Astrid Vogel

I experienced the exact same thing! I find it very hard to answer the test's questions because I'm not sure I can really differentiate between "seeing" an image and just reacalling the facts about an image. I also get this sorta flash of an image but then my mind goes black, the image is gone and just the knowledge about it remains. I can best describe it as a lightning bolt in the night. For just a millisecond everything lights up and you can see the stuff around you. Then it's completely dark again but the image sorta stays in your head. I'm pretty sure I have aphantasia but I don't feel confident in myself to know the difference between "real" imagery" and whatever happens to me. I'm trying to compare my experience with something I've never experienced so how could I know? I'm also afraid that I might be biased and trying to get a certain outcome.

I feel the same. In class we had these tests once where we had to turn around odd shaped objects in our head and then select which ones could fit together. I did very well in that test. I have no idea how that works, because I can't see the objects in my head. I just instinctively know what's right. I also almost always find my way back even in cities I've never been to. My friends actually call me "Pfadfinder" (path finder, the German word for scout) because of it.

I also just recently stumbled over Aphantasia. I share you're difficulty to concentrate. I'm a fast learner tho and always had it easy in school. Holding still also is no problem for me. I can best describe it as having many, many thoughts in my head at the same time and not being able to hold onto one. But I get bursts of energy when something interests me. Then I can spend hours reading all I can find about said Topic. But to study something for e.g. school that doesn't really interest me is hard for me. My brain just really wants to think about other things then.

Aphant here. I never had genuine empathy. I had to learn to recognize the cues of others' emotions and how to properly respond to it. So now I have a sort of "learnd" empathy but I don't feel what others feel. It doesn't matter if it's a real Person, if they are close to me or not.