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Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound
(www.newyorker.com)
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this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2025
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Have you ever experimentally tested the accuracy of your recall? I read a study a while back that found that most people overestimated their accuracy.
ZERO doubt my image memory is fuzzy, though rarely outright false. At 40 I saw a photograph of myself partying in the French Quarter at 30. Holy shit I don't remember that guy. Like I said, a picture to help me along is a big help. Looking back over this century's digital pics really burns the image in.
ALL of our memories are subject to question. But this is about seeing a picture in your head, not how accurate specific memories are.
If you say, "HORSE!", I have an instant mental picture, like I'm looking at a photograph. I may not remember the exact picture of the horse I rode on the youth group trip, but I have a recollection of the general scene (from 40+ years ago). I'm sure it's way off, but I have a picture.