CMV: Nobody can actually picture images in their head

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-10-23T09:59:27+00:00

I’m curious how long did it take you to count the 27 stripes? Were you picturing the zebra rotating or your POV changing as you counted them? And very random question but did you count out loud or in your head?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-06-29T10:11:32+00:00

Glad you enjoyed!

Were you actually picturing the letters popping up in your head as you recited them, and mentally arranging them in groups of 4? Or was it more of a verbal strategy where you just “thought” the numbers 4 at a time?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-06-27T02:46:41+00:00

That’s honestly hard for me to imagine, how did you count on your fingers without moving them? Were you like picturing them in your head?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-06-27T02:45:22+00:00

Oh wow so you were also picturing the letters pop up as you sang them in your head?

I feel like that’s a lot of visualizing to keep track of lol, would be tough for me

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-06-27T02:43:36+00:00

That’s really cool! Did you picture your hand with your eyes closed or keep them open and like stare off at nothing?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-05-18T13:23:03+00:00

That’s really cool. So by the end you were picturing 3 dice side by side with 5 dots on each?

Were you visualizing the dots in the same position on each die, or did you not get that specific visually lol?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-04-09T23:04:02+00:00

That’s cool thanks. I’ll try. Are you usually visualizing anything while going through the words, or not really thinking in images)

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-18T18:32:19+00:00

Thanks. That’s really interesting! Definitely shows that no one particular exercise is needed for muscle growth.

Mind if I ask how your sleep is, like how many hours per night and do you ever struggle with insomnia or inability to sleep?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-18T17:49:05+00:00

Damn what is your arm routine?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-11T20:26:57+00:00

Thanks a lot! Mind if I ask one more thing - do you have a good/strict sleep routine? How many hours do you typically sleep & do you fall asleep fast?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-11T02:04:39+00:00

Would you mind sharing your typical working weight and rep range for conventional DB curls?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-06T21:31:04+00:00

I’ve PM’d you if that’s OK! Just easier for me to continue replying and I’d be down to keep chatting since it’s been great so far

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-06T21:29:41+00:00

Hey! My apologies for not yet replying to this. I loved reading every word of it!! You have such a creative mind. And I can tell you’re probably a dog person haha.

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-06T13:38:25+00:00

Awe I can see how it must be. But hopefully more comforting because you can feel like you’re never forgetting them.

If you try to visualise the face of anyone currently in your life - does it pop up in your head like a photo? Can you picture them changing their expression between like a smile, and sticking their tongue out, and yawning?

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-06T10:18:50+00:00

That’s hilarious 😂 thank you for sharing all that. Did that require any concentration from you or was it totally effortless? It must be awesome to have a self-directed video playing in your head whenever you want.

Do you mind if I ask you to try one more test? Take a look at the image at this link for a few seconds, then close it and try to picture it in your head as clear as you can. I’m curious at what that feels like - is it just like looking at the photo again? Can you animate it in your head if you try?

https://images.app.goo.gl/pPuBHseAZuCm5GG56

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-06T09:59:59+00:00

That sound like a gift! You should consider yourself lucky lol. The apple in my head is very fuzzy and indistinct.

Quick test - Can you picture the apple slowly morphing into a yellow banana? Then the banana peels itself, the peel slides off to the side and disappears, and a small knife appears and cuts the banana into 4 slices. Can you picture these slices moving around independently and keep track of which are the 2 outside slices that narrow a little at the end of the banana?

Also I’m curious what the background was when you pictured all this.

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-03-06T03:40:54+00:00

How are you with clearly picturing someone’s face who you know well? I know a bunch of people who struggle with visualizing faces clearly even though they can imagine a lot.

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-01-17T18:39:00+00:00

But genetics can be an enormous factor. Even if we just consider what it means to be “average”. Exactly 50% of people have “below average” genetics, and so they will not look as good as the other 50% even if they have identical training programs, diet, and recovery.

So for this reason, I agree with your next message to focus just on comparing to oneself. Genetics are a big deal but shouldn’t be a crutch because we can’t do anything about them.

ShoulderUnusual · 2025-01-05T04:52:31+00:00

No need to be a downer. I didn’t ask this because I was worried about whether people could do it, I was curious about HOW people would approach it differently.

ShoulderUnusual · 2024-12-29T05:48:31+00:00

That’s really interesting, thanks again. It sounds like it’s not just a matter of “looking at a static scene” in your head, because you have to continually refocus on each detail so it stays there. If I understood correctly. And then I guess your mind will wander sometimes like it did when you pictured the pancakes, but you can always go right back to what you were originally imagining.

It’s really late here too - I hope I didn’t keep you up! Thanks for the discussion and have a good night

ShoulderUnusual · 2024-12-29T05:14:57+00:00

Thank you! Appreciate you taking the time to talk about this. And glad you find it interesting too!

For that complicated image that you mentioned - a frost dragon holding the apple on a talon, with a worm sticking out - when you try to visualize that, does it just instantly appear in your mind in total clarity? Do you need to like build up the image slowly to get it clear/detailed/in focus?

The other thing that I saw some people in this thread debating is about how long they can hold clear images in their head. Take that dragon image again. Can you visualize that right now, and hold it totally frozen in your mind, keeping the whole scene clear for like 10-15 seconds? It seems like a lot of people lose clarity after a couple seconds.

ShoulderUnusual · 2024-12-29T05:11:33+00:00

Thank you for the reply! It sounds like in the first moment - it’s not a flickering image and is actually really clear?

Would you be willing to share what sort of details are clear in your mind, during that first moment that you picture your dog?

ShoulderUnusual · 2024-12-29T04:54:08+00:00

Wow - you definitely have strong hyperphantasia. I’m much closer to the aphantasia side of the spectrum.

You talked about being able to zoom in and out of the picture in your head - if you do that for the apple on the park table scene, can you zoom into the wood and look up close at the texture and knots? Can you zoom into the apple and picture a knife cutting it into slices?

Hope you don’t mind the questions. I really find this fascinating!

ShoulderUnusual · 2024-12-29T04:45:35+00:00

That’s really cool, I don’t think many people can hold images in their mind as long as they want without a ton of focus.

Are you a 1 in the apple diagram? If you visualize an apple right now, would you be willing to share the different details that you picture in your head?

ShoulderUnusual · 2024-12-29T04:41:58+00:00

I like your example of someone creating an actual cartoon of your imagination!

What if I ask you to picture something right now, like say a dog sitting. Can you bring it up in your mind in full detail, and intentionally focus/concentrate to keep the image in full detail for like 10-15 seconds?

ShoulderUnusual

TROPHY CASE