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Imagine a tree
14 years ago
When someone says to me 'Imagine a tree', I imagine a tree in its most basic form. We're talking kindergartner stuff - straight brown trunk, green cloud like formation on top type stuff.
People try and elaborate, talking about the shape of the leaves, or how the bark looks. And if they're talking about the bark, my mind's eye zooms in on the bark and focuses only on the bark. The rest of the tree is nonexistent. If I go back to thinking of the tree, it's back to the kindergarten drawing, though. I can't apply the super-awesome bark that I can focus on to the tree itself. I can see details in my mind's eye but applying them to an image is impossible.
I feel bummed out about the way my mind works. People talk about how they can see things in their dreams or in their mind's eye. I get vague kindergartner shapes. @.@ And of course, since that's the only way I'm able to think, I have no way of knowing if that's normal or not. I know that's not how my husband thinks or pictures things.
-Goes to sleep-
People try and elaborate, talking about the shape of the leaves, or how the bark looks. And if they're talking about the bark, my mind's eye zooms in on the bark and focuses only on the bark. The rest of the tree is nonexistent. If I go back to thinking of the tree, it's back to the kindergarten drawing, though. I can't apply the super-awesome bark that I can focus on to the tree itself. I can see details in my mind's eye but applying them to an image is impossible.
I feel bummed out about the way my mind works. People talk about how they can see things in their dreams or in their mind's eye. I get vague kindergartner shapes. @.@ And of course, since that's the only way I'm able to think, I have no way of knowing if that's normal or not. I know that's not how my husband thinks or pictures things.
-Goes to sleep-
So, not only are you not alone, but that is how the human brain is supposed to work. That doesn't mean you can't get past it though. The only thing I can really suggest is doing life studies, they can be boring, but they are essential to developing that ability to think of things as they are instead of as symbols.
Try not to limit yourself with language like "can't" as well when it comes to mental processes. The brain is kind of like a muscle, in that to get better at thinking or remembering in a particular way you have to practice at it, the more you do it the more your brain will rewire neural pathways to make that type of thinking and remembering more efficient. This is why we sometimes get those sudden "I get it" moments after a night's rest, it often means the brain's made some new connections and we can think in a particular way more easily now.