Heyy sorta weird question- does anyone else here have aphantasia? If you don’t know what that means, basically it’s mental blindness… Like think of an apple while closing your eyes- if you see it, you don’t have aphantasia, whereas I can’t see anything- only black. So I can’t create mental images- I thought counting sheep was a metaphor, but you guys can *actually* *see* sheep when you close your eyes?! I also though “picture this” was a metaphor, but no- normal people can create mental pictures… ANYWAY- I found that this would *most likely* harm my ability to memorize kanji since I can’t “conjure up” images of them in my mind- does anyone else have this condition or have tips on studying kanji with it? Thanks!
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9 comments
Repetition. The more often you see something the more likely you’ll recognize and remember it. Just keep reading, translating, looking them up over and over again until you can recall.
Can you think of an apple without closing your eyes?
I have this, but with faces. I can’t remember what most people look like… my partner and my mother come to mind easily, most others I just can’t picture.
I also have aphantasia, I learned kanji by repeated exposure
I thought aphantasia was not being able to picture it…like, nothing comes to mind when you thought of the shape…. Because I certainly can’t see an *actual* picture when I “picture” something
Either way I learn kanji by just practicing a lot. I’m not very good, and I’ll probably struggle with N2/1 kanji, but it’s working so far for me.
If you learned how to write you ABCs, then I think you can learn kanji. There just may be more stress on pure memorization involved
Learning Kanji is a long and difficult process for everyone.
As you go along, you’ll learn the tricks and tactics that work for you.
I recently heard that term from Faline San, a youtuber. Genuine question, so guys like you have an aphantasia couldn’t see a dream while sleeping?
aphantasia shouldn’t harm your ability to learn kanji. you’ll probably find more benefit in things like mnemonics to learn handwriting.
Besides, “normal” people don’t literally hallucinate every time we daydream or think of an apple. I think that’s simplifying the world too much. More like there’s a separate “mind’s eye”, totally mental but I am literally picturing things, yes.
Try thinking of a memory, say for example an apple, think of a basket of apples in a dinning room table, or of an apple in your hand.