When you read/process information...

The mind's ability to visualize is something that can be trained and enhanced with time and concentration. One of my teachers once suggested that nations like China perform better than the USA in math and sciences because they are educated in visualization, and can "see" in their mind's eye things that most of us rely on textbook memorization to keep track of. I honestly don't know how true that is. But it is certainly true that the brain can be trained to better synthesize & extrapolate memory into visual form (and the other senses), just like writers are able to form more distinct, vivid, and even subtly symbolic phrases as they exercise those writing abilities.

I can't say I'm quite on your level StarBeam, but at times I do indeed construct a limited reality in my mind from words I read. Haven't really tried it with heard conversation. But I definitely will since I'm often nervous and need any aid I can get to keep in my memory what is being said.

Jam it back in, in the dark.