mental imagery changed from being unable to visualize images to being able to imagine things in color, albeit with a sensation similar to looking at a full-color screen with bad glare.

What is the term 'mindscape' as used in the script?

The term 'mindscape' is used to describe the mental space where all imagined scenarios, images, and memories are constructed and experienced, separate from the physical sensations of the body.

What is the difference between 'vessel' and 'homunculus' in the context of the script?

In the script, 'vessel' refers to the physical body, while 'homunculus' refers to the virtual self that exists in the mindscape, responsible for experiencing the mental imagery and sensations.

What does the speaker mean by 'virtualizing'?

'Virtualizing' is a term coined by the speaker to extend the concept of visualizing to include all senses, not just sight, in the process of imagining or experiencing mental imagery.

What is the concept of 'sense calibration' as discussed in the script?

'Sense calibration' is the process of trying to match one's mental imagery with the actual sensory experience as closely as possible, to train the brain to better correlate sensory inputs with the imagined reality.

What role do the 'chakras' play in the speaker's exercises?

The 'chakras' are used in the speaker's exercises as focal points for attention and energy flow, starting from the crown and moving downward or vice versa, to enhance the ability to visualize and sense the imagined reality.

How did the speaker's experience with binge-watching an anime affect their perception of language?

After binge-watching an anime with Japanese audio, the speaker experienced a phenomenon where they perceived English speech as if it were Japanese, indicating a temporary shift in their auditory perception due to the intense exposure to the language.

What is the 'homunculus fallacy' mentioned in the script?

The 'homunculus fallacy' is a concept where one imagines a tiny person inside their head that is watching their perceptions on a screen, which doesn't explain how that small person perceives what they're looking at.

What is the speaker's speculation on the connection between the sensory homunculus and the ability to imagine visual sensations?

The speaker speculates that the barrier between the sensory homunculus and the rest of the brain might be the same one that previously prevented them from experiencing imagined visual sensations, and that they are now navigating this barrier more effectively.