I remember in my childhood, while reading a book, I was able to imagine what the book is talking about, not only while reading stories, but also math/physics books. I imagined quickly while reading, how things fall, how they're accelerating and how they bump to the earth and go up again.
While reading an article today, I was stuck with strange feeling, why I am not seeing that objects in my head again? article was talking about master branch, feature branches and commits, somehow no visual image is appearing in my brain which I used to remember things, now I am really worried.
What to do? What is this syndrome or issue is?
A quick search turns up "Charcot–Wilbrand syndrome"[1]:
a patient loses the power to conjure up visual images or memories, and furthermore, ceases to dream during his sleeping hours
Personally, my ability to visualize is heavily affected by my habits, particularly sleep, diet and exercise. Have you had any lifestyle changes recently that might explain changes in your cognitive performance?
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcot%E2%80%93Wilbrand_syndr...
For example, the GoF design patterns to me could be a factor for brain damage issues. (You're swimming in tons of patterns, but you've lost in connection of those patterns, how to apply it in real world problems)
Or the DDD book (Blue book) could be a brain damage book. (I found the author is a genius on writing non-sense things, mostly abstract but useless in real world for hundred of pages !, he should write about Functional programming concepts instead)
How to cure ? Stick to FP, never do OOP again.
Also avoid over-engineering in most case. Keep things simple.
TLDR: Avoid the wrong abstraction.
It took some work and intention to slow down and learn to actually imagine the world that the author is laying out for us. But like any other learned habit it becomes easier and eventually not noticed with practice.
Finding engrossing fiction (in my case, science fiction) helped me break through. Given your references to visualizing physics, you might enjoy the first book or two of the Three Body Trilogy.
I also think smart phones Make it harder when any lingering question that comes to mind can be answered instantly.
... So, while you may well be burned out, aphantasia is not a symptom of burnout.
"While burnout may influence health and can be a reason for people contacting health services, it is not itself classified by the WHO as a medical condition or mental disorder." -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_burnout
If it is like what this person experiences I can imagine you are quite worried. I’m not sure what is going on for you but there are definitely some people who can’t picture things who share the same issue you describe. You are still you. Even without imagery you can still do well and flourish.
Feel free to reach out at my name at gmail if it helps to talk.
Also, see a doctor and explain your imagery is different. It’s possible something has changed in your brain or with your health that might be treatable.
I'd start with checking two things:
1. Are you getting healthy amounts of REM sleep? Suffering from sleep apnea perhaps? If you're not getting healthy amounts of REM sleep every night, it can cause significant neurological problems long-term.
2. Have your B12 levels checked. Lots of people are deficient, and our ability to acquire it from dietary sources diminishes with age. I've used sublingual methylcobalamin oral supplements off-and-on and they have a noticeable cerebral effect, and seems to cause more vivid and consistent dreams w/recall. The methylated form seems more effective in my experience FWIW, cyanocobalamin didn't seem to do anything.
So pretend you are IAN which stands for “imagine anything now”… don’t forget to stay in character!
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/14/chatgpt...
Don't worry, things are not always as it seems.
Drawing made me start doing it again pretty quickly
After a lot of running around taking to doctors and getting tested, a psychiatrist nailed it down as being chronic anxiety leading to executive function shutdown, medicated me for a few weeks, and sent me to therapy.
This helped a lot. I also improved my life in general and it's slowly coming back, though I still need to be on vacation for a few weeks to be whole.
Tl;Dr: anxiety and burnout. Fix your life and get therapy. You can't run from stress, but you can reframe it productively and that turns it from bad stress to good stress. Might need a change of manager.
One approach is to try to engage your senses as much as possible while reading or learning. For example, you might try to create mental images of what you're reading or use metaphors to help you understand abstract concepts. Another approach is to practice visualization exercises, such as trying to recall details from a recent event or imagining a specific scenario in detail.
It's also important to keep in mind that everyone's learning style is different, and some people may rely more on visual cues than others. If you find that you're struggling to learn or remember information, there may be other strategies that work better for you, such as taking notes or discussing the material with others.
Ultimately, if you're concerned about your ability to learn and retain information, it's worth speaking with a healthcare professional or educational specialist who can help you identify potential underlying causes and provide guidance on how to improve your learning and retention skills.