Sadie Dingfelder - Aphantasic and Face-Blind Journalist

Neurodiversity with Theo Smith

Sadie Dingfelder, a freelance writer and science writer, shares her experiences with face blindness and aphantasia.

She discovered her face blindness when she failed to recognise people she had interviewed just minutes earlier.

Through research and testing, she found that her face blindness may be due to brain damage during birth. She also realised that she has aphantasia, the inability to visualise mental images.

Despite these challenges, Sadie has found strengths in her unique brain, such as being quick to connect with strangers and having a natural talent for writing.

She wrote a book to raise awareness and understanding of these conditions. Sadie Dingfelder's book, 'Do I Know You? A FaceBlind Reporter's Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory, and Imagination,' explores her experiences as a faceblind individual and her journey to understand the science behind it.

She shares her interactions with various researchers and the tests she underwent to understand her condition. Dingfelder also discusses the concept of subjective experience and how scientists are studying it objectively.

She explores other unique experiences, such as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and synesthesia, and the potential benefits of understanding and accommodating different ways of processing and seeing the world.

• Face blindness and aphantasia are conditions that can impact how individuals recognise faces and visualise mental images.
• Face blindness may be genetic or caused by brain damage, and it can affect a person's ability to remember and recognise faces.
• Aphantasia is the inability to visualise mental images, and it can impact how individuals process and remember information.
• Despite these challenges, individuals with face blindness and aphantasia can have unique strengths and talents.
• Writing can be a natural outlet for individuals with aphantasia, as it allows them to explore their thoughts and ideas in a tangible way.
• Raising awareness and understanding of face blindness and aphantasia is important to combat misconceptions and promote empathy. Understanding subjective experience is a growing field of study in neuroscience.
• Different neurodiverse experiences can provide innovative perspectives and problem-solving approaches.
• Accommodating diverse ways of processing and seeing the world can benefit everyone.
• The rapid changes in modern society can pose challenges for human brains to adapt.
• Exploring and understanding unique experiences can lead to new insights and opportunities.

keywords:

face blindness, aphantasia, brain damage, recognition, strengths, writing, book, faceblind, subjective experience, neuroscience, neurodiversity, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, synesthesiatakeaways