David Clark

On “How do people with aphantasia imagine and emotionally connect with their future?”

This is quite fascinating. I am 70 years old and have just recently learned that I have aphantasia. I had to laugh a bit when Jon mentioned his boss saying he wasn't ambitious. That's me, I never realized how little ambition I've lived my life with. I was not able to visualize the future when I was younger, where I wanted to go or be. The question "Where do you see yourself in five years?" didn't make sense to me. It was always more about where I was/am. That said I've had a successful life, career and relationship-wise. It has always been more about what piques my interest and I've had many interests in my life. I can get very excited about current projects. At present I'm building a ukulele just because I thought it would be fun. I don't expect to become a professional luthier, but it gives me a good bit of joy at present and who knows where it will lead, I don't.

On “How did you first discover aphantasia?”

I recently discovered, at age 70, that I am an aphant after reading an article in the New York Times. It was quite a revelation—as I am sure it was for many. When I asked my wife if she saw images in her brain, she looked at me as if she thought I was nuts, clearly not an aphant. Whether despite my aphantasia, because of it, or perhaps it wasn't relevant at all, I have had a normal life. But I wonder if there were strategies or strengths I developed unknowingly along the way that helped me to a place of contentment in my retirement, and whether I can acknowledge or even intentionally cultivate them. I can’t draw worth a damn, and my memory is only so-so, but I am good at problem-solving and crosswords, and I have interests in language/cultural studies, and researching family history among others. I wonder how aphantasia may have influenced my choice of life interests. I’m looking forward to seeing what I may discover through this group.