What do you "see" when you add numbers in your head?

Question

What do you mentally see when you eg. add numbers in your head?

Usually, it's just unconscious..but sometimes it will be like eg. 16 + 25 Then the 16 kind of melts onto the 25 and I get the answer. ..anything u picture ...



Also, when you're doing eg. equations mentally ,
and you "see" the solution, what is this like ? Can you describe what you see in your head ...are the numbers/variables just moving around and falling into place

Answer 1

The mind is a funny thing. We fool ourselves. How much of our own minds, our own existence, is just an illusion? As I always say, "perhaps our human existence is a product of our imaginary imaginations"... a bit of metaphysical philosophy there.

Here is a neat trick to play with... Most people say that they can visualize the alphabet. Can you?

Visualize the alphabet... if you think you can.

Can you recite the alphabet to me?

Of course you can... because you can see it, right? Or is it because you "know it" on such a subconscious level that you dont even realize it or give it a second thought... and your belief that you can see it is a fallacy... a necessary product of our belief?

So, you think you can see the alphabet and your proof was your ability to recite it. Okay...

Now... try to recite it from Z to A.

Why is it more difficult? If you can see it you would just read it. But you have to think about it... you have to try extra hard. Because its not habit. Because you dont actually see it.

I think that our false belief of visualization is proven right there.

Answer 2

I just see numbers. Black numbers on a white background for me, probably since that's the way I see them in real-life 99% of the time - like print on a page.

For a problem like 16 + 25,
I first visualize 16 + 25
Then I shift 20 around, and visualize 36 + 5
Then I shift the 5 onto the 36, and visualize a 41.

If a problem involves the equation of a circle, a parabola or some such, then I visualize a graph with all the relevant information. In essence, I do the problem in my mind the same way I'd do it on paper.

Answer 3

For me, its a dark and pitch black background. And funnily the numbers are kinda black too. You may think how I can see them then. Well, its like when you write in sand, you are able to read it. Similarly, it's like numbers in black sand.
And when I add, I see the numbers scrolling by very fast.
They scroll the way text scrolls when u enter dir in MS DOS prompt..
So if I add 16 and 25,,,
At first I will see sixteen.......and the neighbouring numbers...14 and 15 above it.... 17 and 18 below it.
Then I add 5.....the numbers scroll to 21. Then I add 20. The numbers scroll to 41.
Subtraction has a similar procedure.....
If it's 61 - 28...
Initial answer is zero.
I will start at 28. scroll to 30 ( 0 + 2=2)
Scroll to 60. (2 + 30=32)
Scroll to 61 (32+1 = 33).

Answer 4

i see a puzzle...

anything that ends in a five of a zero is a building block. i build towers out of these "blocks" and then add up the stuff that ends in other numbers

for example...

16+25+8+7+11


8+7=15=building block
25= building block
25+15=40=building block
40+11=51
51+16=67

it is like building with blocks

Answer 5

I see a black background, especially if I close my eyes. I project white numbers on this background for contrast. I keep the problem on the "screen" only long enough to do the operation and then I fill the view with the answer so I can remember it. Sometimes I view text scrolling across when I am trying to concentrate on someone speaking.

Answer 6

I'm not that guy who can see numbers into shape and able to counting the pi.

I just do math, i see the numbers and i don't see mentally anything other than number not even a shape to represents the numbers.

Answer 7

It probably depends on how you learned to add. I once read that some stroke victims lose the ability to calculate when they lose verbal ability while others don't. The ones who did are the ones who learned to calculate by verbally repeating their tables. I imagine those who picture a blackboard learned on paper. Probably most people learned in a variety of ways and "see" more than one thing as they calculate.

Answer 8

in my case, i just viewed that number through my eyes and then it becomes an idea or ideas when it reaches my brain...

and since it is an idea, and an idea is an abstract thing, and we cant describe any abstract thing ...therefore i cannot describe too what is really happening..it is just coming up to reach the right answer...

Answer 9

I can imagine a board so dark in a bright light
it always fade away

Answer 10

Why, I see nothing. :-)
I mentally "say" the numbers, and then the solution...