alt Hacker NewsI want to know if aphantasia is associated with any other mental models. For example, driving, map reading, spatial awareness.
I have a theory that Aphantasia is the symptom of something else, and this other thing relates to how the brain of such individuals stores information. I think it's stored in a more "compressed" state.
As an example, I find myself remembering where info is and not what the info acrually was.
Humans are not homogeneous. I think this is a huge evolutionary advantage, different mental modes improved our survivability.
But of course in modern day life such "divergence" can lead to pathology.
> I want to know if aphantasia is associated with any other mental models. For example, driving, map reading, spatial awareness.
Aphantasia is usually associated with spatial memory difficulties [1].
Anecdotal, but I am aphantasic (almost zero visualisation) and also have low spatial awareness (can't navigate without a map or GPS). I have no issues with driving or map reading, though.
In contrast, someone I know can almost perfectly visualise things mentally, but they struggle with reading maps. They can also navigate perfectly without requiring assistance.
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002839322...