Hi All,

A few years ago I took up "star gazing." My goal was to find every
constellation visible in my area that I had the ability to see.

I realized that there is a profound difference between "vision" and "seeing."
There are stars that I have the visual capability to see but don't ordinarily
see. I discovered this when I knew from the star charts that there was a very
dim star in a certain location but couldn't see it. I would experiment around
visually (looking slightly to the left or right, "unfocusing" my eyes, or
staring intently at the space where the star should be).

I discovered that I could "see" stars that I previously had not "noticed."

A similar thing, I believe, happens to me with people in groups. I "focus" my
attention on people I know and recognize and everyone else is "background."

I have always known that I have some trouble recognizing people but in the past
I attributed it to poor memory.

I have not tried very hard to recognize and remember people. I do not focus my
attention on all of the people in the room--only those that I know. Perhaps
because of this--or just coincidentally--I do not gossip, am not very interested
in who lives on what street or went to what high school.

Vivian

--- In faceblind@yahoogroups.com, Marcyshamb@... wrote:
>
>
> Its possible in my case that the reason I hear a little bit better than
normal
> is because I? need to given my mild face blindness. I do recognize not just
> voices very well but also other sounds. In recall or reminiss(sp) too one of
> the strongest memories, among others mind you, is of sounds and voice...
> But, voice is not the only means I use to identify folks. Hair style is a
biggy,
> manner of carrying oneself, walking another, topics chosen another, clothes
> styles and body shape another. And although I am, again mildly, face blind
> those features that are odd or stand out to me, in the face, are recalled.
Unfortunately
> far too many folks have too average a face for much if any of their features
to stand
> out or be memorable to me...possibly part of my face blindness to really see
it
> unless its odd. What I then recall is more because of the charactiture(sp)
aspect
> of the feature.
>
> I don't, keep in mind, like to let folks know I am face blind. I feel it gives
others
> an unfair advantage over me.
>
> Marcy
>

>> From: Jo Livingston <Jo_Livingston@...>
> To: faceblindgroupyahoo <faceblind@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tue, Jul 7, 2009 2:57 am
> Subject: RE: [faceblind] Re: Have you seen the minute maid commercial?
>

>
> Anybody with prosopagnosia who reads this, can you please say whether you can
use the sounds of peoples voices to identify them. That may help identify how
common this is. Please also say whether your prosopagnosia is congenital or
acquire
>
>
>
> Rob