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If you are primarily a visual/pattern/abstract thinker, what sensations come up primarily when you read (do you sub-vocalize)? Say reading philosophy or something utterly abstract. Any insight into your thought process would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I do struggle with math, but when I study, I try to get a visual representation of what the concept is. Yes, it is true that beyond 3 dimensions, I cannot do that, but if I get an idea of what it looks like in two dimensions and three dimensions, then I can understand the concept. In high school, for example, I had trouble understanding what (a + b)(a - b) was actually, until I was able to draw it on paper (a few rectangles alloted in a particular order) when I was 18, and then it made perfect sense to me. I didn't know why it was a squared minus b squared, only that that is what it was equal to.

Readingwise, I sometimes have to read out aloud to get a better understanding of what the sentence means, and approach it from different angles. Due to concentration and reading comprehension problems; also a limited vocabulary and memory, I really have trouble reading, and at the age of 40, can only read at about a tenth grade level (with a dictionary nearby). Currently, I am reading Gulliver's Travels with difficulty, but I can visualize what these characters might look like (as one's imagination is different than another's).

I do not have synesthesia, but math does help me learn music, and vise versa. Before my mental and nervous breakdown, it was music that helped me learn the Chinese Remainder Theorem in Number Theory; sadly, I have lost that knowledge, but hopefully will relearn that someday. I do think in pictures sometimes, especially when forming sentences to speak to others. These aforementioned ideas I concretely write to you as a response to give you a glimmer into my crazy mind, and to perhaps suggest alternative ways to see things. I hope the best for you.

So do you have primarily a visual mind?

If it's too abstract and I feel the writer failed to put 'enough information' into their work, then I get frustrated and stop reading. I need to have something to refer things back to. So if the title had a topic, for example, then even if the words were abstract, then it's OK because I can tie them back to the title and create a meaningful interpretation. It may not necessarily be what the author intended, but it will make sense to me so it's OK.
I often make a visual metaphor.

I mentally construct a visual image, which may be a framework with things positioned in relation to each other, or a story being played out. Then I add to it as the thing progresses. Words can help occasionally if they are a label I visualize and it's a necessity for maintaining the integrity of the thing I have constructed in my head, but if I use words at all, I have to sort of mentally repeat the word several times for it to stick. I might have to keep mentally repeating the word and specifically visualizing what it represents so as to connect the word with the thing.(for example if I was trying to remember Karen's name, I would use her name as much as possible in the story and call her Karen every time she featured, and never say 'she' ) I don't narrate the story to myself or anything, it just applies to any word I specifically want to remember.
I remember the images and the 'flow' of things and how they relate to each other.
I do have to work harder to remember words then images and processes. Sometimes I actually try to make images out of the words themselves to remember them, or letters in the word, or smaller words contained in the word. (so I make the word a visual thing), I might even make up a song to add some auditory threads to it, trying to make it stick. I have a super memory for music and have learned chemical formulae for minerals with music.

When I learn a concept in maths or physics, I construct these diagrams and images also. I add information visually to help me remember stuff, such as choosing colours for components which will help me remember the thing and what it does. When I think of entropy, for example, I see a black block disintegrating into many tiny bits, (floating away in all directions) and increasing entropy related to the increasing number of bits. This is just representational but it captures enough about entropy for me to be able to apply it in a conversation.

Sometimes I find my imagery is failing and I have to start again and make a new one that works with the new information. This is all time consuming and I sometimes read a little slow (depending on what I am reading) If it is fiction, then it's OK because the characters don't change much and I just visualize them doing whatever the story says. When I first read a description of a character, I take my time and build them in my head and keep a few key characteristics in my head to remind me of who they are, such as a blond surfer chick might have unkempt hair blowing around her head and be wearing certain things and moving certain ways, but if in the story she dressed in formal attire then I have to carefully keep her original image in my head and then overlay the formal image so that I can see her as she is in this part of the story, while still remembering her character in the book.
If I am reading science, then I can be quite slow.
On the bright side, I tend to remember very well. When I went to Uni in 1985-7, I did biology and still have clear representation in my head of cross sections of root hairs, and what I saw under the microscope when looking at fungus etc. I remember the processes of how water gets up to the tops of trees for example, but can't remember many of the terms, so the understanding and knowledge is in my head but I can't necessarily convince some else of that without the correct terminology. I can look at a couch and visualise the centre of mass, the pull of gravity on every bit of it, the dust inside the pillows, the texture of the fabric, that it feels rough because of the fibres that stick out in the surface that you can't see without a microscope, the variations in density inside the cushions because of being sat on, etc....all of these things will come to my mind in a second or two without a single word in my head.

I often seem to know things 'instinctively' but it's more that I have developed an understanding of how things flow, so can predict things because of it. I can see places where things don't 'work' with the flow so know that something is either wrong with the situation or with my understanding (which I immediately address because I can't stand the dissonance) - either way, it makes me look insightful or talented to people who can't do it. (This is based on feedback from art, music and geology teachers at Uni).
I don't even know what talent is, so have no idea whether I have it or not.

I have synesthesia, so that aids greatly in it. But, apart from that, I just naturally am able to handle these abstract things. It's all very hard for me to explain.

I relate to this so much (and to the rest of your post). It is much more important to understand something than to memorize names anyway.

So do you have primarily a visual mind?[quote]

Having never analyzed that before, I would say yes. Because of my perfect pitch, I think sometimes in music as well. (Hard to explain). Btw, I am sorry that it took a few days to respond, as I got busy with work.

I completely relate to this also. I can understand something and not be able to explain it well to someone else because I don't retain the terminology well, just the understanding.

Philosophy is actually extremely difficult for me until I find a way to visualize the concept under discussion. Some are concrete enough to get more easily than others, but many rely on abstract descriptions that my brain doesn't seem to naturally process.

When attempting to understand and interpret abstract concepts/information, I create a diagram mentally in order dissect one thing at a time. I also find applying information to hypothetical situations assists in improving my understanding, as I can see how things work individually.
As for remembering individual terms, I often visualize words in a similar semantic field- For example, when I attempt to remember the term "fortissimo" I usually visualize "Sharp" or "Loud".

I am a very visual thinker. I relate to a lot of what BlackSabre7 said.

I also create pictures in my mind when reading and thinking about things but I also have the internal voice thing going on.

Patterns. When reading, often the content becomes subordinated to alliterations and vowel dissonances, which then produces more poetry than prose in my comprehension. Useful except when reading directions.

Reading BlackSabre7's post, I can't do diagrams like that.

I am an extremely visual thinker. I do not know much about pattern thinking, but from what I read I have some of those traits also. I can think abstractly in certain situations, but it is much more of a challenge for me (certainly not natural).

Talking about directions, I found I am very good at map reading (as long as I have checked with the map turned into the direction of travel), but if I am driving myself and trying to go somewhere I don't know, even having checked the map before, it's very easy for me to get lost. I don't know if it's panic, but I am so prone to getting lost, and I only ever drive routes I know and don't drive outside of my locality.

Myself, I think in pictures, patterns, and words, mostly (I think!). When I'm not exhausted, I tend to notice pictures and patterns along with words. I sometimes think in feelings and patterns, too.
I'm just all mixed up in the way I think!