I was just wondering how many people have had either earaches or hearing loss, particularly in their younger years.
Also have heard that alot of people with ADHD think and learn visual-spatial...?

http://www.healtharticles.org/adhd_add_hearing_loss_071304.html
possibility...

*quote from an article*
"However, an extreme visual spatial learning style, coupled with a marked weaknesses in auditory sequential processing, can also originate as compensation for auditory sequential processing difficulties associated with multiple ear nose and throat infections in early childhood. "


Extreme visual-spatial style - auditory-sequential information processing difficulty
http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/national/article4.php

Children who exhibit strong visual-spatial abilities combined with auditory-sequential weaknesses are considered visual-spatial learners. Visual-spatial learners are excellent visualisers and must visualise in order to learn.

Visualisation is the key element in the mental processing of visual-spatial learners.

They think primarily in images or pictures - either still, like photographs, or moving, like videos. Visual thinking is very fast, complex and not sequential. Some visual-spatial learners report a complete absence of sound or self-talk in their heads; others experience some sound. “Thinking in language and words is alien to me. I think totally in pictures. It is like playing different tapes in a video recorder in my imagination” (Grandin, 1996, p5).

Often visual-spatial learners have a history of childhood illnesses, such as allergies, food intolerance, colic, tonsillitis, asthma, sinusitis or ear infections, that resulted in ear blockages so that they experienced difficulty in hearing during their first years of development. Since these children have faint and distorted sound input, they use their eyes as a means of compensation and develop high visual-spatial abilities. While their hearing is not permanently affected by these blockages, the development of auditory information-processing is impaired and these children commence school with a learning difficulty.

They have difficulty with sequential thinking and poor auditory short-term memory. In particular, visual-spatial learners have difficulty in hearing, remembering and repeating auditory-sequential instructions of three or more steps. They can, however, process six-step direction when the information is presented in a manner suited to their visual learning style.


Just interested to know if any other people had hearing loss / ear aches growing up?

Growing up I had frequent earaches, and problems with my eardrums. I am also 20% deaf in my right ear. And had asthema also (not sure if that has anything to do with it - though the ears,throat,nose are all connected)
I now think mostly visually, rather than processing auditory..so used the strength (seeing) over the weakness (hearing)..
I dont have earaches or asthma anymore but still think mostly in pictures/ (visually)..as its how i learned to think during my stage of development (?) growing up..
I have also been diagnosed with ADHD (hyperactive-inattentive combined).

also found out that alot of the ADHD symptoms are characteristics of the visual-spatial type thinking and learning. There are connections between visual spatial learning and hearing loss and ear aches.(as the article above shows)
I'm just trying to wrk out if there is a connection between hearing loss and earaches in the development years and ADHD

Something I forgot to add...
I also think that when there is a weakness in a part of the body, the body forms a strength elsewhere..So even though you may have slight problems with hearing..your sight and visual thinking is usually better than average.
And just as there is a lot of strengths (and weaknesses) in auditory-sequetional thinking, there are also alot strengths (and weaknesses) in visual-spatial thinking.
I didnt get put back a year in school, did reasonably well..Also my hearing loss isnt noticeable..I hear things fine, but still think visually as it was learnt though development stages.

And I'm not trying to disprove ADHD!!! Im just trying to find out if there are connections between hearing loss and ADHD!

Would be interested to hear from anyone :)
thanks..

So why would visual-spatial learners develop allergies etc? What's the connection? (I'm not doubting you, i'm wondering outloud.)
Doesn't everyone think in pictures? If you don't think in pictures, what's in your head??

I've had problems with ear infections and ear noise since late last year, but i think its due to the initial ear infection not being treated properly because not one person in the entire medical field knows what they are doing, ever!

Sorry. Bit of a vent.

I have very bad hearing. I finally bought hearing aids last summer ($4500) and I would say that I am more attentive and focused when they are not in. The less external noise and stimulation, the better my focus. I take them out when I am done at work and it is like the world stopped. Very peaceful and calm. Probably most folks focus better with less noise, which is the reason there is no talking in libraries. Sorry 4gotAgain. My post probably is not much help, but at least you got someone with very bad hearing to post. No earaches for me when I was a kid.

I think that they develop allergies because the airways between the nose ears, throat etc are connected. So if there is a blockage in one of them, it would probably affect other parts of the airway..
It makes sense.

I had problems with my eardrums when I was around age 1-4 and had asthma at the same time. I stopped having problems with both at around 4 years old but continued having earaches until around age 10? I found out I was 20% less hearing when I was around 6 years old..
A loss of hearing or frequent earaches resulting in a earblockage during the infant years (years of development) would prevent someone processing things auditoraly, they would process things more visually. Beause of distortion of hearing etc..
Also had sensitivity to food colourings at around the same age..it made me really hyper! Not sure if that has any connection?

Apparently most people think in words (auditory) rather than pictures.
Aparently like 95% of the population think mostly in words?
I think in moving images and pictures with a few words but mostly images. So to fully comprehend anything that has been said to me, i have to put it into a picture in my mind..If you read my blogs, it explains it a little better.

Sorry to hear about that asylum...its amazing how often doctors seem to stuff things up!

sorry if i havent explained it very well..just ask if anything doesnt make sense :)

I had a lot of ear problems when I was younger and the doctors never did figure out what it was.

And I do think in pictures. Have a hard time following conversations and listening -- have to ask people to repeat themselves over and over if I want to "get" what they're saying. However, my hearing is really good -- I hear things most people don't hear. WHich is probably why I have such a hard time listening to what someone's saying -- I'm hearing EVERYTHING going on including the lights and the breeze outside...

qhgirl..you pretty much just described me!
I also seem to hear everything thats going around me but not the person right in front of me. I always have to ask people to repeat themselves to get what they are saying.
Lol i tried to think in words today at work..i "tried" for two hours and just couldnt do it..was so incredibly slow at everything (speech, comprehending)...more so than usual..it was like impossible..

by the way..when did you earaches stop?

How do you think in words? Do you hear words? Or see them?

A hearing test when I was 13 showed I heard much better with the left ear.

apparantly you just hear them in your mind??
Was just looking something up online and read that most people hear words (auditory) in their minds?

i have no idea..it seems really strange..thought it was bizzare at first that people mainly thought in words?..
I generally see in pictures and moving motion..with the odd bit of words in my mind..usually dialogue between two people in my head..Sometimes find it really hard to find the right words to describe what Im thinking and also sometimes hard to comprehend things unless i can see it in my mind.

do you find you cant understand anything unless you can see it in your mind?
.

How do you think in words? Do you hear words? Or see them?

I hear them. You know what's funny, though? I don't know whose voice it is! :p It is just the voice that has always been there. When I read, I hear the words in my head as if they are being spoken to me. When I think, same thing.

I would say I am definitely a visual/spatial learner, though. I did suffer frequent ear infections and earaches as a child, but I don't think my hearing was really impaired before adulthood. Now, I have significant hearing loss due to nerve damage (hereditary) in the mid-range frequencies, which are responsible for understanding speech. To compound that, I have eustacian tube dysfunction, which causes my ears to plug up frequently, and I suffer pretty sever tinnitus. Needless to say, listening isn't my strong point - but I can see very well. What I can't do is stay out of my head or pay attention to anything for long, so I don't observe much. I learn best by reading/writing or "whiteboarding." I create visual maps in my head to build a big picture perspective, then just "feel" my way from there. I rely very heavily on intuition. And patient people. And luck, lol.

apparantly you just hear them in your mind??
Was just looking something up online and read that most people hear words (auditory) in their minds?

i have no idea..it seems really strange..thought it was bizzare at first..
do you find you cant understand anything unless you can see it in your mind?

This thread is so interesting to me! It is so funny that you say this because to me it seems really strange that anyone would find it bizarre or not understand how one would hear words in their mind. I thought everyone did - I can't even imagine not having that voice in my head! Thank you for posting this. :)

Wow so your not even sure if its your own voice speaking in your mind? Random..
so since your hearing has gotten worse..do you find that your eyesight has gotten alot better? does a weakness in one area make a strength in another?

i remember thinking when i was younger if people thought in their minds..and what language they would think in, if they spoke two languages fluently from a young age..or maybe a mix of both.
so i was aware at a young age that people spoke in their minds..maybe because i have two visual people talking in my mind..or memories talking in my mind?

Wow so your not even sure if its your own voice speaking in your mind? Random..
so since your hearing has gotten worse..do you find that your eyesight has gotten alot better? does a weakness in one area make a strength in another?

No, isn't that weird? I'd never really thought about it before. I think it is similar to my voice, but I just tested it out (I'm a goober :p ) and my own voice is higher-pitched and more nasally - I always sound like a little kid with a stuffy nose when I hear myself on tape, lol.

I wouldn't say my eyesight has gotten better, no, but it is common for people my age (40) to already have at least their first pair of reading glasses and my eyes are still perfectly fine. I'm very thankful for that. My sister, on the other hand, has been wearing glasses since age 3 but her hearing is really sharp. We've always speculated that our weak senses were offset by our strong ones. Seems that way, anyway!

So when someone asks you 'What's 2 + 2?' (I don't know why this person is asking you such a simple question, but hey, you hang with who you choose,) a voice in your head says 'Its 4, you idiot! 4!'
Wow. :confused: I'm so confused. Where's my voice?

when someone asks 2+2.
I see 2 objects and another two objects next to it, which means it equals 4 objects.
so you dont have a voice either?
its random..

I just asked myself what 2+2 is, to see how i think, but i just started laughing at myself!

I'm still trying but my mind has that 'I can't do it when you're looking!' thing.

I'm was just thinking i should go and return my dvd and had a little movie of me parking at the store and returning the dvd and now i see the covers of other movies i might rent tonight because i am hating telly at the mo and have a night off. Is this thinking in pictures??

I wish i did have a voice. It would yell 'Don't eat that do-nut!' and things of this nature. I'm going to spend the next couple of days trying to work out how i think and driving everyone else around me crazy with questions, i just know it.

Oh wait, i did have voice in my head once, but i was very stoned and very paranoid and gave up smoking pot soon after, because it was making me a little screwy. I forgot what the voice said. Anyway, on with the thinking. . . . .

Lol! Yeah im pretty sure you see in pictures and moving images as well!
Thats exactly what ive been like the past day or two. Trying to think in words!! But it was so weird, I started talking really slowly. Then i started having two little people in my head talking to each other..lol..so weird! But then it was just their mouths moving and then supposedly what they were saying started playing out in a movie..lol!! I just cant think in words..
lol maybe it would be good if i had a voice in my mind to, id stop and think before i did some of the stupid things i do..lol...

scarey..so like voices were telling you to do things? ah scarey!

This thread is cracking me up! :)

I've been doing same thing, testing different scenarios but it is pretty hard to consciously react unconsciously, lol! I've also been trying to catch myself at random moments and think, "Ok, what just happened? Did I hear that or just picture it?" LOL

I think it sounds stranger than it is, though! It isn't a dispossessed voice that speaks to me or tells me what to do, it is my own thought process. I've always assumed "stream of consciousness" referred the audio/visual "noise" that endlessly occupies one's mind as it flits from thought to thought. I hear words, sounds, music.. there is always some annoying song going through my mind - always! Drives me nuts! I see images, too, but they are more fleeting and less controlled for the most part. I have a hard time sustaining a mental picture, but words flow easily, automatically. I have tried to stop thinking in words and I absolutely cannot do it - it is hilarious to try, though!

If someone asked me what 2 + 2 is, I think I'd probably just spit out 4 without hearing it first because it doesn't require any thought. If they asked what 927 divided by 5 is, though, I'd have to work it out in my head. I would visually see the number 927, then I would visualize the little "divided by" bracket thingie being drawn around it and the number 5 being written over to the left, etc. The impression I get is as if the numbers are just "in the air" somehow - I don't picture myself or anyone else actually drawing them. As I see everything being drawn out I'm narrating it in my head, which would sound something like: "let's see.. 927.. divided by 5... 5 goes into 9 once so (visualize writing the 1 above the 9) then 9 minus 5 is 4..." and so on. Sometimes, I'll even help myself along by drawing the problem in the air with my fingers. In fact, I do that often because I usually "lose sight of" the problem before I get to the answer if I don't. A math problem isn't something I can just "mentally talk" my way through. Ugh, I hate math. Anyway, the point is I do hear words in that situation. How would you experience working a math problem out in your head?

Another for instance - if there is something I really want to say but for whatever reason decide to bite my tongue, I'll say it in my head instead. Usually repeatedly, wording it this way and that and visualizing likely reactions from the people involved. Sometimes, in doing that, I end up finding a way to phrase something or think of a new angle that makes me willing to actually speak it out loud. Something more articulate or clever, less insulting or controversial, etc.

I've wondered about the language thing before, too! Does a person who moves to a different country and has to adopt a new language still think in his or her native tongue? I know when I read something with dialog I often try to hear "in character," such as whether the character/quoted person is male or female, has an accent, etc. You really don't even hear words when you read? I can't even imagine how that would work!

I hear words when i read and have the scene's running in my head, i think everyone does that, otherwise what's the point of reading a novel - it would be like reading a text book. I've decided i don't actually know how i think! But that's okay - the main thing is i am! I think.
I don't know about the language thing - what a great question!
:)

i dunno..its strange really. Dont you just wish you could enter into someones mind for a day or two..how interesting would that be?
I really cannot think in voices..lol..i like honestly have pictures and images flowing thru my mind all the time..no wonder im always daydreaming.
Lol its funny how you find it hard to not think in words while i find hard not to think in images..;)

its so frustrating when i cant put what im seeing in my mind into words..usually if its something new, or a really quick thought...its alot easier to see something in detail as a picture than have a whole dialogue explaining it in words..
I hate reading a book and not understanding a certain word or not getting the sentence. Lol i cant picture it in my mind and if i cant picture it then I dont get it. It just means it takes so long to get through a book sometimes..
Do you guys have funny images/words running through your mind alot..that just seems to crack you up..and you really want to tell someone but its never the right time?

For big sums i dont picture them all in my mind..oddly sometimes I can just get to answers..other times i just write it down, and figure it out..calculators work best tho :)
I have to say that I do hear alot of music in my mind..usually repeating over and over..alot of times its just tunes/melody.
What annoys me is when I'm trying to google a song but cant think of any of the lyrics..just know how the tune goes. Pity you cant hum the tune and search that way..

I always have a song in my head. I wake up with a different one every morning but they're not always ones i like, which i find odd. I don't even know the title of the one in my head right now - actually i think its a commercial jingle! OMG, how pathetic!

lol when irritating commercial jingles flow thru my mind..find that so annoying haha and then u get the commercial images as well lol..

really interesting article...
realy describes the thought process a bit more..
http://www.wcdd.com/dd/articles/visual.html

"Sometimes visual thinkers overuse the verb "to be" because in visual thinking everything tends to happen at once and in the present."

"Visual thinkers love detail, but the visual details of an image often need no sequencing to put them in context. Visual thinkers can often see the context in their thinking and they write as if they think readers can "see what they see." As a result, visual thinkers often overlook the need to supply context in their writing."

Really true...I find i talk about something and forget to add that its what happened a while ago..its just playing in my mind right now..so i talk about it like its happening at the moment..wen it happened some time ago..
thats the whole context thing going on..thats probably how you can get confused or misunderstood. Also tend to give out half completed thoughts..cuz i forget that people arent seeing it..and its context (ocasionly).. So now conciously try and add more context...usually spot that later on..thank God for edit buttons..

Like im sure people think I have some kinda tiff with them..when im talking about something completley different (i might be wrong about that lol)

and also the wanting more of details..it annoys people but it helps in being able to see things more. Google, wikipedia, libraries help with finding out more tho..

blabbing on..

does anyone else have this hapen to them?

Its all about giving in to the mind. When we are in our natural ADHD mind, we think in pictures, but we try to fit into this neurotypical world so we try to think in words and hear our information... breaking everything into pieces.

When we try to do this we may adapt well or we may get anxiety from trying our poor minds to do what they cant do, wont do. However, the stimulants make our thoughts strong... strong enough that we can put words to them because we have the time to consider them... visual thinking is fast, auditory thinking is slow.

true..good points.
Ive read that visual thinking isnt necessarily a bad thing tho..Even tho words dont come easily..There are some positive articles about it...and with the weaknesses there are always the positives..
ive read that alot of visual thinkers are great artists, musicians, athletes, out of the box thinkers, visionaries etc..

******* weird! I had ear problems too. and also asthma as well as allergies.

by the way mincan..even when i was on ritalin...i still thought in pictures..tho the pictures werent so fast and there was more clarity.
the side effect of it was that i become like a zombie..no emotion, robotic like etc..
i prefered the natural thinking (personally)

"Sometimes visual thinkers overuse the verb "to be" because in visual thinking everything tends to happen at once and in the present."

"Visual thinkers love detail, but the visual details of an image often need no sequencing to put them in context. Visual thinkers can often see the context in their thinking and they write as if they think readers can "see what they see." As a result, visual thinkers often overlook the need to supply context in their writing."

Really true...I find i talk about something and forget to add that its what happened a while ago..its just playing in my mind right now..so i talk about it like its happening at the moment..wen it happened some time ago..
thats the whole context thing going on..thats probably how you can get confused or misunderstood. Also tend to give out half completed thoughts..cuz i forget that people arent seeing it..and its context (ocasionly).. So now conciously try and add more context...usually spot that later on..thank God for edit buttons..

Like im sure people think I have some kinda tiff with them..when im talking about something completley different (i might be wrong about that lol)

and also the wanting more of details..it annoys people but it helps in being able to see things more. Google, wikipedia, libraries help with finding out more tho..

blabbing on..

does anyone else have this hapen to them?

Hi,

hehe, I love this thread. I think your really onto something with trying to be aware of adding more context. That is something I am going to keep in mind - thanks.

I have had 9 operations in total that I'm aware of on mainly my ears but also my nose. This all started with grommets when I was three...and then paper graphs and skin graphs to try and fix the hole in my ear drum. There is still a massive hole (one third) in my left ear drum and lots of scarring in my right ear. The last few operations failed to fix the problem and so I won't let them get there hands on me anymore as I am scared they might do more damage than good.

Asylum - you asked what the connection was between allergies and visual spacial thinking. Intolerance to dairy products is a leading cause of ear infection in children. I know now that I am intolerant to dairy and have noticed since I've cut it 99% out of my diet that my nose is much less clogged up. Gosh, I remmember the doctor asking me when I was 12 if I could breath through my nose and I had never even realised that people did this before. If only they had of maybe thought to find out if I had food allergies.

I would say that I am definately a visual spatial learner. When I'm engrossed in a book it plays like a movie in my head. I remmember the movie rather than remmembering the words. In time to come I remmember what the character I made up looked like more than I'm likely to remmember their name.

I only just realised a few months ago that some people don't think in pictures. I became uncomfortable when I was with a friend and ended up trying to explain my mind to him in order to try and make him understand where I was at and why I was being so wierd...he asked me if I thought in pictures. These words really struck a chord for me. Because I had never ever thought of the possibility of other people not thinking in pictures. My gosh....how would you/could you not!!!? I'm hoping one day I will get a chance to ask him why exactly he asked me that when he did.

I do try to think in words when I am trying to think of the best words to write so that people will understand what I am trying to convey. I also sometimes think in words when I am having a harsh word to myself. But I don't know if this counts cause it is like I am imagining another me with their mouth speaking to me...or if I'm in an indecisive mood sometimes I will see a little devil me on one side of my head and a little angel on the other .hheheh

Another thing I do is imagine things from all possible angels visually. I am very good at looking at something...an object and then having a concept of what that object would look like from other perspectives. Sometimes I run over moments in time (remmember) from a different view point than the actual view point that I had at that time.

I have been told that I often word things in a way that is ambiguous and then apparantly it sometimes seems to other people that I am reading their mind because I will follow the original statement that I made with another statement that provides clarity to them in regards to whatever it was in my original statement that made them wonder. I think this is because I will say what first comes to mind and then realise that by what I have said the other person will not understand what I was trying to convey and so I will then say another sentance to try and answer whatever it was that they would have been querying about what I was saying. I find that I'm constantly trying to understand how they would understand what I say so that I can help them understand it more..I replay what I have just said back in my mind alot (taking me away temporarily from the situation I am in). I hope this makes sense.

I find when I am listening to people that relating what they have said back to them in a rephrased way sometimes helps me to make sure that I have heard them correctly and buys me time to relate the words into an image in my mind that I can then work with. It also has the positive effect of making someone feel listened to..

I definately agree with you about the balance thing 4gotagain. I think it definately makes sense that when one sensory input mechanism is down a bit the others pick up to make up for it. Balance is the core of my philosophy and understanding of the world in a big way.

Another thing that I find I do is listen to silence...like hear it...when people are talking I notice the gaps in between their words and the speed at which they talk and the pauses in between their sentances. Theres such alot to be learnt by hearing what is not being said. In my last hearing test I suprised the specialists because I scored in the lower portion of average on their scales. The fact is that I know I wasn't pushing the buzzer when I heard the beeps. I was pushing it occassionally when I heard the beeps but mainly based on how much time I assumed would lapse between one beep and the other. I imagined if I was making a test how much time would lapse and the patterns of the lapsing etc.

Has anyone else here with bad hearing found that they were quite good at communicating with people who didn't speak their language? I think this may be another part of using your eyes to hear.

:) Sorry long post!

interesting...
I also see things from different perspectives. I often try to place myself in someone elses point of view looking into a situation. So try to access how their personality and viewpoint would percive the situation. Almost like putting myself into the other persons mind.
Do you sometimes look from the viewpoint above? Almost like your looking down at your own body?

I also seem to make ambigious statements or say things that dont make sense, either out of context or Ive made big leaps of insight without explaining how i got there. Its only lately that ive really started realising this more. It can be frustrating because I can perfectly see it all in my mind and dont realise ive left bits out.

I occasionally phrase words out loud but alot of the time if im struggling to put something into a picture in my mind straight away, il repeat it over in my mind til i get a sufficient mental picture.(its still usually quite a quick process!) Or ask a question.
Its a good idea repeating it out loud! Will have to try that!

I agree that the unspoken, nonverbal actions can be just as (if not sometimes more) helpful than just the spoken language. A persons eyes, body language, facial responses etc really do tell alot! That is one thing that makes it a bit harder with the internet..you cant see the other persons reactions. So you cant be sure if they have taken what you've said the right way, or if they havent completely understood what you've said. and vice versa

I'm also wondering if visual thinking from hearing loss at young age, affects a persons intuition. From what you have said in your last post, it sounds like you intuitively can work out when sounds are going of, helps with communication, etc. Does this intuition branch into other areas of your life also?

Yes, sometimes I look from the view point above or and sometimes I remmember from the view point above. It feels like I could look from any view point I want to without really having to decide to do it or putting any thought into it. How accurate my perception is from these other viewpoints is definately questionable, however I think it's fair to say I have an avid imagination.

I have also been raised by a mother who has also always had bad hearing, bad memory and problems concentrating. As much as I love her I like to think that we are very different people. I do however feel it necessary to question if some of my own behaviour that I attribute to hearing loss is in fact due to the hearing loss or if it is learned behaviour because of the environment I grew up in. i.e I've hardly ever heard my parents articulate their thoughts or even really have discussions about anything other than immediate family matters or dinner.

I would say that intuition branches into more aspects of my life than I am even aware of at this stage. I guess I am becoming more confident in embracing and trusting my intuition. To be honest sometimes it is very scary when I can't put reason to how and why I feel. I've tested my intuition alot over the years.... I almost wanted to not trust it....wanted to be free from it if that makes any sense?....there are wierd things that have happened where it almost seemed easier to believe that I was being crazy because I was feeling super out of control in regards to other things that were happening in my life. I'm pretty good at telling what people's intentions are. They may have a calm face but it's like I see the fire or the insecurity in their eyes sometimes. I hide my own eyes from people because I don't want them to see what I am thinking but I am realising that this shouldn't be such an issue as most people don't think this way...or maybe they do? Gosh...like someone else said somewhere in this thread it really would be nice to live in someone elses head for a day! :)

One night my friend and I drove out to a beach out west and we were sitting in her car talking...watching the water etc. Three car loads of men drove into the car park and started doing wheelies behind us. They then left and then came back and did the same thing again. After they left the second time we decided it would be best if we left in case they came back a third time. I said " They are going to be waiting for us around the corner". Which is a horrible thought. Sure enough we drove around the corner (the only way to get out of the car park area) and they had arranged there cars to block us into the car park. Scary S***, I knew it was about to happen but there was nothing I could do to stop it.

When I was younger there were so many times where I would have a conversation with myself in my head that would go something like this "If you keep on walking in this direction you will get glass in your foot", then I would say to myself "Nah, don't be ridiculous" and keep on walking and sure enough get glass in my foot. And then I would think crazy things like I made it happen because I thought that it would happen etc.

My best oldest dearest friend thinks that I have 'witchcraft abilities', I sometimes think I'm cuckoo. But I think now that the hearing thing may be a big part of it. It just doesn't explain everything though.

I think it makes sense that if you are always looking at things from different angles and perspectives and jumping into what you think are others perspectives in order to find the best way of communicating with them...then you would be more inclined to see a bigger picture (and maybe not a smaller one).

I've wondered before if the de ja vu feeling is something that we get when we see a picture played out in real life that we associate unconsciously or consciously with a picture that has run through our mind before....

I often feel like there are so many thoughts/pictures running through my head...running so fast...that I can't catch anything to make it into something substantial.

gosh....one thought leads to another I could go on and on rambling but this must stop somewhere.

Thank you anyway ....really....I've learnt a bit from reading over this thread. It's opened up some new things for me to look into for sure.

i just noticed that you are also from aucks. That's interesting, we dont have many new zealanders that come onto the forums. What part of auckland are you from?
I can relate alot with the intuition. Often Im so sure something is right but dont know how i got to that conclusion. So i go about trying to prove it and more often than not find I've come to the right solution. Or certain things make total sense to me but im not exactly sure why or how.

People's eyes defnitely tell alot about someone, their intentions, etc. I have a bit of trouble with staring sometimes..mostly unintentionally.

I havent had any of the situations you explained about like knowing how exact events would pan out. The closest ive had to anything like that is a really sharp feeling that something bad was going to happen, and then finding out something had, on a couple of occasions.
I usually just get to solutions of problems intuitively.

Seeing things from different angles comes naturally for me also, I think that is why people who see the big picture are good problem solvers. When you can see all different angles and see the global image in your mind, its easier to come to a proper solution that "fits."

I also have alot of images running through my mind though I can really get focussed on certain subjects/ideas that really interest me...do you have that..like a hyperfocus?

Yeah, I noticed you were from Aucks and was planning to mention it.... I grew up on the shore but have never felt like it was home...since leaving I have lived South and West and now I live pretty central - Archill. Where are you based?

I also do the staring thing. I get a bit of anxiety about it sometimes to be honest. I guess I am conscious of the fact that other people may see me doing this and I might not notice that they see me. Some of my closest friends have made subtle comments that I'm not always 'there'. They kind of say it in a nice way...I know they love me but at the same time it bothers me that I can't control this behaviour. It bothers me that people may think I'm not there and that I'm also nowhere...when I am there but not there with them if that makes sense.

I was trying to figure myself out through researching things on the internet...firstly I was reading about dissociation then depersonalisation then conditions that effect memory then add. One thing leads to another thing leads to another to another...Now it's add and hearing that I am thinking about and I plan to also try and research how hearing can effect other mental conditions. At work today I was doing a course and kept on thinking about the seeing in pictures thing and missing what I was supposed to be learning. I've also been asking people I am closest to if they see in pictures or words...so yes, I guess I hyperfocus? It's only a term I came across a few days ago ;-)

I live Central - in Mt Eden. But i grew up South and then moved East.

I know what you mean about the staring. I think it may just be a learned behaviour, maybe to do with inner preference to seeing over hearing? Like getting used to firstly analysing the environment around before using other senses..?

When I'm "not there" when people are talking to me, I am usually somewhere else, thinking about something they have said more in depth or something else altogethor. I can usually track where my mind is. And often can go back to the discussion..something Ive kind of taught myself. For me, it helps to watch the person while they are speaking and consciously put what they are saying into an image, otherwise my mind can wander..

I have also been looking into how i think, my thought process. I've moved away from thinking I have a mental condition. I now identify myself as being a visual-spatial thinker and learner. For myself personally, I think using the term mental disorder, would be almost an excuse. It would allow me to focus on my negatives rather than positives of who I am. I'm learning more to acknowledge all my strengths such as creativity, deep analytical thinking, thinking outside the box etc. Many of which I dont think I would have if I didnt think visually spatially.
Also people do think differently, and have different weaknesses and positives. So I'm trying to adjust my life so I can use my positives to their full extent. I'm trying to mold my environment to help me. Not so much change my environment completely but find ways which help me according to how I think. e.g working out how i learn, what study evironment helps my concentration, using my creative thinking effectively, ways to help memory etc
I'm realising that just because I dont necessarily think exactly the same way as everyone else, doesnt make it wrong..just different. As long as I'm growing as a person and utilising my strengths then I'm moving forward in life.
Im not denying my negative points but conciously thinking from the positive mindset..and putting more thought emphasis on the positive points.
But thats just for me personally...everybody has different needs, and different challenges. Its not a one solution fits all society.

Just a slight correction..my visual spatial thinking helps me to think creatively, analytically and out of the box etc
I'm not trying to imply that people that dont think visual spatially do not think creatively, analytically or out of the box etc..But it has a huge role in those areas in my own thought process.

I know what you mean about the staring. I think it may just be a learned behaviour, maybe to do with inner preference to seeing over hearing? Like getting used to firstly analysing the environment around before using other senses..?

I think you are right about it being a learned behaviour to do with inner prefference. I also think that it may be a comfort reaction to information overload in some cases (where it's accompanied by anxiety).

When I'm "not there" when people are talking to me, I am usually somewhere else, thinking about something they have said more in depth or something else altogethor. I can usually track where my mind is. And often can go back to the discussion..something Ive kind of taught myself. For me, it helps to watch the person while they are speaking and consciously put what they are saying into an image, otherwise my mind can wander..

Yep, I think I get it worse when I'm in a room with more than 4 people. If there are four I can usually handle. If there are more than four having a conversation I find it hard to catch everything they are saying enough to be fast enough to form my own oppinion and say my own oppinion before the conversation has moved on. So I definately think this has something to do with not hearing words as fast as others probly do and also getting distracted by 'vibes' I sense floating around etc.


I have also been looking into how i think, my thought process. I've moved away from thinking I have a mental condition. I now identify myself as being a visual-spatial thinker and learner. For myself personally, I think using the term mental disorder, would be almost an excuse. It would allow me to focus on my negatives rather than positives of who I am. I'm learning more to acknowledge all my strengths such as creativity, deep analytical thinking, thinking outside the box etc. Many of which I dont think I would have if I didnt think visually spatially.
Also people do think differently, and have different weaknesses and positives. So I'm trying to adjust my life so I can use my positives to their full extent. I'm trying to mold my environment to help me. Not so much change my environment completely but find ways which help me according to how I think. e.g working out how i learn, what evironment suits my concentration, using my creative thinking etc
I'm realising that just because I dont necessarily think exactly the same way as everyone else, doesnt make it wrong..just different. As long as I'm not harming anyone and I'm utilising my strengths then I'm moving forward in life.
Im not denying my negative points but conciously thinking from the positive mindset..and putting more thought emphasis on the positive points.
But thats just for me personally...everybody has different needs, and different challenges. Its not a one solution fits all society.
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I think thats a positive and healthy way of thinking.

On hindsite I think that 'other states of mind' would have been better wording in my last post than 'other mental conditions'. ;)

I just think that everyone has a different balance. Thats one of the things that makes this world an interesting and beautiful place. I've always felt different from other people. I know that everyone is different but I've always felt this huge indifference. I was trying to fight that for so long. I think it's important to want to change if your not happy. I think part of having good self-esteem is wanting a good and healthy full life for yourself. I feel like I've peeled back layers of depression and anxiety and for the first time in a long time I'm really happy with who I am. I don't feel this need to change, just a need to understand better. I want to understand where I have come from aswell. Now that some of the fog has lifted I feel like I have a chance to look back a bit in a new light.

Yeah, defnitely having alot of people in a conversation is hard! I prefer one-on-one situations. 3 or 4 way convos can be really hard to keep up with. Or even if I can keep up with it, I often dont have enough time to formulate a response with as much depth to it as I would like.

By the way, im not against the term mental illness or disorder. I'm just implying that personally I dont call it that for my own process of thinking. Different people have different situations..so I dont really have any right to comment on their situations. :)

Its great to hear that your happy. :) Learning and understanding certainly does help ay.

We live pretty close to each other...
Do you work in the city?

I think I'm quite a hard person for other people to get to know unless they spend one to one time with me. I really treasure one to one time with people.

Lately I've been trying to consciously let people see who I am and let them decide their own perception of me for themselves rather than me trying to mold myself into what I think they may want or need me to be.

I work in Grey Lynn. Are you working or studying???

I'm going to get myself a one way ticket to London and should be leaving in a few weeks time. Gosh! It's so scary and exciting at the same time. I have no plans except for arriving there pretty much and I'm just going to go with the flow and see what happens. It's an opportunity to experiment with how I am and can be in a new environment etc and in a number of ways it's a huge challenge for myself that I've always wanted to take on (travelling alone) but never felt strong enough before. Yay! ;)

I also, from time to time, try to "become" what I think others want me to be. I recently took a personality test and my personality type pretty much defined me. Though it took some analysing to come to that conclusion lol (another part of my personality). Apparently one of the traits of the particular personality I am, is to be chameleon-like, in an effort to adapt to certain situations (not all situations tho of course!). It's a way of getting into the other persons mindset, in an effort to gain enough intuitive data to analyse and assess the other person.

I work in Mt Roskill. I'm going to study next year, hopefully. What kind of work do you do?

The flight to London should be really exciting. Very daring! Good on you for stepping out of your comfort zone. Have you been there before, or anywhere else overseas?

hehe, yeh I totally get the chameleon thing. Interesting creatures those chameleons are...!

I work in Human Resource Administration. It's an office job but as far as office jobs go it's the one I've really enjoyed the most. I think thats because the learning has never really stopped and I'm constantly having to problem solve. I'm not sure what kind of work I will end up doing in London. I'm pretty much open to anything I will learn from or earn from (earn from so I can travel onwards).

I've spent a bit of time in Asian countries.

I'm going to be getting myself lost left right and centre...I do that here and I grew up here!

What kind of work do you do? What are you thinking of studying?

Wow lol we are quite alike. I'm also a really good problem solver and love learning new things! I wonder if this has anything to do with the whole visual-spatial thinking. We could even possibly have the same personality type? possibly..

I haven't been to Asia yet. Where abouts did you go?

I work on a service desk at a big hardware store.
I haven't fully decided on what I'm studying yet. Possibly Psychology, Law, Neurology, or some kind of career that requires researching or analysing.

Do you have any careers in mind for the future?

or have you already studied and have your career of choice?

Hello everyone,

I think this is an interesting topic...I don't know if I had a lot of ear infections as a child, but do know that I grew up with Asthma and Allergies (took allergy shots from the age of 4 til the age of 14), and from the age of 5 wore glasses. I don't know if any of my health issues had anything to do with my learning style. I have been an inattentive ADHD for as long as I or anyone in my family can remember, yet I compensated well. I was tutored for much of elementary school as I was in the hospital with Asthma, more than I was home until about 4th grade. I do remember fairly well from 5th grade on that I procrastinated with all my homework, but once pushed to a close deadline, could hyperfocus enough to get my projects completed. This frustrated my family because they could not get my attention without waving a hand under my nose (it was usually buried in a textbook...lol).

I have had a few earaches/infections that I can remember as an adolescent, and a few as an adult, but honestly, I don't think the ear issue has impacted my learning style. I didn't tune out because I couldn't hear, I tune out because my mind won't let me focus on what I am hearing. I should look this topic up. Now my eyesight is another matter entirely, because without my glasses or contacts, I can only see about 5 feet in front of my face, anything more distant is blurry. That could have affected my learning in the classroom to a great degree because I am sure I forgot my glasses as a child, and in fact, can remember having my mom show up in the classroom with my glasses before she went to work.

Thanks for bringing up an interesting topic.

For the rest of the posters, lets do the OP a favor and try to stay on topic...

At Heart

I was thinking today about pupil size and how this could be connected to hearing or thinking in pictures or ADD... I have massive pupils ... I asked my optometrist what this was about and she said that some people just have bigger pupils and thats nothing to worry about. But, apparantly peoples pupils dilate when they are attracted to another person, and I'm wondering if it is more about focus than attraction. Like could a tendancy to hyperfocus be connected to pupil size? Or could using your eyes to hear and concentrating more with your eyes to compensate for bad hearing be a cause of big pupils? Just curious, does anyone have abnormally large pupils? Do deaf people have large pupils. Do completely deaf people totally see in pictures because they have not heard words, do they see signing instead of words...is the eyesite of deaf people better in general than people who are not deaf?

Also asthma and breathing - children who have asthma and stuggle to get air into their lungs I assume get less oxygen to their brains... I wonder if this can somehow trigger ADD style thinking? Also, I wonder how the lungs are effected muscle wise and size wise of children who have asthma for prolonged periods...could lung compacity and weather or not we breathe in deeply or shallowly (learned pattern due to many years not being able to breathe deeply or because its dificult to breathe) be connected to the way we think or even the way our brain develops if the cause is believed to be a chemical imbalance. Don't get me wrong...these were just ideas floating around, I'm not read up on brain chemistry in any kind of way. Meditation is partly based on the way we breathe and is a tool that can aid in relaxing and focusing the mind.

Also, if I remmember correctly I read in one of the articles that were linked in the original post that Visual Spatial thinkers have a tendancy to be sensitive to touch. I am really not a touchy feely type person. I try to relax but if someone pats me on the back or kisses my cheek when they say goodbye my initial reaction is usually one of discomfort. I was wondering if other people who think they may be a visual spatial thinker are also sensitive to touch and if they had any thoughts on why this might be? Perhaps I should go back and read the article again at some point...

:)

Interesting ideas! They would be interesting to research more.

I guess that totally deaf people would see in pictures? It would probably depend on what stage of their life they became deaf?
Its quite interesting how, although we understand and speak words (now), we still think mostly in images... The development years must be really crucial to the development of our thought process.

I've been also told that I have diluted pupils when I appear to be staring..Maybe it is a way of taking everything in around us, so we can convert it into our thought process?

I remember one time, I went snorkelling but no matter how much I tried, I couldnt do the breathing properly. I kept trying to breath out of my nose instead of my mouth. I wonder if that has anything to do with my "learned style" of breathing?
Also ive heard that exercise can help ADHD improve symptoms..is this related to breathing?

I had asthma and eardrum blockages when I was younger, as well as earaches. Both occurred around the same age. I wonder if earaches can affect asthma/breathing or vice versa? The Eustaion tube connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx (the passage between the nose and the throat).. So would any problem in the ear or a blockage of any type also effect the nose and breathing?

I dislike being touched unexpectedly. Hmm..would be interesting to find out why!

awesome..this is like a brainstorm session..:)

I also dinstinctly remember a time when I was younger...
I had a really bad flu or cold and my nose was completly stuffed. I woke up and I felt as though I couldn't breath. I really panicked! And i went and told my parents and they got me to put my head over a bowl of vicks and hot water.
I just remember that feeling..almost like i was suffocating..

actually that means i do breath out of my nose..
Which makes sense..cuz i stopped having asthma and the eardrum blockage around age 3-4? stopped having earaches around age 9-10ish? I was around 11-12ish when the incident above occured.
Now..I breath through both my nose and mouth. I breath in and out of my nose and then swap to breathing in and out of my mouth. I'm still not sure why I had such a big problem with snorkelling etc? Will have to look that up..
I dont have problem with asthma, earaches anymore (apart from the odd one on rare occassion )
but at a young age (1-4?) i used to have to use a nebuliser/face mask.
Apparently breathing out of your nose is healthier because it filters bacteria, dusts etc...
do you breath out of your mouth or your nose?

Actually it was probably the combination of both types of breathing that stopped me from breathing properly while snorkelling..?

would be interested to know if others breath primarily through their noses or mouths ? or both?

I breathe through my mouth 90% of the time. I try to breathe through my nose but it's quite often blocked and also...I think theres just been so many years of not been able to breathe through it at all that it mights be learned behaviour not to breath that way. I haven't given up hope in training myself to breathe through my nose better one day. Hah, it seems like a funny thing to think about but I think it's important...and what you said about how it's better to breathe through your nose as it filters bacteria is pretty interesting too!

Ah, you have dilated pupils when you stare too!!! Anyone else? I'm curious if this is a pattern for people who hyperfocus.

I'm not sure about how asthma and ear problems are linked but I do know that people who have asthma are more likely to have allergies and people who have ear problems are more likely to have allergies. Asthma and ezchema (sp?) are connected somehow...apparantly there is often a pattern of when someones asthma gets better they will start getting ezchema and vice versa.

Problems with the ears are definately related to problems with the nose. The last operation I had was when I was 16 and they operated on my nose. They kind of did plastic surgary on the inside of my nose to open up the tubes etc. They planned to operate on my ears again once they had operated on my nose but I have never let them because the operation on my nose was unsuccessful and I felt like their guineapig. So it is all connected. I'm going to request all my medical notes from when I was a child until now. I'm not sure if I will get a chance to read them before I go but I feel a need to understand everything that I have been through medically when I was a child. I'm really angry at health professionals to be honest...I'm not sure if it's justified or not.

Not really sure why you found snorkelling dificult! But maybe it is the combination breathing thing like you suggested

:)

Yeah ive been really interested in trying to find the connection between it all..if there is any..
I can understand why you would angry with the health professionals. It is a mistake that they made, that has affected your life.

I wasnt sure if not being able to breath while sick had to do with anything..i just remember it quite distinctly because I quite literally thought I was suffocating/dying..it was odd. I always seem to get that mental picture when I think of death, you know just that flash of thought. Its the one thought that really gives me the shudders.

I'm not really affected too much by earaches or asthma now. Ive read that asthma can come back later in life, though. Do you have excema?

Ive also read that most people breath in through the nose and out through the mouth..which is what I do tend to do often..
I wonder if the reason why people get allergies is because the nose isnt able to filter out the dirt/bugs etc?

I'm not sure about the snorkelling either. I've just been thinking of different events in my life and how they might relate to the visual spatial thinking/hearing loss (or not relate).

I'm not like super sensitive to being touched. Just if I'm not expecting it..Are you like hypersensitive to being touched?

I'm probably not going to write on here anymore. I'm busy with some other stuff. I'll PM you my email address, if you'd like to keep in contact?

haha yep its got to stop somewhere!!!

yep. pm me your email address.

yeah lol..
hope to hear from you :)

Interesting link. (http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/national/article4.php)

I am a visual-spatial learner. I also had earaches growing up.

However, it can also originate as compensation for auditory-sequential processing difficulties associated with multiple ear, nose and throat infections in early childhood
I had ear infections and asthma growing up.


likes complex ideas and tasks and does well on them, yet often fails at simple things
yeah


is physically sensitive, often has acute hearing and intense reactions to loud noises
definitely

has poor listening skills, often seems not to be listening
yeah, i have been told that.

has difficulty finishing tasks/school work
its difficult but not impossible

has poor handwriting or difficulty keeping in the lines or grips the pen very hard and presses on the paper when writing
I don't have the tidiest handwriting in the world.

loves Lego, puzzles, jigsaws, computer games, television, making things
I like watching tv, puzzles.

likes art and/or music
I love both of them.

has a poor sense of time
I'm often late, unfortunately.

is extremely sensitive to criticism
yeah, more than i sometimes let on.

is emotionally very sensitive
same answer as above.

has difficulty with spelling/times tables
It took me a while to learn my times table. My spelling isn't great but over the years has improved alot.

can remember the way somewhere after going there only once
yeah, i have great visual memory and long-term memory.

has a vivid imagination and/or disturbing dreams
I don't remember my dreams but I have a vivid imagination.

is distractible
Unless I'm hyperfocusing on something, can be distracted easily.

is very disorganised
Yes.




<CENTER>Strengths</CENTER>

thrives on complexity - yes
systems thinker - yes must be able to see big picture
high abstract reasoning - yes
loves difficult puzzles - yes
keen visual memory - yes
creative, imaginative - yes
good sense of humour - yes (i think so anyway ;)
better at mathematical analysis than computation yes
better at reading comprehension than decoding yes
better at geometry than algebra actually no
better at physics than chemistry yes
fascinated by computers, especially computer graphics yes
avid television watcher yeah, more youtube..
loves music yes
day-dreamer yes
rich fantasy life yes
elaborate doodler yes
Gifted visual-spatial learners appear to have supersensitive nervous systems that enable them to assimilate extraordinary amounts of sensory stimulation. To varying degrees these children experience extreme sensitivity to physical stimuli, particularly sound, light and touch.

These children have very sensitive hearing and can hear sounds that would simply be background noise for other people. They can hear whispered private conversations from a great distance. Repetitive sounds such as fluorescent lights seem to them very loud and can drive them crazy. It can be very difficult for many of these children to discriminate foreground sound from background noise.

Yes!! Loud, shrill and repetitive noises drive me crazy! I can hear distant conversations really well. I'm a good lip reader as well..lol. And often see everything that's going on around me.

Often visual-spatial learners have a history of childhood illnesses, such as allergies, food intolerance, colic, tonsillitis, asthma, sinusitis or ear infections, that resulted in ear blockages so that they experienced difficulty in hearing during their first years of development. Since these children have faint and distorted sound input, they use their eyes as a means of compensation and develop high visual-spatial abilities. While their hearing is not permanently affected by these blockages, the development of auditory information-processing is impaired and these children commence school with a learning difficulty.
I've had earaches, ear blockages, asthma, food intolerance (highly possibly also to gluten/wheat and lactose). Ear blockages led me to thinking in pictures.

Visual-spatial learners thrive on complexity and often fail at simple tasks, e.g. math concepts vs times tables. Because they focus on the larger picture, they often don't know how they have arrived at a conclusion or solved a problem. They do poorly on timed tests. Also, they tend to be disorganised and have difficulty meeting time limits

I often arrive at conclusions and solve problems without knowing how I got to the answer. Then I find out later I was correct. I'm very disorganised and being on time is not one of my strengths.

For visual-spatial learners, concepts are rapidly understood when they are presented within a context and related to other concepts. Once spatial learners create a mental picture of a concept and see how the information fits with what they already know, their learning is permanent. Repetition is completely unnecessary and irrelevant to their learning style.

To fully understand I have to be able to formulate the concept into an image in my mind. I dislike repitition.

"Visual-spatial learners are more attentive if they understand the goals of instruction. They are more co-operative at home and at school if they are allowed some input into decision-making processes and some legitimate choices. Discipline must be private as these children are highly sensitive and easily humiliated. If they are respected they will learn to treat others with respect.
definitely.

These children thrive on complex, abstract ideas; they are natural pattern finders and problem solvers.
yeah.

Thanks, that was a very informative article. It's intruiging how everything seems to add up. ADHD-like symptoms -- visual spacial thinking --- intolerance to certain foods --- earaches and blockages ---sensitive to certain sounds, environment, disaproval.
They aren't all random conditions, they seem to be connected..