Acquired Aphantasia
Imagine suddenly being unable to picture loved ones' faces, revisit cherished memories, or mentally plan your next home renovation. This is the reality for those with acquired aphantasia - a condition where the ability to create mental images is lost due to neurological injuries, psychiatric disorders, or other medical conditions. Like other forms of aphantasia, it can affect a single sense or multiple sensory modalities. Acquired aphantasia provides valuable research opportunities, as studying the transition from having mental imagery to losing it suddenly offers unique insights into the brain's cognitive processing systems and adaptability. The comparison between acquired aphantasia and the more common form, congenital aphantasia (present from birth) helps researchers better understand both conditions and the broader role of mental imagery in human cognition. On this page, you'll find scientific papers, stories from individuals who have experienced this transition, community discussions, and videos on acquired aphantasia.
Autonomic, neurodevelopmental, and early adversity correlates of acquired aphantasia
Acquired aphantasia is linked to childhood trauma, autonomic reactivity, and neurodevelopmental traits like ADHD. This suggests an affective-autonomic pathway where emotional and physiological distress can disrupt mental imagery generation.
Gao, W., Nagai, Y., & Silvanto, J. (2025). Autonomic, neurodevelopmental, and early adversity correlates of acquired aphantasia. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109272. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109272
Mapping the imageless mind: Towards a taxonomy of aphantasia
Researchers proposed a taxonomy distinguishing between neurological, psychogenic, and congenital aphantasia. This framework helps organize research by recognizing that the condition arises from diverse neural and psychological origins.
Bartolomeo, P. (2025). Mapping the imageless mind: towards a taxonomy of aphantasia. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109276. doi:/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109276
Rethinking Mental Imagery: Why Scientists Had It Wrong (And Why That's Good News)
For decades, neuroscientists assumed they understood mental imagery. Then people with aphantasia proved them wrong—and changed the future of consciousness research.
The Body-Mind Disconnect: How Your Autonomic Nervous System Shapes Mental Imagery
What if the key to understanding mental imagery differences isn't in your brain's visual centers? New research reveals why your ability to visualize may depend on something unexpected: how well you sense your own body.
Aphantasia avant le nom: historical perspectives on the absence or loss of visual imagery
Researchers identified historical cases of congenital and acquired visual imagery loss dating back to the 1880s. This provides an epistemic basis for retrospective diagnosis and confirms the condition predates its modern naming.
Larner, A. J. (2025). Aphantasia avant le nom: historical perspectives on the absence or loss of visual imagery. Neuropsychologia, 218, 109254. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109254
Expanding Aphantasia Definition: Researchers Propose New Boundaries
Researchers expand aphantasia definition beyond "inability to visualize." This broader framework impacts how we understand and identify with the condition.
Definition: Aphantasia
Researchers defined aphantasia as the absence of imagery and proposed specific labels for deficits across various sensory modalities. This provides a standardized framework to improve consistency in scientific research and clinical diagnosis.
Zeman, A., Monzel, M., Pearson, J., Scholz, C. O., & Simner, J. (2025). Definition: aphantasia. Cortex, 182, 212–213. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.019
Same Brain, Different Reality: The Neuroscience Behind Aphantasia's Hidden Mechanisms
How a neurologist's decades-long investigation into patients who couldn't "see" half their memories led to groundbreaking discoveries about aphantasia, brain connectivity, and the hidden mechanisms of human imagination.
Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia: What We Know After a Decade of Research
Since 2015, "aphantasia" has reshaped our understanding of imagination, revealing that not everyone visualizes mentally. This discovery, along with "hyperphantasia," highlights the diverse nature of human imagination.
Can Aphantasia be progressive with age or is it rather unlearning work arounds?
Is the experience of mental imagery loss in adulthood a progressive change or a result of unlearning past strategies?
Living with Acquired Aphantasia
Lost my visual memories after a head injury, impacting learning and daily life. Anyone else navigating similar challenges? Let's connect!
Behind Closed Eyes: The Experience of Mind-Blindness in Non-Congenital Aphantasia
A personal journey of exploring the nature of visualization, its importance and spiritual significance, and what can be learned from it.
Do We Become Aphantasic with Age?
Do we become more aphantasic with age? Illona Kovács joins Aphantasia Network to discuss recent findings showing vividness declines across lifespans.
Can aphantasia be acquired?
Can the ability to visualize be lost over time? I'm curious if experiences or age can lead to changes in mental imagery.
Do people generally realise if they become aphantastic rather than being born that way
Has anyone experienced a loss of visual memory after trauma? Do people typically recognize when their visualization ability changes?
Ten years ago I suddenly lost my excellent ability to visualize
Experiencing a sudden loss of visualization has transformed my memory and perception. I'm eager to connect with others who share this journey.
Can you heal acquired aphantasia?
Can visualization be regained after a loss? Seeking tips or exercises to revive creativity and daydreaming abilities.
I Visualized Once and Discovered I couldn't Anymore?..
After briefly experiencing mental imagery, I'm puzzled by its sudden absence. Has anyone else faced a similar situation?
For those of you who lost the ability to visualise, was it sudden or a degradation over time?
Did your ability to visualize memories decline suddenly or gradually? Share your experiences and insights on this intriguing journey.
Blind Mind's Eye - The Science of Visual Imagery Extremes
Adam Zeman shares the rediscovery of aphantasia, a blind mind's eye, in this presentation from the 2021 Extreme Imagination Conference and Exhibition.