I close my eyes and visualize the apple, I don't "see" an apple as if I've tapped into my retinas with my mind. The only visual processing going on is darkness and noise from the light passing through my eyelids.
But I can still "picture" an apple, I can instantly describe that it's red and glossy, or green and waxy, whether it's symmetrical or lopsided, I can imagine the weight of it and the feel of the bite, but I'm not actually hallucinating the sight of the apple.