Articles
A member’s story
‘That’s Not How I Pictured It’ – Why Book‑to‑Film Adaptations So Often Disappoint
Film adaptations and illustrations can clash with our personal mental images. However, for those with aphantasia, who cannot mentally visualize, these on-screen adaptations offer a uniquely liberating way to experience stories.
Julia Thomas · July 2026
A member’s story
Exporting the Invisible: How an Aphantasic Artist Creates Animated Musical Scores
When viewers encounter Stephen Malinowski's Music Animation Machine —vibrant, cascading visual scores that dance in perfect synchronization with classical music—many assume the creator must have an exceptionally vivid visual imagination. The reality is precisely the opposite: Malinowski has aphantasia.
Aphantasia Network · March 2026
A member’s story
Alexander of Aphrodisias: The Ancient Philosopher Who Mapped Mental Imagery
This piece explores recently published philosophical research on Alexander of Aphrodisias (c. 200 AD) and its relevance to understanding aphantasia. While ancient philosophers couldn't have known about cognitive diversity as we understand it today, their assumptions about universal mental processes help us appreciate how differently minds can work.
Tom Ebeyer · January 2026
What the research says
Aphantasia and ADHD: You Asked, We Dug Into the Research
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
What the research says
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.
Tom Ebeyer · January 2025
A member’s story
Ekphrasis: The Ancient Art of Evoking Vivid Mental Images
Did the ancient Greeks know some people can’t create mental images? The forgotten history of ekphrasis challenges our assumptions about imagination and offers surprising insights into our image-saturated world.
Jennifer McDougall · August 2024
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
Something to try
Can't Visualize An Apple? Try This Apple Illusion to Experience What Others See
This apple illusion allows people who can't visualize to temporarily 'see' an image that isn't there—using visual perception to demonstrate what others experience through their imagination.
Aphantasia Network · October 2023
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
What the research says
The Visualizer’s Fallacy
Understanding the hidden assumptions that lead to biases against aphantasics’ cognitive abilities.
Christian Scholz · September 2023
What the research says
Impact of Aphantasia on the Reading Experience
Does aphantasia impact the reading experience? Exploring the relationship between reading preferences and mental imagery.
Rosina Williams · April 2023
Something to try
Visualizing the Invisible
What do typical visualizers experience? How does my imaginative experience compare? Designer Melanie Scheer introduces a new way to visualize the visual imagination spectrum.
Melanie Scheer · June 2022
What the research says
Less Sensory Overwhelm in Aphantasia: A Potential Advantage?
Vividness of mental imagery appears to be linked to level of sensory sensitivity, with lower imagery associated with lower sensory sensitivity.
Carla Dance · January 2022
What the research says
Shocking Insights: What Electrical Stimulation Tells Us About How We Visualize
Why might your mind's eye be blind while your friend can picture crystal-clear images? Shocking insights into the known neurodifferences in imagery vividness.
Mike Perrotta · February 2021
What the research says
History of Aphantasia
Aphantasia, the inability to voluntarily form mental images, was first described by Francis Galton in 1880 but largely remained unstudied until 2015, when Professor Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter coined the term and began his research, bringing renewed scientific and public attention to this fascinating aspect of human cognition. The concept traces back to Aristotle's "phantasia" from 340 BC, establishing a rich historical foundation for understanding individual differences in mental imagery.
Tom Ebeyer · March 2020
A member’s story
3 Things I Learned Dating an Aphantasic
What do you mean you can't picture a horse? For visualizers, it's hard to imagine what it's like not to visualize.
Jennifer McDougall · March 2019
What the research says
Francis Galton's Breakfast Study: The Discovery of Non-Imagers (Aphantasia)
When it comes to visualizing things in the mind's eye, our experience varies widely. Francis Galton's groundbreaking Breakfast Study revealed this phenomenon over 140 years ago, fundamentally changing how we understand visual imagery and its assessment.
Aphantasia Network · September 2018