How do people with aphantasia think? While lacking mental imagery, aphantasics develop diverse cognitive strategies – often relying on verbal, semantic, or abstract thought patterns. This cognitive variation challenges traditional assumptions about the role of mental imagery in thinking, creativity, learning, memory, and more.
Research suggests aphantasia influences but doesn’t impair cognitive processes. Many aphantasics report thinking in words, concepts, or other non-visual and non-sensory forms, demonstrating the brain’s remarkable adaptability.
On this page, you’ll find research exploring aphantasic cognition, personal accounts of thinking styles, and discussions about different cognitive strategies used by the aphantasia community.
