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Comment by taeric | Hacker News Reader

I neither hear nor see things I read. Such that I can remember things, but I couldn't tell you how I remember them.

Is akin to knowing your way home. I don't see the turns ahead of time, but I recognize them when I do. And I can remember the decisions ahead of time.

I think remembering decisions is ultimately my best way to describe it. Remembering making a choice. Something that is not sensory.

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I am curious, what would you do when you lost your map in a forest/mountain while hiking, but assuming you "remember" the map that you checked the day before?

I do not think in terms of maps at all. I do think in terms of choosing to go left or right.

You have probably heard directions like, go straight until you get to the big tree, take the left path towards the creek...

Basically, I remember what choices to make at different spots. I used to be a pizza delivery driver. I could work out where houses were based on the street and number. But it was always an iterative process. I will remember what sequence of things should happen at points. And going to new places is always harder, because maps don't help me much.

Satellite photos with superimposed map data is a true revelation for me. I study them to remember certain landmarks and how the terrain should look when I need to take a turn, etc. And I memorize street names too, to keep tally on where I am.

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