Discover the World of Aphantasia

Can You Picture This?

Imagine a world where up to 4% of people can't create mental images. That's the reality of aphantasia, a fascinating variation in human cognition discovered in 2015. Aphantasia Network is your hub for understanding, exploring, and embracing life without a mind's eye.

Joining Aphantasia Network has changed my life! I really thought aphantasia was holding me back, but now I understand that image-free thinking is my superpower.

Liana M Scott

Empowering Minds, Building Connections, & Embracing Possibilities.

New here? Get started

What is Aphantasia?

Do I Have Aphantasia?

I Want to Learn More

Research Library

Read Articles & Stories

Join the Discussions

Watch Videos

Find Support

Latest Aphantasia Activity

2024-12-05 11:25:57

Vitreal detachment - request for your experiences.

Vitreal detachment is a common event as one ages, particularly those with myopia (nearsightedness). It usually is associated with visual changes, typically flashing lights.
MY experience with a vitreal detachment was atypical, in that experienced "flashing blackness" rather than a

Erin Chien-Szegedy

2024-12-04 13:08:35

Eating Disorders & Aphantasia

Hi all! I'm Erin and I'm new to the network!

I have aphantasia, autism, ADHD, and ARFID (along with a few other fun acronyms that aren't super relevant right now) and I've been speaking with providers about my aphantasia for a long time. I've found that it&#0

Content determination in dreams supports the imagination theory

Gregory, D. (2024). Content determination in dreams supports the imagination theory. Philosophical Studies. doi:10.1007/s11098-024-02250-3

A 2024 paper by Gregory explores fundamental theories about how dreams work, though it wasn't directly studying aphantasia or hyperphantasia. The research examines two competing theories about dreaming that may have implications for understanding these conditions. The "orthodox" theory suggests dreams involve hallucinations (false perceptual experiences) combined with actual beliefs. The alternative "imagination" theory proposes dreams involve sensory imagining and propositional imagining (the ability to imagine that something is true without any sensory representation, like understanding a fictional fact). Gregory provides two features of dreams that support the imagination theory. First, in dreams we often "know" things that aren't shown through sensory experience - like knowing you're a doctor without seeing or experiencing anything that indicates this. This suggests propositional imagining rather than actual beliefs. Second, dreams can skip through time in ways real experiences cannot. A dream might include climbing three mountains in different countries, showing only key moments while skipping the travel between. This temporal segmentation supports sensory imagining rather than hallucination, since actual perception (whether true or false) must be continuous. While this paper wasn't designed to study aphantasia or hyperphantasia, its theoretical examination of how dreams work could inform future research into these conditions. Gregory notes they aren't claiming dreams never involve hallucinations or beliefs, but rather that certain features of dreams are better explained by the imagination theory.

Describing What You Cannot See—A Horror Writer With Aphantasia Explains His Process

As a horror writer with aphantasia, I can’t visualize the creepy skulls I write about. Yet, I still describe vivid scenes by focusing on sounds, smells, and emotions. My imagination doesn’t need visuals to create gripping stories—character depth and atmosphere are my strengths.

on 2024-10-31 07:00:00

Aphantasia and the Future of Therapy

Exploring the implications of the inability to visualize on mental health therapy, with insights from Dr. Reeder and Mawtus' new research. Hosted by Tom Ebeyer on World Mental Health Day 2024.

The impact of aphantasia on mental healthcare experiences: Stage 2 Registered Report

Reeder, R. R., Mawtus, B., Thomas, B. R., & Renwick, F. (2024). The impact of aphantasia on mental healthcare experiences: Stage 2 Registered Report. doi:10.31234/osf.io/f6h5q

Around 4% of people have a condition called aphantasia, where they lack the ability to visualize mental images. This study looked at how aphantasia impacts the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. Many mental illnesses involve symptoms related to mental imagery, like flashbacks in PTSD or negative body image in eating disorders. And common therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) rely heavily on visualizing images in your mind. The researchers surveyed people with aphantasia and typical imagery abilities about their experiences with mental health care. The data showed mental health conditions manifest very differently in aphantasia, with a lack of imagery-related symptoms. People with aphantasia frequently reported a lack of awareness about their condition led to missed or incorrect diagnoses by providers. Importantly, those with aphantasia said therapy techniques involving visualizing images, especially in CBT, were ineffective for treating their mental illness compared to typical controls. In-depth interviews revealed two main themes for those with aphantasia - a quest to understand their lack of imagery and different journeys through mental health care. Some found their aphantasia through seeking help, describing memory challenges and feeling different. Their mental health care experiences varied - those with anxiety, depression or neurodivergence had more success, while those with trauma or complex conditions heavily relied on providers' empathy and understanding for positive outcomes. Overall, the findings highlight the widespread impact aphantasia can have on all aspects of mental health care - from recognizing and diagnosing conditions to treatment through therapy. Increased awareness is needed for aphantasia in mental health settings.

2024-10-17 05:57:41

Does it affect memory/recalling memory?

When I found that I most likely have Aphantasia, it all clicked. As a kid when people told me to imagine... and would continue to tell stories I would be confused, but I just assumed that everyone around me was the same, as if they just knew that they were thinking of that situation, but they just s

2024-10-16 23:44:10

Self-Help and Visualization

For many years I have been frustrated by my inability to use visualization for 'self-help.' Many programs, such as NLP, are based on visualization skills. I've always just assumed that I need to practice my visualization skills more/harder. Recently, I heard about Aphantasia and now I

Decoding sound content in the early visual cortex of aphantasic participants

Montabes de la Cruz, B. M., Abbatecola, C., Luciani, R. S., Paton, A. T., Bergmann, J., Vetter, P., … Muckli, L. F. (2024). Decoding sound content in the early visual cortex of aphantasic participants. Current Biology: CB, 34(21), 5083-5089.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.09.008

A 2024 study by Montabes de la Cruz and colleagues investigated how the early visual cortex (EVC) processes sound information in people with aphantasia compared to sighted and blind individuals. The researchers used fMRI to measure brain activity while 23 blindfolded aphantasic participants listened to different auditory scenes (forest, crowd, and traffic). The study found that aphantasic participants showed reduced sound decoding in early visual areas compared to both blindfolded sighted (control) and blind participants. While some sound decoding was possible in specific regions (peripheral V1 and foveal V3), it was generally attenuated across the visual cortex in aphantasic individuals. This finding suggests that aphantasia may be associated with decreased feedback connectivity specific to the early visual cortex, affecting not just visual imagery but also how auditory information is processed in visual areas. The researchers found a hierarchy of feedback connectivity strength: blind participants showed the strongest connectivity, followed by sighted controls, with aphantasic individuals showing the weakest. These results contribute to our understanding of aphantasia's neural basis, suggesting it may involve broader changes in how the visual cortex processes multi-sensory information, rather than just affecting visual imagery alone.

An international estimate of the prevalence of differing visual imagery abilities

Wright, D. J., Scott, M. W., Kraeutner, S. N., Barhoun, P., Bertollo, M., Campbell, M. J., … Holmes, P. S. (2024). An international estimate of the prevalence of differing visual imagery abilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1454107. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1454107

A 2024 international study by Wright and colleagues provided the most comprehensive prevalence estimates of visual imagery abilities to date. Across two studies with a combined sample of 9,063 participants, the researchers found that about 4.2% of people have difficulty generating visual imagery: 0.9% experience aphantasia (complete inability to generate voluntary mental images) and 3.3% experience hypophantasia (only vague and dim imagery). The majority of people (89.7%) have typical imagery ability, while 6.1% experience hyperphantasia (extremely vivid imagery "as clear as normal vision"). These findings were consistent across different countries and cultures, and weren't significantly affected by gender or education level. The study improved upon previous research by using an adequately sized sample, avoiding recruitment bias by not mentioning imagery in study advertisements, and employing consistent criteria for categorizing imagery abilities. The researchers used the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) to assess imagery ability, with specific score ranges defining each category. This research provides important baseline data for understanding the distribution of imagery abilities in the general population and has implications for both research and clinical applications where imagery-based techniques are used.

Aphantasia and autism: An investigation of mental imagery vividness

King, R., Buxton, H., & Tyndall, I. (2024). Aphantasia and autism: An investigation of mental imagery vividness. Consciousness and Cognition, 125(103749), 103749. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2024.103749

A 2024 study by King, Buxton, and Tyndall investigated whether autistic adults experience different levels of mental imagery vividness compared to non-autistic adults, particularly examining potential connections to aphantasia. The researchers compared 74 autistic participants (both clinically diagnosed and self-identifying) with 47 non-autistic participants using multiple imagery measures. Key findings showed that autistic participants reported significantly lower visual imagery vividness on both the VVIQ and PSI-Q scales compared to non-autistic participants. The autistic group also showed a higher prevalence of aphantasia (20.27% vs 6.38% using standard criteria; 5% vs 0% using stricter criteria). Interestingly, when examining imagery across different sensory modalities, differences were only found in visual and emotional imagery, with no significant differences in other modalities like sound, smell, taste, touch, or bodily sensations. The reduced emotional imagery finding aligns with research on alexithymia and interoception in autism. The study extends previous research by directly examining imagery vividness in autism and demonstrating that while autistic individuals may use mental imagery frequently, they might experience it less vividly, particularly for visual and emotional content.

2024-10-03 07:24:38

Only volontary phantasia

Hi everyone,
I think I have neither aphantasia nor typical visualization, and I would like to know if there was a name / studies / other people like me.
I can create pictures in my mind. I can recall what I just saw and keep seeing it in my mind. I can see moments of my past, etc.<br

2024-09-30 16:50:13

Artists/Designers with Aphantasia

I’m a graphic designer/artist/animator.
When I start a project, I can tell myself that it’ll be in XYZ style because I’ve seen it somewhere and that’s what comes up in my thoughts. I can’t actually SEE it. I KNOW it though. So where is that coming from? I must have visually referenced it at

2024-09-23 02:25:27

Losing weight by imagining having exercise

I am taking hypnotherapy course in which I discovered I have aphantasia. Besides, I found out that I cannot "feel" the emotion when I recall memory. I would like to use hypnotherapy to loose weight. At class, mentor taught us to imagine running during trance, then our body will burn fat o

2024-09-22 11:27:16

Diagnosed

My parents say that I don’t have aphantasia because a doctor never diagnosed me with it. But I know that I have it. Are any of you diagnosed by medical professionals?

2024-09-19 01:29:01

I only see black when I try to visualize, EXCEPT during this one situation...

Many a time I've tried to visualize, but I always see black. However, there is one particular setting when I can sometimes actually see images. When I am VERY tired, and I'm in that window between wake and sleep just before I actually fall asleep, my mind will relax, and sometimes allow

Latent Profiles of Visual Imagery: Aphantasics, Mid-Range Imagers, and Hyperphantasics Experience Reading Differently

Williams, R., & Suggate, S. P. (2024). Latent profiles of visual imagery: Aphantasics, mid-range imagers, and hyperphantasics experience reading differently. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 44(2), 168–194. doi:10.1177/02762366241279404

A 2024 study by Williams and Suggate used Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to empirically validate distinct mental imagery profiles and examine how they relate to reading experiences. Analyzing data from 287 adults, the researchers identified three distinct imagery profiles that largely corresponded with previously assumed categories: aphantasia (low imagery), mid-range imagery, and hyperphantasia (high imagery). The study found significant differences in how these groups experience reading, particularly in story world absorption. While people across all imagery profiles reported moderate to high reading enjoyment, aphantasic participants showed significantly different patterns in how they engage with stories compared to both mid-range and hyperphantasic readers, especially in areas of transportation (feeling immersed in the story world) and emotional engagement. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between hyperphantasic and mid-range imagers in any reading measures, suggesting aphantasia creates a uniquely different reading experience. The study also found that having reduced imagery ability doesn't necessarily impact reading enjoyment, even though it affects how stories are experienced.

Beyond self-report: Measuring visual, auditory, and tactile mental imagery using a mental comparison task

Suggate, S. P. (2024). Beyond self-report: Measuring visual, auditory, and tactile mental imagery using a mental comparison task. Behavior Research Methods, 56(8), 8658–8676. doi:10.3758/s13428-024-02496-z

A 2024 study by Suggate developed and validated a new objective measure of mental imagery called the Mental Comparison Task (MCT), testing it across three studies with adults (n=96, 345, and 448). Unlike existing self-report measures, the MCT asks participants to compare two objects on sensory properties (e.g., "what is softer, a pine needle or blade of grass?") while measuring response time and accuracy. The research found that responses were fastest and most accurate for visual comparisons, followed by auditory and tactile ones. Importantly, MCT performance remained consistent even after controlling for processing speed and word frequency effects, suggesting it measures actual imagery abilities rather than just processing speed or language effects. Interestingly, MCT performance showed minimal correlation with common self-report measures like the VVIQ, suggesting these tools may measure different aspects of mental imagery - perhaps conscious/explicit imagery (self-report) versus implicit imagery abilities (MCT). This distinction could be particularly relevant for aphantasia research, as people might have functioning unconscious mental imagery despite reporting no conscious imagery experience. This study provides a new objective tool for measuring mental imagery across different sensory modalities, with potential applications for both research and clinical assessment.

2024-09-13 00:11:50

Demographics

I only discovered I’m aphan in my 70s, and believe the incidence is far larger than the 1-5% mentioned in the literature. I’m sure the numbers will grow as more people are familiar with the term — could be a large population are aphans but don’t know. It could be common, like colour blindness.

Stronger adaptation of middle-to-late ERP components to object silhouette images before versus after object priming in Aphantasia

Singtokum, N., Benjasupawan, K., Poungtubtim, C., Chunamchai, S., & Chunharas, C. (2024). Stronger adaptation of middle-to-late ERP components to object silhouette images before versus after object priming in Aphantasia. Journal of Vision, 24(10), 714. doi:10.1167/jov.24.10.714

A 2024 study by Singtokum and colleagues used EEG to investigate how aphantasia affects involuntary visual processing, focusing on a patient (NP) who suddenly lost her ability to generate mental images. The researchers noted that while NP performed normally on most neuropsychological tests, she struggled specifically with identifying objects from their silhouettes, especially from unusual angles. The study used a clever experimental design where participants viewed triplets of images (silhouette-object-silhouette) while performing an unrelated task of detecting tilted images. By comparing brain responses to silhouettes before and after seeing the full object, researchers could measure how object recognition affected subsequent processing. NP showed significantly larger differences in brain activity (ERP components) between pre- and post-silhouette presentations compared to controls, particularly between 300-800ms after stimulus onset. These differences were observed across occipital, frontal, and parietal brain regions. The findings suggest that aphantasia may involve impairment in top-down processing that affects not just voluntary mental imagery but also involuntary visual processing. This provides new insights into how aphantasia impacts visual recognition and suggests the condition may involve broader changes in visual processing than previously thought.