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What is aphantasia? -

Aphantasia is the inability to visualize something using the mind.

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What is aphantasia? -

People who suffer from aphantasia are unable to create a mental picture.

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What is aphantasia? -

This includes the inability to picture a person, object, place, or scene—no matter how familiar it may be.

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Example -

Picture a car. Can you visualize a car in your mind? Well, people with aphantasia can’t. Even if they see cars all the time or own one.

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Spectrum -

Aphantasia exists on a spectrum. Some people have a reduced ability to create a mental image, while others have a complete inability to do so.

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Spectrum -

The spectrum of sensory imagination extends to things such as auditory and motor imagination. Picking up on the example of a car given previously, some people can imagine every detail (i.e. hear and feel the car), while others may only form an abstract picture of a four-wheel vehicle.

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Is it a medical condition? -

Aphantasia may be linked to symptoms of other disorders, but it’s not an illness or a disability as such.

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When was it discovered? -

The phenomenon was not named until 2005, but it was first observed by Sir Francis Galton in a 1880 study.

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19th-century study -

The study found that some participants (in a group of 100) just couldn’t picture their breakfast table.

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Name -

It was not until 2015 that neurologist Adam Zeman coined the term aphantasia.

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Meaning -

The name has its roots in the ancient Greek words a, which is a prefix that means “without/the absence of,” and phantasia, which was first coined by Aristotle and essentially means “imagination.”

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Causes -

The cause for aphantasia remains unknown. It can be congenital (present from birth), or develop later in life.

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Causes -

When it’s not present from birth, it usually happens following a brain injury (e.g. stroke) or due to psychological conditions.

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Causes -

Scientists have, however, found that people who suffer from it have different brain patterns when trying to form mental pictures, when compared to those without aphantasia. It is possible that the parts of the brain involved in visual imagery are somehow underactive.

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Causes -

Another theory points to the possibility of people with aphantasia actually being able to create mental images, but are unable to access them through their conscious minds.

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Who’s affected? -

Some estimates point to around 2.1-2.7% of the global population experiencing aphantasia, while others point to 3-5%.

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Is there a cure? -

There is no cure for aphantasia. But again, aphantasia is not a medical condition as such. Some people simply experience life this way.

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Is there a cure? -

In fact, many people who have aphantasia are not even aware they experience the world differently. Professor Adam Zeman called it a “fascinating variation in human experience.”

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Is there any treatment for aphantasia? -

There is no treatment as such for aphantasia. There is, however, an interesting case study from 2017, which may offer some helpful insights.

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The study -

The subject of the study was a 31-year-old man who experienced aphantasia from birth. But while he was unable to recall things in his mind, he was capable of dreaming.

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The study -

The man underwent 18 weekly one-hour vision therapy sessions. At the end, the man reported being able to picture more things right before he fell asleep. Though the therapy did not seem to affect his inability to visualize during his day-to-day life.

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Symptoms -

The main symptom is obviously the inability to use one’s mind’s eye. But interestingly, the 2015 study (the one where Dr. Zeman first coined the term) also observed other features in people who had aphantasia.

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2015 study -

A total of 21 people who experienced aphantasia from birth were examined. Nine of them had a “substantial lack of ability to voluntarily create a visual image.” Twelve of them could not voluntarily create a mental image at all, and 10 subjects said they experienced involuntary flashes of images. A total of 17 reported they were able to dream visually.

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2015 study: strengths -

In addition to the aforementioned findings, 14 participants also demonstrated strengths in verbal, logical, or mathematical ability.

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2015 study: other symptoms -

Other symptoms reported included less vivid memories or difficulty in imagining the future, trouble with facial recognition, and “decreased imagery involving other senses like sound or touch.”

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Impact -

People who experience aphantasia may not be able to vividly recall past experiences, imagine the future, or indeed perform cognitive tasks where mental imagery is required.

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It's not a barrier to success -

While aphantasia may have an impact on one’s life, it’s definitely not a barrier to success. In fact, there are some famous individuals who have it.

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Notable people with aphantasia -

Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar and former president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, is one example.

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Notable people with aphantasia -

Biologist Craig Venter, who first sequenced the human genome, is another example.

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Notable people with aphantasia -

Animator Glen Keane, who developed characters for 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Aladdin,' 'Pocahontas,' and 'Tarzan,' also has aphantasia.

Sources: (Healthline) (Aphantasia Network) (Verywell Mind)

See also: The most intriguing neurological conditions ever recorded

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