Articles
Stories from people with aphantasia, what the research says, and things to try.
A member’s story
Is Aphantasia a Disorder? I Think Not
What if instead of asking what the aphantasic brain can't do, we asked what is it built to do? Jim, a dad with a mind's eye, discovers four of his six children have aphantasia.
Jim Collison · January 2023
A member’s story
Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery
On rare occasions in the morning, between sleep and awake, when the images from my dreams float behind my eyes, that’s when I revel in what it must be like to “see” imagery.
Liana Scott · December 2022
A member’s story
Imagination Without Images: Aphantasia and Science Fiction Readers and Writers
If you write speculative fiction, 2% of your readers might experience reading like I do—tips for reading and writing science fiction with aphantasia.
Kim Zarins · November 2022
A member’s story
"Seeing" Dragons With Aphantasia
Journey to the hidden world of dragons. A guided meditation for aphantasics. No mind's eye required.
Auri'An Lay · October 2022
A member’s story
Maybe You Have SDAM?
Discovering aphantasia and Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory (SDAM) is a roller coaster of emotions. Yet I learned to understand myself and others better.
Maarten Serneels · September 2022
Something to try
Meditate With Aphantasia
Many easy ways to meditate without a mind’s eye. Next time you find yourself frustrated by the inability to visualize in meditation, give some of these alternatives a try.
Jim Collison · August 2022
Something to try
Mental Images and the Design Process
When I learned about aphantasia I began to wonder... How might the vividness of our individual imaginations impact our design process?
Melanie Scheer · July 2022
Something to try
Visualizing the Invisible
What do typical visualizers experience? How does my imaginative experience compare? Designer Melanie Scheer introduces a new way to visualize the visual imagination spectrum.
Melanie Scheer · June 2022
Something to try
Visualisation and Why We Don’t Need it to Make Visual Art
Artists, writers, illustrators, photographers and all people who work with their creative impulses are not limited by their aphantasia.
Elina Cerla · May 2022
A member’s story
So Your Child Can't Visualize?
If your child can't visualize, they might experience aphantasia. As a parent, you might worry. The important thing to remember is your child can be successful in school. They just need to be aware.
Stephen Waterman · March 2022
A member’s story
Interpreting in the Dark - Being an Interpreter with Aphantasia
I had apparently been doing the unimaginable: working as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter with aphantasia. How one interpreter learned to interpret "in the dark."
Diane Currie Richardson · February 2022
What the research says
Less Sensory Overwhelm in Aphantasia: A Potential Advantage?
Vividness of mental imagery appears to be linked to level of sensory sensitivity, with lower imagery associated with lower sensory sensitivity.
Carla Dance · January 2022
Something to try
Creative Workarounds for Aphantasics
How do I create if I cannot create things in my imagination? Artist shares creative workarounds for aphantasics.
Julia Stone · January 2022
Something to try
Photography, Creativity, and Aphantasia
Master photographer shares tips for expanding your photographic talent with aphantasia in this article on photography, creativity, and aphantasia.
Chris Wooley · January 2022
A member’s story
Making Aphantasia Better Known Around the World
Many pieces of the aphantasia puzzle are still missing, and that is why we need more books, more studies, more art… and more answers.
Charlotte Langlais · August 2021
A member’s story
Understanding the Nuances of My Aphantasia
Do I have aphantasia or hypophantasia? Answering that seemingly simple question can be very confusing. Understanding your imaginative experience is a journey of self-discovery.
Liana Scott · July 2021
Something to try
How to Write with Aphantasia
If you can’t visualize, how can you write? Write by patchwork. Award-winning aphantasic author shares tips for how to write with aphantasia.
Dustin Grinnell · June 2021
A member’s story
3 Things I Learned From Having Multisensory Aphantasia That Changed My Understanding Of The World
My journey understanding the cognitive profiles of aphantasia and hyperphantasia started when I learned at age 30 that most of you have a superpower I don’t.
Steven Levithan · June 2021
