Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep59 "Do you visualize like I do?"
May 20, 2024
Guest Ed Catmull, Pixar founder, discusses internal visual experiences, challenging universal visualization norms. Delve into Pixar's history, cognitive differences in visualization, Catmull's aphantasia discovery, and the power of art in education. Explore diverse inner worlds and the spectrum of visualization abilities.
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Visual Imagery Differences
- People visualize differently; some see vivid images, while others don't visualize at all.
- This difference in experience led to a long-standing debate in psychology about the nature of visual imagery.
Rising Sun Visualization
- David Eagleman asks listeners to visualize a rising sun with specific details, then rate the vividness.
- He reveals their score is subjective and not representative of how all humans visualize.
Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia
- There's a spectrum of visual imagery vividness, from aphantasia (no imagery) to hyperphantasia (very vivid imagery).
- Adam Zeman coined these terms, drawing from Aristotle's "phantasia" for "mind's eye".