Articles
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
How a Visual Artist Who Can't Visualise Grew to Embrace Her Process
An artist with aphantasia cannot visualise images but embraces creating through hands-on exploration, turning absence into meaningful, innovative, and expressive works of fine art.
Deleted member · October 2025
A member’s story
What Living Without Mental Imagery Has Taught Me
I live without mental imagery—no pictures, no imagined sounds. But my world is rich in emotion, intuition, and presence. I parent, create, and heal by tuning into what I feel, not what I see. It’s a different way of experiencing life—and it’s deeply meaningful in its own quiet, grounded way.
Sage Marie · July 2025
What the research says
Unconscious Imagery in Aphantasia: Understanding The Scientific Debate
Have you ever described a memory in vivid detail despite seeing nothing in your mind? It raises a fascinating question: could our brains be processing images... we just can't consciously access?
Tom Ebeyer · March 2025
What the research says
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.
Tom Ebeyer · May 2024
A member’s story
Eclipsing Aphantasia: A Journey of Discovery and Memory from the 1963 Solar Eclipse
In July 1963, Alice Grebanier's observation of a total solar eclipse marked a pivotal moment in her life. This event, merging scientific discovery with profound reflections on memory and emotion, showcases how moments of discovery can eclipse the limitations of memory recall in aphantasia.
Jennifer McDougall · April 2024
A member’s story
Memories Without Imagery—Remembering Outside the Lines
People with aphantasia may struggle with memory recall. This may be because our memories are image-free. But, just because we can't see our memories, does that mean we don't have them? The ability to visualize is not a prerequisite for remembering rich experiences.
Diane Currie Richardson · March 2024
What the research says
How Aphantasia Affects Memory: Research Reveals Why Remembering the Past Is Challenging
New research from the University of Bonn reveals how aphantasia affects memory, particularly when remembering the past. The study of 30 participants found that people with aphantasia experience significant challenges in recalling autobiographical memories.
Tom Ebeyer · March 2024
A member’s story
How Our Invisible Differences Can Enrich a Marriage
Whether you’re an aphant or a visualizer, marriage, or any loving partnership, is about commitment. Among other things, commitment means respecting each other’s differences and working through them lovingly.
Frank Schutz · February 2024
A member’s story
How Aphantasia Can Make You Seem Insensitive
We’re not — aphants don’t see the world the way most people do. Our brains work differently.
Mark Farrar · February 2024
A member’s story
Understanding Your Aphant
How do you support someone when they suddenly realize they've been blind their whole life? What about when it's a blindness most of the world has never heard of and many don't believe exists? It's called aphantasia. Let's talk.
Tammy Cardwell · January 2024
A member’s story
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.
Liana Scott · November 2023
Something to try
Learning and Remembering, With or Without Aphantasia
Memory is tricky whether you have aphantasia or not. Here are some strategies you can use to learn and remember.
Alice Grebanier · September 2023
A member’s story
I Am Aphantasic
Aphantasia is not something I have; it is something I am.
Ed Labine · July 2023
A member’s story
Aphantasia and SDAM - Gifts of Healing
When your life has been filled with trauma, you have to wonder: could aphantasia and SDAM be the source of the trauma, or could they be the means of healing?
Auri'An Lay · May 2023
A member’s story
Maybe You Have SDAM?
Discovering aphantasia and Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory (SDAM) is a roller coaster of emotions. Yet I learned to understand myself and others better.
Maarten Serneels · September 2022
What the research says
Aphantasia Explained: Some People Can’t Form Mental Pictures
How do you draw from memory if you can't form mental pictures? Evidently, you don’t need to “see” with the mind’s eye to carry-out these tasks.
Dr Zoë Pounder · June 2021
What the research says
Seeing With the Mind's Eye
Not everyone sees their past or future in the same way. These invisible differences may apply to almost every aspect of thinking.
Peter Moleman · November 2020
