Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi first post here. I have found something that can help.
Question: do you have a mind that thinks in 2d or 3d images? For me every image was 3d and until I watched a video with Temple Grandin where she said she could only see an actual image, ie a 3d one.
I decided to try thinking in 2d drawings. However I could not if there was a 3d image in my mind and I could not seem to switch off the 3d image. I waited until I had no 3d image and found I could create a little 2d drawing. Then something happened. I actually had a thought directly about the drawing. It was a stick figure sitting at a screen and I thought "thats not good". I then drew other drawings in my mind and found I could think about them. THe thought was almost automatic but it was me doing it.
However if there is a 3d image I cant think about it. YES there are "words in my head" but its not about the image in the same way. In order to think I have to get rid of the 3d image to replace it with a 2d one, and then I can think correctly.
I now understand what I am doing wrong. Im not seeing a 2d image in a conversation. When someone says "do you see what I mean" they are asking for me to see an image. Previously there would be no image in my mind, thus I could not think about it. So what looks like lack of language is in fact lack of 2d images. You cant think about it if you dont see the 2d image. You cant think about 3d images.
I hope this helps others. Try turning off the 3d image or wait till it goes away and draw a little drawing in your head. Then try thinking about it. See what happens.
It was a shock to me to find that other people didn't think in images, couldn't manipulate them in thier minds and look at them from all sides. I wonder how they think if they can't see their thoughts. I can't imagine what it's like not to hear yourself think, ever, not just be to noisy or busy to think.
I'm not sure it's an ASC, NT thing, just the vast variety of human brains, maybe we're just finding out about how different we are in the ways we think and learn? If we've all been told not to talk about our brains and what goes on in them and how we experience the world and now we're being encouraged to talk more about our inner lives, then I wonder if it's not a new thing to many people, neurologists included?