Do you think in pictures?

[2strokebloke]

I was reading some stuff and came across the term "picture thinker" somebody who's mind works through problems by "drawing" diagrams (in their mind) and solving problems visually. I had never heard the term before, but this is how I think.
so I'm making a poll, because supposedly it's rare for people to be visual thinkers, most apparently think in linguistic processes.
So I've made a poll, do you think visually - or do you think in words(? - liguistically?).

[PBking82]

I think in pictures most def. Whenever I'm thinking about something/someone I "see it." I also have a photograhpic memory so that might have something to do with it, but idunno. I just couldin't think of thinking any other way besides pictues, must suck for the people who think in words. Peace-

[SeXy_AnGeL]

pictures...i have somewhat a photographic memory

[Neutrino]

Well up till recently I though it was normal to think visually since I always do that. Only recently by asking people I found that I'm a small minority.


For example I read all the time, big hobby of mine since I was a little kid. But I when I read I transform all the words into visuals and everything becomes a movie in my head; I don't even see the book.

It comes in handy when I’m bored or when I do "mindless stuff" (like running on a treadmill at the gym) since I can completely faze out and basically retreat into my own flights of fancy.


Helps with school too since I can often visualize solving the problem/paper before I do it. Only problem is that I have horrible calligraphy since I try to write too fast in order to keep up with the "visualizations". (And by horrible calligraphy I mean you need a cryptography team to make out the words - it’s that bad).

And of course I can be grossed out very easily by my friends since I visualize everything they say instantly.

[PWRDbyUNCLEbens]

Of course everyone gets a visual thought when they thin of certain things. I definantley think in words most of the time though.

[Andydg]

I always see pictures in my head. I'm kinda like Neutrino...when I read a book it's like a movie to me.

Question for you people with photographic memories...Is it true that once you see something you can't really forget it? Sorry if that sounds stupid but I've never known anyone with a photographic memory...or maybe I'm thinking of something else.

[v10_viper]

Neutrino said it perfectly, I'm always visualizing things, and I'm a huge reader, one of the key's to being a good problem solver.

[Heep]

Bit of a hybrid thing for me I guess. I don't really work stuff out with diagrams and pictures, just with words and numbers. However, I have no trouble visualizing something or "retreating into a visual (colour) dream world" whenever I want.

[Damien]

Well technically, it is said that no one truly has a photographic memory. This was apparently proven by a test in school. An Indian, known for their high level of memory, took the first digit of about 30 kids phone numbers or something and it was written ona board in the form of a square. Well, He was given, um....idk, an adequate amount of time to memorize the numbers and then was ask questions.

Some of them were which numbers ran through the middle diagonally, every other number, etc. Well, he had to think...sort it out, thus proving that he didn;t have a picture in his head but just memorized the order. This was done quite a bit besides the one guy, but...yeah. Idk, I think it's bull. But that's more the thoughof photographic memory and not thinkin in pictures.

Is there any other way to think though? I'm really to tired (all nighter:book and essay) to think about this completely and repeat all I found on it...

But simply, I'm a photographer. Of course i think in pics!

[BP2K2Max]

other than in dreams, i think in words i suppose. never really thought about it before though.

[dirtydx]

i wuld of beeen a geenuis if I nevr hit my hed so menny tymes.

[KustmAce]

visualizing diagrams? fuck that, i just hit shit til it works.

[PBking82]

Originally Posted by Andydg

I always see pictures in my head. I'm kinda like Neutrino...when I read a book it's like a movie to me.

Question for you people with photographic memories...Is it true that once you see something you can't really forget it? Sorry if that sounds stupid but I've never known anyone with a photographic memory...or maybe I'm thinking of something else.

Well it's not really that I never forget it, it's more along the lines of when I remember something "I see it." Houses/buildings are great, In my head I can from room to room in full 3d detail. Or people, seeing people in my head is great too. Peace-

[2strokebloke]

I think people have a missunderstanding of what photographic memory is.
It's actually refered to as "eidetic" memory and is more than the ability to remember just images, but to be able to recall sounds and smells as well and to be able to describe them with perfect accuracy.
I believe that photographic memory exists, as a number of individuals have been proven to recall scenarios and text perfectly without fault (even text written in languages they didn't speak) decades after having been exposed to them. And not just some of them some of the time - but EVERYTHING they had ever seen, any time, with perfect accuracy.
Claude Monet and Nikola Tesla supposedly had photographic memories.
I can recall things visually, but I can't always remember what people were saying etc. so I obviously don't have a photographic memory.
I'd also have to wonder about the accuracy of polling this audience, since people who are autistic or have asperger's syndrome generally are "picture thinkers" and also (for reasons I have not found an explanation for) are generally interested in transportation - especially trains and cars... And so far the poll shows that the majority here are visual thinkers, maybe we have some forums members with asperger's syndrome?

[drunken monkey]

my brain thinks in 3D moving images, even movie like at times depending on what's going on.

for your reference i draw, paint, am slightly obssessive compulsive and currently work in architecture.

never really sure if how i think is 'natural' from birth, or just because of my interests and exposure to thinking visually.