Visual Aphantasia
Visual aphantasia is the most common form of aphantasia, characterized by the inability to create voluntary mental images - an 'image-free imagination' or absence of the 'mind's eye.' Individuals with visual aphantasia cannot visualize objects, people, or scenes, though they fully understand and recognize them. Studies suggest that many with visual aphantasia also experience reduced imagery in other senses, indicating a higher likelihood of multisensory aphantasia. Like other forms, visual aphantasia can be congenital (present from birth) or acquired. While it affects visual imagination, it doesn't impair creativity, memory, learning or general cognition - rather, it represents a different way of processing visual information. On this page, you'll find aphantasia research, personal stories, and community discussions about visual aphantasia.
Unsupervised clustering reveals spatial and verbal cognitive profiles in aphantasia and typical imagery
This study used unsupervised clustering to analyze cognitive profiles in people with and without aphantasia. Rather than finding group differences, three distinct cognitive clusters emerged based on visual, spatial, and verbal abilities across both groups.
Delem, M., Turkben, S., Cavalli, E., Cousineau, D., & Plancher, G. (2025). Unsupervised clustering reveals spatial and verbal cognitive profiles in aphantasia and typical imagery. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109279. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109279
Laying the Tracks: How I Manifest Without Mental Imagery (or Nostalgia)
Drawing on Under the Tuscan Sun, Terry Grace explores what it means to build a meaningful life without the ability to picture it first. This essay offers an alternative framework for manifestation: one rooted in feeling, resonance, and faith rather than visualization.
Rethinking Mental Imagery: Why Scientists Had It Wrong (And Why That's Good News)
For decades, neuroscientists assumed they understood mental imagery. Then people with aphantasia proved them wrong—and changed the future of consciousness research.
A Case of Aphantasia
A Case of Aphantasia is a piece of soft science fiction about a man who’s aphantasia is cured in therapy with a fictional technology. That cure comes at a deep cost. This is the first fictional story ever written on aphantasia.
“Unseen strategies” what can the experience of Aphantasia teach us about cognitive strategies in memory?
People with aphantasia lack visual imagery but maintain memory through compensatory strategies like semantic reliance and inner speech. The study identifies how these alternative cognitive approaches help aphantasic individuals perform adequately despite imagery deficits.
Hayes, S. J., Miles, G. E., & Evans, S.-A. (2026). “unseen strategies” what can the experience of aphantasia teach us about cognitive strategies in memory?. New Ideas in Psychology, 80, 101215. doi:/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2025.101215
“I just see nothing. It’s literally just black”: a qualitative investigation into congenital aphantasia
This qualitative study examined six women with congenital aphantasia, finding that difficulties with autobiographical memory, facial recognition, and orientation most impact daily life. Participants reported feeling images exist but are inaccessible consciously, though some accessed unconscious imagery and experienced dream imagery.
Pounder, Z., Agosto, G., Mackenzie, J.-M., & Cheshire, A. (2025). “i just see nothing. it’s literally just black”: a qualitative investigation into congenital aphantasia. Cogent Psychology, 12(1). doi:/10.1080/23311908.2025.2574255
A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!
Aphantasia varies across multiple dimensions including voluntary versus involuntary imagery and associated cognitive differences. Research confirms introspection reliably distinguishes imagery extremes, supporting its validity in psychology.
Zeman, A. (2025). A decade of aphantasia research – and still going!. Neuropsychologia, 219, 109278. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109278
Aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample
This study examined sensory imagery across 636 participants from diverse cultures using the VVIQ and Psi-Q measures. The most striking finding was that Middle Eastern and North African participants reported significantly lower visual imagery scores than Western and Southeast Asian participants.
Bruder, J., & Zehra, M. (2025). Aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample. Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science, 9(3), 465–481. doi:10.1007/s41809-025-00184-8
Why indecisive trials matter: Improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia
This study improves the binocular rivalry priming score for reliably identifying people with aphantasia, a condition marked by absent or reduced mental imagery. The enhanced measure outperforms existing methods and is recommended for future aphantasia research.
Monzel, M., Scholz, C. O., Pearson, J., & Reuter, M. (2025). Why indecisive trials matter: improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia. Behavior Research Methods, 57(9). doi:10.3758/s13428-025-02780-6
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.
Neurodiversity in mental simulation: conceptual but not visual imagery priming modulates perception across the imagery vividness spectrum
This study examines how mental imagery vividness affects visual perception using binocular rivalry. Researchers propose "neuroaffirmative terminology" to reframe imagery differences as cognitive diversity rather than deficits.
Welker, Á., Pető-Plaszkó, O., Verebélyi, L., Gombos, F., Winkler, I., & Kovács, I. (2025). Neurodiversity in mental simulation: conceptual but not visual imagery priming modulates perception across the imagery vividness spectrum. Scientific Reports, 15(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-05100-2
Absence of shared representation in the visual cortex challenges unconscious imagery in aphantasia
Aphantasics lack perception-like neural representations during imagery despite having visual cortex activity and stimulus-specific information. The authors propose that shared neural representations between imagery and perception are essential to define true unconscious imagery.
Scholz, C. O., Monzel, M., & Liu, J. (2025). Absence of shared representation in the visual cortex challenges unconscious imagery in aphantasia. Current Biology, 35(13), R645–R646. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.05.009
I’m an Author With Aphantasia: You, Too, Have the Power to Do Anything You Set Your Mind To
For years, I thought something was wrong with me. While others “pictured” scenes in their minds, I saw nothing. I couldn’t visualize characters or settings, and it left me feeling disconnected—until I learned I had aphantasia.
Beyond words: Examining the role of mental imagery for the Stroop effect by contrasting aphantasics and controls
This study tests whether mental imagery causes the Stroop effect by comparing people with aphantasia to controls. Results show reduced Stroop interference in aphantasics, suggesting mental imagery contributes to but isn't solely responsible for the effect.
Monzel, M., Rademacher, J., Krempel, R., & Reuter, M. (2025). Beyond words: examining the role of mental imagery for the stroop effect by contrasting aphantasics and controls. Cognition, 259, 106120. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106120
The Shape of Things Unseen: Conversation with Dr. Adam Zeman On The New Science of Imagination
What if everything you thought you knew about creativity was wrong? The scientist who discovered aphantasia unveils the "new science of imagination" and explains why visualization might not be essential to human creativity.
Accepting Neurodiversity: The Authentic Path to Inclusion
I used to think of myself as part of the “norm”—someone who wasn’t different. But over time, I began to realize that my dyslexia, my aphantasia, the way I process and express ideas, all pointed to a different kind of mind. Not broken. Not less. Just different. And in embracing that difference, I stopped seeing it as a deficit and started seeing it as a strength. It changed how I teach, how I connect with others, and most importantly, how I see myself.
The Language Problem: How Simple Word Changes Make Therapy Work for Aphantasia
One key barrier to effective anxiety treatment for people with aphantasia isn't the therapy itself—it's the words therapists use. New study reveals that imaginal exposure therapy can be effective for people with aphantasia when therapists adjust their approach.
Mental Health Breakthrough: Aphantasia Does Not Shield Against PTSD
How aphantasia affects mental health treatment, revealing that while aphantasics don't experience visual flashbacks, they still feel emotions intensely, requiring alternative therapeutic approaches beyond traditional imagery-based techniques.
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?
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.