As someone with aphantasia, who typically reads non-fiction and watches fiction, Ted Chiang’s work really stands out for me. Most visual descriptions are in service to technical details, and therefore they are enjoyable conceptually.
You make me doubt myself. I can't imagine stuff with the closed eyes, but when I read book I kind of can imagine stuff somewhat.
Is it aphantasia or not? Matter of degree?
Aphantasia is objectively measurable. Aphants lack a pupil response to “imagining” shapes of various brightness. They also lack the measurable “stress/anxiety” response to anxiety provoking written passages, but not images.
If any part of your imagination is like the experience of seeing, you probably don’t have it.
No, I remember it was like experience of seeing when I was a kid. I really saw stuff when I read the book. Now I kind of imagine it with thinking somehow. Hard to explain.
interesting...see this is why I although I find some of his work interesting I can't really get into it. I prefer fiction w/more visual descriptions that I can get immersed in.
