[karmakaze]

I've been wondering the same ever since I read that Nikola Tesla invented/designed the AC motor in his mind's eye.

Seems to be along the lines of lucid dreaming, with a vast difference in degree. Sometimes as I'm falling asleep I can see vivid scenes or objects that I can--to minor degrees--play with for a short time before I either fall asleep or wake up, then it's gone.

[LesZedCB]

also, consider somebody who is an expert already in the problem domain.

most of us here are programmers and do this on a daily basis. somebody describes "A GraphQL API driven by a clojure back end connected to a postgres database" and to a layperson that looks like either a bunch of nonsense words or maybe a few boxes, clouds, and arrows. but to you and me we can visualize the individual lines of code, configurations, functions, and infrastructural requirements behind that simple sentence.

same with an electrical engineer/inventor in their domain.

[karmakaze]

I wouldn't say that I exactly 'visualize' it. For me it's more of a bunch of formless even nameless things and connections that don't have specific shapes or places, only logical structures. The lines of code also flows freely but it feels more like synthesis from those ideas rather than copy-typing. Eventually the 'picture' or network in my mind gets complicated/unstable and I have to draw it out.

[kaba0]

I would take something written about Tesla on such an intimate level with a grain of salt though. He is very very hyped and often elevated to a God-like level.

[karmakaze]

I don't doubt that some people have this ability and have no reason to think Tesla wasn't one of them.

His feats are perhaps even more remarkable if he didn't have any superpower abilities such as this.