Interesting that you can visualize while dreaming. From what I remember hearing about aphantasia, I thought dreams would be non-visual too. Maybe that can also vary with the individual.
Have you ever looked into lucid dreaming? That is, dreams when you’re aware that it’s a dream. The awareness lets you control it to some degree, by consciously shifting your expectations. There’s a technique called Wake-Induced Lucid Dreaming (WILD) where you can shift from a waking state to a dreaming state without losing awareness. I’m wondering if the technique would be possible for you, and if you could learn to daydream (and then visualize) from the practice.
Based on reading the Reddit Aphantasia forum, some people with aphantasia can visualize when they dream, while others can’t. I have been actively trying to lucid dream for a while with a small amount of success although I have never tried WILD. I will look into it.
I’m wondering if an aphantasiac would be able to work up to the final Two colored circles meditation.
(PU.CC.6.ADV) (Advanced) Creating a figure in a perceptual uncertainty
A practitioner forces the perception to see any arbitrary red figure appear on the blue surface (or blue figure on the red surface).
Because this (supposedly) works on your actual visual field instead of your internal mind’s eye, you might be able to do it and learn to create mental visualizations that way. (You’d have to be staring at the figure though.)
It looked like some of the other psychonetic practices might make it easier to achieve a WILD as well. If you could learn to do that quickly and easily, it might be useful as a surrogate mind’s eye, or the practice might help you find yours or develop one.
Interesting that you can visualize while dreaming. From what I remember hearing about aphantasia, I thought dreams would be non-visual too. Maybe that can also vary with the individual.
Have you ever looked into lucid dreaming? That is, dreams when you’re aware that it’s a dream. The awareness lets you control it to some degree, by consciously shifting your expectations. There’s a technique called Wake-Induced Lucid Dreaming (WILD) where you can shift from a waking state to a dreaming state without losing awareness. I’m wondering if the technique would be possible for you, and if you could learn to daydream (and then visualize) from the practice.
Based on reading the Reddit Aphantasia forum, some people with aphantasia can visualize when they dream, while others can’t. I have been actively trying to lucid dream for a while with a small amount of success although I have never tried WILD. I will look into it.
Did you ever try WILD? Did it work?
I recently saw What’s up with psychonetics? and thought of you.
I’m wondering if an aphantasiac would be able to work up to the final Two colored circles meditation.
Because this (supposedly) works on your actual visual field instead of your internal mind’s eye, you might be able to do it and learn to create mental visualizations that way. (You’d have to be staring at the figure though.)
It looked like some of the other psychonetic practices might make it easier to achieve a WILD as well. If you could learn to do that quickly and easily, it might be useful as a surrogate mind’s eye, or the practice might help you find yours or develop one.