It's when "words fall away to pictures" occasionally , perhapps particularly when reading the text of physical books, usually novels, of a large size. It doesn't happen with reading online or e-book readers or textbooks. It's as if the visual imagination (
without deliberate activation) overrides what's actually been seen by the eyes, so that the story unfolding is actually being "watched" in the mind's eye in an immersive, vivid way where one becomes virtually unaware of the actual text print and the outside world (so it's not even like watching a movie in a cinema, where there is more consciousness of the real surroundings). This is
not just getting immersed in reading - the strong, and not deliberately activated, visualization is crucial. Based on anecdotal evidence, what I'm describing (not from my personal experience) appears to be a rarer rather than a common experience. Anyone have ideas what this neurological (?) trait might be?
posted by zresearch
on Apr 20, 2013 -
18 answers
I am female. I have a unisex name. My male partners have always had unmistakably male names. Why, then, have new acquaintances continually called my male partners by my name?!
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posted by thrasher
on May 18, 2012 -
34 answers
I get data review and entry work done extremely fast with no discernible lack of quality. But, I also have a persistent feeling I'm doing things wrong or missing important details. How to fix this?
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posted by reenum
on Mar 6, 2012 -
10 answers
I've come to the conclusion that the root of unhappiness/strife, etc. is what goes on inside my own noodle. In addition to meditation (and, with apologies, excluding western religion) how to tame The Monkey Mind?
How to better control the quality of one's thoughts?
posted by gb77
on Dec 16, 2010 -
16 answers
What's the best book to provide an up-to-date view on our current understanding of the human mind (and brain)?
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posted by justkevin
on Aug 20, 2010 -
12 answers
My mind is blown, it's not my own, where did my idea go? I'm feeling fine, but I've lost my mind!
Help?
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posted by Salvor Hardin
on Sep 20, 2009 -
11 answers
Those who have learned to speak
and think in another language, do you remember the age (and day) you started thinking in your current spoken language?
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posted by querty
on Aug 4, 2009 -
30 answers
Help me find an article about intelligence that, if i recall correctly, describes the mind as a rubber band.
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posted by edmz
on Jan 14, 2009 -
0 answers
When I'm sober and attempting to kill a fly, I can't hit it in time. When I'm tipsy, I swat it easily. In reading and conversation, I make connections sooner when drunk than when sober. I've always heard that alcoholism slows reaction time ... so what gives? NOTE: My drunken spelling and grammar errors definitely increase when drunk. Are various functions affected differently by alcohol?
posted by coizero
on Sep 1, 2008 -
21 answers
Can someone tell me what I am doing in my brain to cause this sensation in my body? Am I a monk?
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 3, 2008 -
20 answers
Cutting edge strides and theories in neo-psychology - does an up and running, active Wiki exist?
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posted by watercarrier
on Apr 22, 2008 -
3 answers
I need solid scientific evidence that thought can change matter - how consciousness effects DNA structure, patterns and ultimately reality. Charts, studies, videos, all is welcome as a way of viewing and understanding how the mind's energy works in relation to physical matter. Thank you so much.
posted by watercarrier
on Nov 7, 2007 -
51 answers
Help me rejuvenate my mind! Are the Posit Science or Brain Fit programs of any real use to a (maybe below par) 50 year old? Are there any other worthwhile books or exercises to help sharpen up my memory, attentiveness, concentration and
aliveness?
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posted by DarkForest
on Apr 5, 2007 -
10 answers
Occasionally, when standing up too quickly, or just for the helluvit my senses get overwhelmed with what I can only call brain static. What the hell, neurology?
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posted by TwelveTwo
on Aug 12, 2006 -
29 answers
Can anyone recommend any good,
recent popular science (or undergrad/grad level) books about the way in which our brains work?
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posted by handee
on Jun 20, 2006 -
11 answers
Does chewing gum increase serotonin production in the brain?
posted by iced_borsch
on May 9, 2006 -
6 answers
What is the label for an entity or idea which began as nothing and came to have identity through its own fictionalisation? That is, notions diametrically opposed to '
simulacra' - in that the entity has no referent to begin with...
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posted by 0bvious
on Feb 21, 2006 -
20 answers
Assume you had a list of different animal species, and you wanted to order it from most intelligent species to least. (1) What measure of intelligence would you use to compare different species--average number of neurons, for example, or ability to solve certain kinds of tests? Or something else entirely? (2) Can you give some examples of how some common farm, food, or pet animals might rank on the list?
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posted by yankeefog
on Jan 25, 2006 -
17 answers
Whatever challenging and demanding mental tasks one has to perform, whether intensive games, tests, or problem saving, it just so happens that on some days the brain functions better during others. I am looking for tips on things to do to help keep a person's brain sharp, so that he feels "in the zone" during mind-intensive activities.
posted by gregb1007
on Jan 20, 2006 -
16 answers
Fiction usually comes in two flavours: 1st person narrative or 3rd person description.
What short stories or novels have been written in
2nd person perspective (i.e. from the reader's viewpoint)? Also, are there any movies shot entirely from this angle?
posted by 0bvious
on Jan 17, 2006 -
63 answers
When we have sex it is usually women who utter the most vocal noise. What are the possible evolutionary origins of this?
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posted by 0bvious
on Jan 10, 2006 -
54 answers
Many years ago someone told me the recognised term for the kind of involuntary shudder that commonly affects people at rest. You know the kind that spontaneously rocks you, just for a moment, like you are shaking off the ghoulies, like the cliche says 'someone was walking on your grave'? I have since lost this word to time, and searching
the internet has brought only partial results.
Does anyone know it?
posted by 0bvious
on Nov 15, 2005 -
31 answers
Some people have a "mental alarm clock". They can tell themselves to wake up at a certain hour, and their eyes spring open right on schedule. How can I do this, and how does it work? I've tried it on many occasions, but it only works about 30% of the time. Bonus candy for anyone who can tell me how to actually
get up when my mental alarm goes off, instead of just rolling over and going back to sleep.
posted by rwhe
on Jul 15, 2005 -
29 answers
I want to cultivate some good mental exercising habits. For that, I need some good, diverse sources for puzzles and activities. Specifically, I'm looking for, preferably free, sites with a decent database of verbal, logical, spatial, lateral thinking games. The format can be flexible, so crosswords are included. Also, games that test and hone reflexes and reactions are also welcome. Additionally, ADHDers are also advised to stimulate the cerebellum. Any help on that? Basically, I'd like a list of resources for complete brain workout, that can be performed atleast once every day. Obviously, I'm not looking for one site to include all of the above.
posted by Gyan
on Apr 20, 2005 -
25 answers
