Aphantasia is an inability to see images in one’s mind. People with a typical mind’s eye can create a mental picture of things and actually see them as if those things were right in front of them. Those with aphantasia, however, can recall details without actually picturing them.
More technically, it is a neurological condition that affects the visual cortex and is estimated to occur in 2 to 5% of the population. The name was coined in 2015 by researchers Adam Zemana, Michaela Dewarb, and SergioDella Salac.
While some people are born with it, others may develop aphantasia after a brain injury.
Research on aphantasia
At the moment, aphantasia has practically not been studied. For the first time, Sir Francis Galton spoke about such a phenomenon in 1880, when he interviewed 100 men, and it turned out that some of them could not imagine the breakfast they ate in the morning.
The Aphantasia definition only appeared in 2015, when renowned cognitive neuroscientist Adam Zeman determined that there are people who do not have a developed imagination.
Scientists have to find out the causes for the appearance of this phenomenon and the possibility of treatment, however, some research has already been done. A group of people, which included people with aphantasia, made an MTP. It turned out that people with this trait have brain patterns that appear when they want to imagine some kind of picture.
Aphantasia’s definition consists of 2 Ancient Greek words – “a” means “without”, “Phantasia” – imagination. From the definition, it becomes clear that this is a visually perceived imagination.
The aphantasia test quiz will allow you to determine whether you have such a feature, how developed it is, and whether there is an opportunity to be cured.
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Aphantasia treatment
Since the phenomenon is still poorly understood, aphantasia cure is still under development.
According to experts, up to 2.7% of the total population of the planet may have this feature, but they often do not know that they perceive the world differently. This is why it is worth taking the aphantasia test. Perhaps you or your loved ones simply do not know that you are somehow different from the rest.
Adam Zeman does not consider this phenomenon to be a disease and thinks that it is an exciting change in the human experience. Researchers believe that if a person does not experience discomfort, then aphantasia cure is not required.
What if the aphantasia test is positive?
If the aphantasia test showed a positive result, this is not a reason to be upset. Despite the fact that this phenomenon is poorly studied, there are examples when a person from birth had such a feature, but thanks to the treatment, they were able to improve their general state of imagination.
If the aphantasia test quiz shows that you have such a feature, then it is worth moving on to simple exercises that improve memory.
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Among the simple exercises are:
- memorizing several items from the picture;
- look at pictures and find matches;
- try to imagine simple objects, such as a blue ball or a red triangle, when you have free time;
- spend more time in the park or garden looking at various objects, and then try to remember them at home;
- look for 10 differences between similar pictures.
It is important to understand that you will not get a sudden solution to the problem, but after a week, you will be able to significantly improve your imagination.
If you cannot imagine a familiar picture, but you have vivid dreams, then your mind is working normally. With some exercise, you can learn to imagine the faces of familiar people before bed.
The test is built in such a way that you can determine the spectrum of how far your imagination is developed.
It should be understood that aphantasia is not a disease. Among the people who have this trait, the most famous are Ed Cutmell, co-founder of Pixar, and Blake Ross, co-author of the Firefox Internet browser. Despite the fact that they have a poorly developed imagination, they have been able to achieve success in their industry.
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What Does a Person With Aphantasia See?
If you have aphantasia, you may be unable to visualize any type of image in your head. Aphantasia is believed to be rare, affecting an estimated 1% to 3% of the population. These individuals have no “mind’s eye,” or their imagination is essentially blind. This ability to visualize events and images plays an important part in people’s lives.
People often visualize scenes, people, experiences, imaginings, objects, and planned events, among other things. When you think about a friend, for example, you might immediately visualize their face inside your mind. People with aphantasia are unable to visualize such a mental image.
If you were to ask a person with aphantasia to imagine something, they could likely describe the object, explain the concept, and rattle off facts that they know about the object. But they would not be able to experience any sort of mental image to accompany this knowledge.
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Signs of Aphantasia
Do you think you might have aphantasia? Consider the following questions:
- Think of a friend or family member. Try to conjure an image of their face in your mind. How clearly can you see their features, face, hair, and shape?
- How clearly can you picture their characteristic movements and gestures?
- How vividly can you picture that person’s clothing?
If you struggle with your responses to these questions, you might have some degree of aphantasia.
Early Reports
In 2005, a retired 65-year-old man visited neurologist Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter Medical School. The man, referred to in the literature as MX, had undergone a minor surgery, after which he realized that he could no longer visualize images in his mind. Zeman’s search of the medical literature turned up little to explain why the man could no longer generate visual images within his “mind’s eye.”
Researchers have long debated exactly how this ability to visualize inside the mind works and the role that it may play in planning and memory. While the patient described experiencing almost no imagery, his performance on tests of perception, visual imagery, and visual memory were all normal.
After the details of the patient’s case were published in 2010, the researchers were approached by numerous individuals who described experiencing similar symptoms all their lives.2
Another study conducted by researchers from the University of New South Wales investigated the question of whether people with aphantasia were really unable to form mental images or if they simply had poor recall of these images. Using a technique called “binocular rivalry,” the researchers told participants to imagine an image. Two different images were then shown to the participants via a 3D headset. One eye saw one image, while the other eye saw a completely different image.
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When told to imagine one of these images beforehand, people without aphantasia are more likely to see the image they had previously envisioned. There was no such correlation between the imagined image and the dominant image people saw. These findings suggest that it is not that those with aphantasia have poor recall of their imaginings—they literally have no such visual imaginings to begin with.
Latest Research
A 2020 study looked at differences between people with aphantasia and those with hyperphantasia, which involves experiencing vivid mental imagery. Those with aphantasia reported more difficulty with autobiographical memory and facial recognition and were more likely to work in careers that involve math and science.
Those with hyperphantasia were more likely to also experience synaesthesia and worked more frequently in creative professions.
Another 2020 study found that people with aphantasia also report decreased imagery in other sensory domains, including less vivid autobiographical memories. They also have less frequent and less visual dreams.
However, the study also found that these deficits had no impact on spatial ability. The lack of visual imagery also appeared to offer no protection against symptoms of trauma in response to stressful life events.
