Articles
Stories from people with aphantasia, what the research says, and things to try.
A member’s story
Hypnosis with Aphantasia
Can aphantasics be hypnotized? My experience learning to be hypnotized with imagery-free inductions.
Liana Scott · June 2021
What the research says
Aphantasia Explained: Some People Can’t Form Mental Pictures
How do you draw from memory if you can't form mental pictures? Evidently, you don’t need to “see” with the mind’s eye to carry-out these tasks.
Dr Zoë Pounder · June 2021
A member’s story
I Learned About Aphantasia from Space Force
First-ever pop culture reference to aphantasia from Space Force on Netflix.
Chris Abraham · May 2021
What the research says
Extreme Imagination Update
Does aphantasia imply an absence of imagination? Dr. Adam Zeman answers three common questions in discussions of extreme imagination.
May 2021
A member’s story
Meditation with Aphantasia
Finding out I was aphantasic was a blessing for me. It gave me a kind of – subliminal permission – to free myself of the burden of visualization and explore other ways to meditate.
Liana Scott · May 2021
Something to try
5 Ways to Enjoy Reading with Aphantasia
Squeeze more joy out of reading without visualizing. Aphantasia is an opportunity– and an excuse–to let yourself get distracted by language. Breathe it in, enjoy it.
Bartholomew Lander · May 2021
A member’s story
Embracing Aphantasia
Aphantasia may be an imagination extreme but it occurs naturally on a marvellous spectrum of human experiences.
Laura Rincon · April 2021
A member’s story
Being a Writer When You Literally Cannot Visualize Scenes
How embracing aphantasia helped one writer unearth a novel approach to building worlds without seeing them.
Alexandra Oliva · April 2021
A member’s story
Discovering Imagery Extremes Opens a Whole New World
Discovering imagery extremes opens a whole new world with many new and fantastic points of view.
Monica Aguado Munoz · March 2021
What the research says
Switching The Focus From Visual Imagery
A case for studying mental imagery as a whole
February 2021
What the research says
Shocking Insights: What Electrical Stimulation Tells Us About How We Visualize
Why might your mind's eye be blind while your friend can picture crystal-clear images? Shocking insights into the known neurodifferences in imagery vividness.
Mike Perrotta · February 2021
Something to try
Discover You: Navigating Therapy and Aphantasia
Realizing you have aphantasia is a discovery. Discoveries can be challenging. Tips for navigating therapy and aphantasia.
Harrison Chapman · January 2021
What the research says
Seeing With the Mind's Eye
Not everyone sees their past or future in the same way. These invisible differences may apply to almost every aspect of thinking.
Peter Moleman · November 2020
A member’s story
Creating in the Dark
Aphantasia is key to my artistic expression. Without a mind’s eye, I find that I am drawn to the initial stages of sculpting without seeing at all.
Rachel Lou · October 2020
A member’s story
My Inner TV is Blank
How I see inside (or not see, well, you get the picture).
Mose Njo · September 2020
A member’s story
Tribute to Alan Kendle
Alan Kendle was a true citizen scientist of aphantasia. He will be missed by many members of the aphantasia community to which he contributed much and by which he felt supported and sustained.
Aphantasia Network · March 2020
What the research says
History of Aphantasia
Aphantasia, the inability to voluntarily form mental images, was first described by Francis Galton in 1880 but largely remained unstudied until 2015, when Professor Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter coined the term and began his research, bringing renewed scientific and public attention to this fascinating aspect of human cognition. The concept traces back to Aristotle's "phantasia" from 340 BC, establishing a rich historical foundation for understanding individual differences in mental imagery.
Tom Ebeyer · March 2020
Something to try
How to Make Art with Aphantasia
Alice doesn’t visualize; she conceptualizes. How one artist discovered the superpower behind creating art with aphantasia.
Dustin Grinnell · February 2020
