Aphantasia and Role Playing Games

[Umbran]

I focus very much on the rules and challenges, not so much the emotion.

So, a question, if you don't mind...

How does not having a visual image in your mind prevent you from approaching emotion in play?

I ask because, as a gamer, when I am in emotional play, it is not with an image of events in my head, as if, say, I was doing voice-over work for an animated film. The most emotion I've gotten comes with direct interaction with a person, when no image is really necessary.

 

[mach1.9pants]

So, a question, if you don't mind...

How does not having a visual image in your mind prevent you from approaching emotion in play?

I ask because, as a gamer, when I am in emotional play, it is not with an image of events in my head, as if, say, I was doing voice-over work for an animated film. The most emotion I've gotten comes with direct interaction with a person, when no image is really necessary.

TBH you're probably right, it is mostly just what I find engaging.

 

[Umbran]

TBH you're probably right, it is mostly just what I find engaging.

Nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to know if there was something about it I didn't understand.

 

[ReginaHart]

Sorry about the thread necromancy, but I was glad to see this discussion. I had no idea I had aphantasia until relatively recently, and I'm in my 50s. More precisely, I had no idea that other people could clearly visualize images in their heads. That's total witchcraft to me. I'm probably 4ish on the chart. I get a vague image peppered with random sensory details at best. My mental "images" are feelings or the idea of something for lack of a better description. I have a pretty good memory for colors (I can color match something without the original source handy). I've also got a pretty strong memory for smell. My spatial skills are fine. In fact, I can visualize a map pretty well, and it's how I make sense of directions.

I'm incredibly envious of people who can create mental imagery. I can only imagine (heh) how much easier it would be to GM a game if I could actually picture a scene in my head and describe what I see. My narrations have to stem from a verbal description of what I think would be present/happening, not what I can actually picture.

 

[Jahydin]

I'm incredibly envious of people who can create mental imagery. I can only imagine (heh) how much easier it would be to GM a game if I could actually picture a scene in my head and describe what I see. My narrations have to stem from a verbal description of what I think would be present/happening, not what I can actually picture.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me at least, I think I've gotten better? Since the time I started my own thread on the subject, I've been trying really hard to "exercise" my "image muscles" to better play Dungeon World with my friends and now I'm at the point where I can at least visualize a single "snap shot" of the scene described with effort.

So it's not that sort of thing is impossible for me; it's just I've never needed to use that specific "mental tool". Once I realized I had a tool missing, steadily working to expand it (think Prof X from X-Men, haha) seems to be helping. Hopefully you're in the same boat too!

 

[ReginaHart]

I can't speak for everyone, but for me at least, I think I've gotten better? Since the time I started my own thread on the subject, I've been trying really hard to "exercise" my "image muscles" to better play Dungeon World with my friends and now I'm at the point where I can at least visualize a single "snap shot" of the scene described with effort.

So it's not that sort of thing is impossible for me; it's just I've never needed to use that specific "mental tool". Once I realized I had a tool missing, steadily working to expand it (think Prof X from X-Men, haha) seems to be helping. Hopefully you're in the same boat too!

Funny you should say that. I was going to ask if anyone had tried to improve their visionary skills and if they had any success doing so. I'm trying to follow the advice given in Better Narration Through Visualization. Maybe there's hope!