Liana Scott
@lianamscott · Joined April 2021
Liana is a semi-retired writer and amateur potter. Despite her lifelong inability to visualize - or perhaps because of it - Liana has learned to adapt, bending her capabilities in imaginative ways to service her creativity. As a storyteller with aphantasia, Liana imagines our wondrous world through the lenses of perception, memory, and feeling, seeking to write passionate, sometimes humorous, tales full of possibilities.
Posts and comments
Article · Intrusive Thoughts Without Imagery
People with aphantasia can’t visualize, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts without imagery can be a whole-body, terrifying experience.
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On “Do Opposites Attract? Exploring Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia in Marriage”
Hi Sandra. Wow! It's like our stories are mirrors of each other. So many questions, indeed. 😊
Article · Do Opposites Attract? Exploring Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia in Marriage
When I learned that I had aphantasia and that my husband of 40 years has hyperphantasia, it gave the idea “opposites attract” a whole new meaning.
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On “Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery”
Hi James. It's amazing, isn't it? "Seeing" something when we aphants can't typically do so? I'm glad to share my experience and that it resonates with people. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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On “Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery”
Hi Daniel. I'm glad you found us in your journey to learn about hypnopompia and, of course, aphantasia. My hypnopompic event was special, too. I understand that finding out you have aphantasia may cause some distress. When I first found out, I immediately wondered (and searched online) if it could be "cured". Alas, over time, I have come to accept and appreciate my aphantasia as something unique to only a few. Not being able to visualize means that my whole life I've been able to learn and overcome, strategize, plan, and organize all without the help of visualization! Pretty special! Sure, I miss that I can't visualize my kids faces, or memories I have, etc., but, having aphantasia has made me who I am. I hope that, some day, you'll feel the same way.
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On “Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery”
Hi Donna. Yes, hypnopompia is real! I was psyched too cuz I didn't know what it was. It was wonderful tho I suspect some involuntary images could be frightening, especially to us aphants who aren't expecting it. 😊
Article · Is Aphantasia Hereditary? - A Personal Exploration
I have aphantasia. Do my siblings have it? What about my parents? Is aphantasia hereditary?
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On “Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery”
Hi Michael. I think it's AMAZING that you can do this. I can't. The most I see when I "close your eyes and clear your mind. Absorb the black. Feels its texture. See the noise," are undulating blobs of black, grey, white, and sometimes light purple. Of late, I have "seen" green/blue dots. I can't control size, shape, rate of undulation, or duration. Neurodiversity is fascinating!
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On “Hypnopompia: Between Sleep and Awake Where Someone with Aphantasia May “See” Imagery”
Hi Steve. I love how you describe how you can "feel" directions! Man! Neurodivergence is so fascinating! I'm glad my article resonated with you. 🙂
Article · 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.
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On “Have you ever been hypnotized?”
Hi Isabel. Firstly - woah. You can "throw" your mind? That's some amazing spatial imagery you have. It was a good idea to ground yourself after such an experience. Very powerful stuff. Thanks for sharing.
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On “Photography, Creativity, and Aphantasia”
Hi Chris. Great article. Thank you for sharing your process. Question: Do you find your process takes longer than your visualization-abled colleagues? I ask because I am a writer. I take much longer to write my prose than my colleagues who can visualize. Thanks :-)
Article · 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.
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On “Meditation with Aphantasia”
@Philip Rutter - Hi Philip. Doing a piece on tinnitus would be interesting. You're hyperphantasic with tinnitus. I'm aphantasic with tinnitus. Perhaps tinnitus would pair better with studies on auditory imagination - which I can do. It is the only one of my 5 senses that can "imagine", as it were. Do you have auditory imagination? Having said that, I too have adapted to my tinnitus - having been told by doctors and auditory specialists that that was my only real option. Thanks for the comment! Your Peanuts references made me 🤣. I totally knew what you were referring to as I'm from that gen.
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On “Have you ever been hypnotized?”
Hi Tim. That's very interesting! I tried hypnosis in the mid-2000s for habit suppression that was visualization-based and so, failed miserably. I'm glad yours was a success. Did you advise the hypnotherapist that you couldn't visualize and so, they chose a different method for you? Also, you're right about "seeing" in words/language. I've been asked before how I could possible enjoy reading (fiction) if I can't visualize what the author has written. I say that I can "see" what the author is describing - kind of like snapping legos together to make something - with words. Thanks for commenting.
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On “Have you ever been hypnotized?”
Hi Matthew. You have?? What was your experience? Can you elaborate on what you mean by same old, same old, words?
Discussion · Have you ever been hypnotized?
Can those who struggle with visualization still find success in hypnotherapy? Share your experiences!
Article · Hypnosis with Aphantasia
Can aphantasics be hypnotized? My experience learning to be hypnotized with imagery-free inductions.
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On “Meditation with Aphantasia”
@Scott Elofson - Thanks for the tip about Vipassana (a new word for me). I'll definitely check it out.
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On “Meditation with Aphantasia”
@Lê Định - LOL. I just responded to your post in my discussion thread on this. It definitely took trial and error (and perseverance) for me to discover what you've called conductive techniques matching his/her dominant sensory mode & primary learning/thinking style.
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On “Guided meditation frustrations”
Hi Lê Định. I'm definitely on that path now but it took a while for me to figure out why meditation was frustrating me. It took some perseverance but I finally found my "meditating" niche, as it were.
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On “Aphantasia Explained: Some People Can’t Form Mental Pictures”
Great article, Zoë. As a non-academic, you explained this very well.
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On “Meditation with Aphantasia”
Hi Michelle, When I first learned I had aphantasia, I immediately sought ways to overcome it. Then, like you, I considered what it might be like to have all that busyness in my mind's eye. Yikes! Nope. It could prove extremely disconcerting. The ability to turn it on/off? Maybe. You have tinnitus too? That's very interesting! I wonder if there are known/studied correlations. 🤔 Will have to look into that. Thanks for commenting.
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On “Meditation with Aphantasia”
Hi MattD. Thanks for the comment. I have tinnitus too! Certainly adding the music/sounds in place of "guidance" helped overlay the tinnitus too. Don't give up! There are so many beautiful Solfeggio frequencies tracks on a variety of streaming services that help with meditation.