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Aphantasia Logo
Back to all discussions
Community

Join the conversation and share your experiences with the community.

Start a Discussion
Discussion Guidelines

Please remember to:

  • • Be respectful and constructive
  • • Share your personal experiences
  • • Ask questions if you're curious
  • • Help others feel welcome
You're not alone

Talk to counselors, coaches, and educators who already understand aphantasia — so you don't have to start by explaining what it is.

Find aphantasia-aware support
Aphantasia Logo

Building awareness and understanding of aphantasia through research, education, and community support.

About

  • What is Aphantasia?
  • What is Hyperphantasia?
  • Take Assessment
  • Getting Started
  • Newsletter
  • About Us
  • Contact

Community

  • Premium Membership
  • Find support
  • Discussions
  • Events
  • Visualize

For Professionals

  • Overview
  • Free Introduction
  • Counselor Training
  • Educator Training
  • List Your Practice
  • Pricing & Bundles

Resources

  • Articles & Stories
  • Videos & Interviews
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Research

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© 2026 Aphantasia Network. All rights reserved.

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Metaphore to explain aphantasia

March 28, 20251 min readByRyan Quinn
Stories
I have been struggling when I try to describe what goes on in my head to others. I feel the words people usually use "see," "visualize, "picture," and others don't really work well. I have said I "see" an apple in my head when I am holding the concept of an apple in my imagination because that is the language that people are accustomed to. I feel that saying I "hold the concept of an apple" does a terrible job describing my experience. I am trying to find metaphors to explain what "Holding the concept," or "seeing" means to me. For me there is sort of an impression in space but without any images. These are the metaphors I have come up with in an attempt to explain the apple in my minds "eye". Solid air Like a stick of chalk in a glass of milk An apple of smoke in thick fog A video game model without its skin/texture Wonder Woman's invisible jet My favorite: Just the illusory shape in Kanizsa Triangle. https://www.illusionsindex.org/i/kanizsa-triangle Has anyone else come up with these metaphors in an attempt to explain your experience

Metaphore to explain aphantasia

March 28, 20251 min readByRyan Quinn
Stories
I have been struggling when I try to describe what goes on in my head to others. I feel the words people usually use "see," "visualize, "picture," and others don't really work well. I have said I "see" an apple in my head when I am holding the concept of an apple in my imagination because that is the language that people are accustomed to. I feel that saying I "hold the concept of an apple" does a terrible job describing my experience. I am trying to find metaphors to explain what "Holding the concept," or "seeing" means to me. For me there is sort of an impression in space but without any images. These are the metaphors I have come up with in an attempt to explain the apple in my minds "eye". Solid air Like a stick of chalk in a glass of milk An apple of smoke in thick fog A video game model without its skin/texture Wonder Woman's invisible jet My favorite: Just the illusory shape in Kanizsa Triangle. https://www.illusionsindex.org/i/kanizsa-triangle Has anyone else come up with these metaphors in an attempt to explain your experience
Aphantasia Logo
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Ian Ziegler•recently•edited
I feel your vision but do not see your vision
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Fyre Havenward•recently•edited
I'm not aphantasic (I'm hypophantasic) but I can understand! Maybe it's a book without pictures (y'all can 'see' descriptions but not the image) a foggy mirror, or a locked gallery (the memories to the images exist, but you can't see them) May be irrelevant because I personally don't experience it, but good luck! Trying to make people understand is hard (especially millennial parents like mine ngl)
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