World’s First Aphantasia Awareness Day

The city of Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, declares the world’s first Aphantasia Awareness Day on February 21, 2023.

Mayor of Rowlett, Texas, USA, Declares World’s First Aphantasia Awareness Day!

ROWLETT, Texas – In a groundbreaking move, the city of Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, declares the world’s first Aphantasia Awareness Day on February 21, 2023. The event was established to bring greater understanding of aphantasia, a unique cognitive style that affects nearly 4% of the global population.

The initiative was the result of the efforts of Aphantasia Network members Emmanuelle Rodrigues Nunes and Tom Shinder, who have been advocating for greater awareness of the condition. They managed to speak with Mayor Blake Margolis, who agreed to create a formal proclamation to establish the awareness day.

Aphantasia is a condition where an individual is unable to create mental images in their “mind’s eye.” Although it has been scientifically supported through physiological response tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it is still relatively unknown to the general public.

The establishment of Aphantasia Awareness Day is aimed at raising public awareness and facilitating better communication between individuals who process memories and thoughts differently. The hope is that through education and understanding, more inclusive and welcoming communities can be built to support neurodiverse individuals, including those with aphantasia.

The announcement is a significant step towards creating a world where individuals of all cognitive abilities are accepted and supported. Establishing Aphantasia Awareness Day is an essential step towards this goal, and it is hoped that it will encourage further research, discussion, and understanding of aphantasia.

The declaration of Aphantasia Awareness Day by the City of Rowlett signals growing interest and acceptance of aphantasia as a unique variation in human experience. The official proclamation by mayor Margolis is set to take place on February 21, 2023, at 19h30 Dallas Time.

This historic event serves as a reminder of how far we have come and how much further we have to go. 

Who knows? Maybe next year, February 21, 2024, will be Aphantasia Awareness Day in your city too.

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