Individuals who rely heavily on visual processing tend to use their sense of sight as their main way of interacting with and interpreting the world. Their memories and decisions are often influenced by what they’ve seen or imagined.
Visual thinkers are typically skilled at absorbing and interpreting large amounts of data at once—after all, an image can convey far more than words or physical sensations. This makes them especially good at grasping broad concepts and thinking in terms of long-term strategy.
Famous individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, and Albert Einstein were known for their exceptional visual imagination. Even Mozart reportedly envisioned entire musical pieces visually before transcribing them.
Common Visual Language
People who process the world visually often use language that reflects this. You might hear them say words like:
- See, look, picture, visualize, imagine, notice, observe, view, perceive, illustrate, image, outlook, vision.
How to Recognize Visual Thinkers
Here are some common traits and behaviors of people who favor visual processing:
- They care a lot about appearance—both their own and their surroundings.
- They often need mental space to visualize. Standing in their “mental screen” can disrupt their thought process.
- They may struggle to concentrate in highly visual environments.
- Their speech tends to be fast-paced, they breathe more from the upper chest, and may carry tension in their shoulders or upper body.
- They rely on imagery for organizing their thoughts, recalling details, and making decisions.
- They generally remember faces more easily than names.
- They often prefer face-to-face communication to observe expressions, rather than speaking on the phone.
- Visual learners may ask to “see” what you’re explaining, needing a visual reference to understand it clearly.
Eye Movement Patterns
People with a visual orientation tend to move their eyes upward (left, right, or center) when accessing visual memories or constructing mental images.
Adapted from insights in Robert Dilts’ “Encyclopedia of Systemic NLP.”