Yes I agree that it’s definitely a plus in not being able to visualise upsetting events. When I was in my twenties I was reading a book (can’t remember what it was now) in which a young lad had a pet rat and someone did something real cruel to the rat. It really upset me for months but I dread to think what it would have been like if I had visualised it.
Hi Michael, Unlike you it never registered with me that it was harder for me to learn, but since I’ve found out that I’m aphantasic and have been talking to other people who can visualise I realise how much easier it is for them. At first I thought they might just see a still picture but some of the things they can do seem like Science Fiction! It hit me even more to learn they can see words and numbers too. Doing mental maths or spelling a word out to someone must be a walk in the park when you can see it in your head! It’s been a few weeks since I found out and I’m beginning to come to terms with it. I try to think of disadvantages of visualising and focus on them. Surely it must be exhausting having so much stuff happening in your head all the time? If you read or hear something distressing, how worse must that be if you can visualise it too? I’m sure my life is all the better for not having awful things pop into my head.