Question about facial expressions and memory?

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When you look at a person, and look away, do you instantly have their facial expression they had when you looked at them in your head for awhile? I notice that when ppl talk to me, if i look at their face, afterwards all I can remember is that facial expression, not what was said, just what their face looked like. Its weird, wondering if anybody else does this?

I do it, but it's more intentional. The only way I can socialize with people (and make them think I'm normal) is through a form of pattern recognition: I remember facial expressions and context, so I can refer to them later. This doesn't always work, but I find it is close enough to get by.

However, I do tend to copy people's expressions. Especially if they're doing weird or uncomfortable-seeming ones. When I talk to someone who wears braces--or has the kind of face that looks disgusted all of the time, I begin scrunching my face up and licking my teeth to make sure they don't have metal on them. I wonder if that is weird, too.

As NT, I can tell you that I can multi-task on this - when I walk away, I can recall the conversation, their facial expression, their tone of voice, often what they were wearing. In my case I recall it like watching a DVD inside my head, but I AM more visual than most.

My Aspie-ish daughter can't recall all this. She is partly face-blind, so she actively concentrates on finding something unusual about each person so she will know them next time. She works behind a checkout, sometimes a customer comes back for a forgotten bag and it really helps if she can connect the person she sees, with the shopping they forgot. So she might say to them, "That's a lovely brooch you're wearing," while she mentally notes what she's ringing up on the till.
She also does other things that most NTs can't do, such as keep a running score on how much she has in her register, so she always balances at the end of the day.

Please don't take this as an insult. Are you SURE you aren't a little AS? Do you also almost visually plan out the day, or review old conversations mentally?

I do the same as you, but the memory of a facial expression may suffer.

I don't look at people; I can either hear their voice [and comprehend the words], or I can paint their face in my head once I've looked at them. I know what a smile looks like, a frown, a grimace, and what have you, but I cannot focus on the face and the words at the same time.

It is a myth that most people don't think in images. I did a straw poll and everyone thought in images, and everyone but one (who did drugs) was able to achieve photo quality on demand. People wouldn't use works like 'imagine' or 'visualize' if they didn't. The also said they used images in their thought quite a lot. What they don't do is use images to represent or synthesize abstracts.

I however don't see images in my head at all except in dreams. Those words are redundant to me. I have occasionally been able to achieve limited imaging while waking up.

It makes me wonder if it is related to Melatonin and if I should take some.

I may remember detail of a person or thing or not. More like a definition. I have literal mind-blindness meaning I don't picture things or people, I can't recall them for the most part. However it the thing or person is in front of me I *may* recognize them/it.

I have trouble focusing my attention on both a person's face and what they are saying. I can give half my attention to both, or I can give my total attention (total= that part of my attention that's left over after scanning my environment and getting distracted by every noise and movement) to one or the other.
Sometimes, I'll get absorbed in watching a person's face, and I'll be fixating on one feature or on how their face moves, then they'll suddenly ask a question and I'll realise that I haven't heard a good chunk of the conversation.

Actually, most DON'T think in images! That is FACT! Most memory books encourage thinking in images, to remember.(If most thought in pictures, their books wouldn't even sell.) And most are NOT photoquality! Various studies prove that clearly. HECK, if they WERE photo quality, everyone would have a photographic memory. BTW that is why I usually speak of a feel. When it involves visual input, it can SEEM photographic, but isn't. I wish it were.

BTW I have tested HUNDREDS from different backgrounds, etc... So it isn't just me.