Aphantasia rarely shows up alone. Autism, ADHD, sensory differences, eating disorders, face blindness, even fibromyalgia come up alongside it, though none are known to cause the others.

If you've ever felt like your aphantasia and ADHD are tangled together in ways you can't quite explain, you're not alone. Researchers are beginning to untangle that same thread — and what they're finding suggests the mind's eye depends on attention in ways we're only starting to understand.
Tom Ebeyer · October 2025

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.
Tom Ebeyer · May 2024
Dance and colleagues · Consciousness and Cognition
Across two large samples, grapheme-color synesthesia was as common in people with aphantasia as in others. In a separate study, 118 people with aphantasia reported more autistic traits than controls, mainly in imagination and social skills.
What insights do you have on the connection between autism and the inability to visualize mental imagery?
Martha · · 3 replies