I have vibrant dreams with very detailed renderings of landscapes, particularly non-existent cities that sprawl out block after block and mile after detailed mile as I move through them. In these places, I also experience intense interpersonal drama, highly detailed other characters, emotions, physical sensations, thoughts in my head about everything that's happening, empathy for others, anxieties, desires etc. And the rules of the reality change, inception-style, every few seconds, with themes and obsessions that recur.

but this ability is completely lacking for me in reality. If I try to picture some of the obvious things mentioned in this thread - my wife's face, an apple, an elephant - I can, but it's a fairly muddy 2d image and I couldn't tell you what direction the elephant's trunk is pointing for example ...