A member’s story
Imagination Beyond Mental Images
Haiku is often called a visual snapshot, but as a poet with aphantasia, I see nothing in my mind's eye. For forty years, I thought "picturing it" was a metaphor. From childhood memory tricks to professional poetry, I’ve learned that a mind without images doesn't lack imagination—it just meets the world through a direct and powerful connection between attention, relationship, and the timing of perception.
Mark Farrar · April 2026
A member’s story
Thinking in Pictures Isn’t All That: We Are All Beautifully Unique
What was your reaction when you first discovered others were thinking in pictures while you weren't? This jarring revelation led designer Shane Williams on a 25-year journey exploring cognitive differences. His research shows that studying and embracing how differently we all think opens up new worlds of patience, understanding, and acceptance.
Shane Williams · July 2025
Something to try
The Power of Abstract Thinking in Aphantasia
The concept of 'tokens' and 'types' helped me understand how we think differently: visualizers use specific imagery, while aphantasics excel in abstract thinking.
Tom Ebeyer · February 2024
Something to try
Are You a Visualizer or Conceptualizer? The Ball on a Table Test
The Ball on a Table experiment is a simple visualization test that reveals whether you think in pictures (visualizer) or concepts (conceptualizer). This revealing experiment, originally credited to u/Caaaarrrl, takes less than a minute but provides profound insights into how your mind processes information.
Aphantasia Network · October 2023
