You’ve probably seen those little pictures of apples in various degrees of sharpness and clarity, floating around social media – but do you really understand what your choice says about your brain?

The “apple visualization scale, which first went viral in 2020, resurfaced recently thanks to young adult author John Green.

“It’s baffling to me that some of y’all see stuff in your mind. You SEE it? The way your eyes see? I always thought ‘visualize’ meant thinking of the words/ideas/feelings associated with a thing, not actual visuals. I am such a total 5 on this scale I didn’t know 1-4 existed.”

https://twitter.com/johngreen/status/1708515024275189884

In the image there are five silhouettes of a human head against a black background. Inside the “brain” space are 5 images of an apple, ranging from a clear image to nothing at all.

“This may also be why I am often wrong about what’s behind a particular cabinet in our kitchen even though I have lived in this house for a decade. I also cannot, like, tell you the layout of a room unless I’m in that room and looking at the layout. And I have no sense of direction. None. Is there something wrong with me?”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the answer to Green’s question is no – it just means your brain works differently than someone’s who sees a detailed image in their mind.

This may also be why I am often wrong about what’s behind a particular cabinet in our kitchen even though I have lived in this house for a decade. I also cannot, like, tell you the layout of a room unless I’m in that room and looking at the layout. And i have no sense of…

— John Green (@johngreen) October 1, 2023

This is known as aphantasia, and just means you don’t form or use mental images as part of your imaginative process.

It can be a very interesting glimpse into another person’s reality, and let you walk in their shoes for a little while, too.

Take a look and tell us where you fall on this scale – as an author, I can’t imagine being like Green claims to be, because it must be difficult to describe a scene since he can’t “see” it in his head first!