Aphantasia, Hyperphantasia and the Mind's Eye (updated)

Is the mind's eye only for pictures, or is that merely what most people prefer? What if Aphantasia(that absence of mental images during waking hours) is a personality preference? This follow up study suggests it might be.

[Woelfi]

For me I can see, feel, hear, taste everything in my mind as clear as in reality. It doesn't matter if my eyes are closed or not. For example, I know the exact size, structure, color and the feeling and sound of my doorbell and when I was young and lost my pet lizard I always imagined him sitting on my leg, feel the weight on my skin and even reached out to pet him and feel the exact structure of his skin and see everything in detail like in 4k.

[GeorgieRosexx]

I remember being able to visualise extremely vividly until the age of around 20 and since then have had Aphantasia with absolutely no images at all, completely black. I read this can be caused by a traumatic event but I don’t remember anything significant nor can my Mother. I would love to get my minds eye back as I know the positive effect it can have on your life.

[Kat-yrxe]

I have aphantasia, I'm also autistic and experience a great deal of sensory issues. I need the absence of stimulus at times. I honestly couldn't imagine not being able to escape into the black void when I close my eyes. I swear I'd go crazy if I closed my eyes and still saw things when I'm overstimulated

[stitchesrs]

I have been bingeing information on aphantasia since hearing about it. For me, I am not able to see anything in my mind, total black. But I still "know" it is there. So I can describe a memory to someone and include details, but cannot see any of them. I believe I am autistic but have not been diagnosed. After looking into aphantasia, I also found information about Severly Deficient Autobiographical Memory (SDAM). For most of my life, I have been known to have a terrible memory. It makes so much sense that it is because I cannot picture or relive my memories in the same way as others. I don't remember my dreams either. Does anyone else feel like they have gone through a grieving process when learning about this? I cried when I realized others actually can see their loved ones faces at will. It almost feels like others live twice the amount of life through memories and dreams. I understand it can be both good and bad and am trying to focus on the positives. I do feel that I have been protected from bad memories and have an increased ability to move on from trauma.

[SnickerDoodleBug]

I heard of hyperphantasia a little bit ago and was shocked to find out people don't taste, smell, feel, or even HEAR in their imagination without having aphantasia. I can use all senses and tend to have pretty good spatial recognition to the point where i can run at a wall and know when to stop or I'll run into it.

[meadowrae]

I thought I had Aphantasia because I couldn't hold on to the visual of an apple, but what was happening is I was cycling through multiple images. My brain involuntarily pulled up the whole file on apples. I see orchards, that apple peeler my great grandmother used, how the peel of a golden delicious tastes vs a honeycrisp. The question about the front door made it a lot easier, thank you.

[KaceJD]

I love how much effort you put into this video and the amount of research you created to get the answers you sought! Def will be following more of your work.

[skoigetti]

This is unfair bro 😭 I can’t see shit, and people are out here seeing things vividly? DAMN 🗣🔊

[hayleypaget]

This is why community is important. I work in marketing and a highly visual person. I am able to picture and hear what someone is about to say from their first breath and immediately have a thousand ideas. A project manager within marketing is able to take data, translate it and communicate it in a way most suited towards a vast range of neuro-diversities and continuously evolve the methods of communication. Always involve your community if you can.

[juanlessa]

People with aphantasia are clearly very functional in every field including the arts, and for this reason i think the ability to visualize is there but beyond the reach of conciouss awareness.

[jodimeadeblue]

i was shocked to find out other people literally had a mind’s eye. i started observing what my thinking consists of. i have to say it’s all words. i love words by the way. i have a special journal of my favorite and least favorite words. but i also have an emotional response. like if a want to create something I don’t see it in my minds eye, but i feel the emotion i want it to have. same with reading fiction. when i do go on to create i gather all kinds of things together, it looks like chaos to be honest. but then i get to physical manipulate the items i see. i’m a big journal writer as well and its so therapeutic for me to physically my thoughts written out.

[mayuzee]

i'm having trouble to understand what VIZUALIZE is. Am i supposed to actually SEE it? Like when i close my eyes, is it supposed to be superposed on my eyelid? Or do i see it like in a dream? I don't know, because when I vizualise stuff, i kinda see it in my brain if that makes sense, but i don't SEE it.

[romainsings]

I have recently came across this term of hyperphantasia and it actually describes very well my skills. I have alwys been able to imagine any image (from an object to a known person), change the image (colours, clothes, shape, 2D or 3D...), change the environment (light, space, background, ...), and also the dynamic (make person walk, throw water on the ground, make someone dance).
It actually wasmy favourite hobby as a child, which would keepme still and entertained for a long time. I remember animating pokemons one by one in my head, each making a sound or playing an instrument, some dancing. I could add and remove them but there also was a limit to how many of them I could see or hear until it was distorted.
After hearing about that term, I tried challenging myself. I imagined at first a very detailed apple which I could see from any angle, I coule also see myself looking at the apple in an almost empty room. Some details about the room or myself were very shallow but it was fine holding the image. I then tried imagining arms and legs to the apple, easy. Then I imagined a face to the apple, even went up to giving it a trombone. Still quite alright. Then I imagined it running on a treadmill and playing the trumpet while running, even change the "camera angle", however, I could no longer imagine a room or a detailed space, or else it would become distorted or things would disappear...

I know, it seems crazy. I wish I'd learn how to paint or draw so that I could even portrait people or draw the sceneries I see but I don't have these skills. I can compose a bit but not well enough to actually write down what sounded on my mind. Maybe I should mention it but I believe I am on the adhd and/or autism spectrum, if that makes it any more believable. I don't even know if I'd believe someone telling me that if I didn't have this aptitude

[JohnDoe-efwo]

I have autism and hyperphantasia and in my case it's to the most extreme end of the spectrum. I can imagine images in my mind and in my foresight, but only for a second. the image is only static for a moment then begins to move and turns into video.

Smell taste touch sounds are as vivid as the second I experience them. I only realized this is not how most people think in the last few years.

Crazy world!?

[Bill-cipher]

Bro I have hyperFantasia but it’s weird bc it flashes if I try to visualize the entire background and stuff but when I try to visualize a person I can see them visibly

[saagr_]

hyperphantasia + anxiety issues allowed me to write 2 full scripts of short movies

[WriteTheTruth]

I can't wait to see what you end up discovering. I can't say if its a personality thing just because I'm pretty sure my best friend, and i have hyperphantasia and she fits the stereotypes of some who would be extremely imaginative, andbim very logical and get stereotyped as a robot. Basic on myers briggs personality she is an enfp and I'm and an intp.

[apple]

this is the most informative video i've seen about aphantasia i really enjoyed it, Thank you

[hilliard]

I am unsure if i can see faces in my mind, i cant see anything else but i remember my little brother and my dad eho passed recently but i dont know if im actually seeing their face of im just remembering it strongly, i dont really see them but i know what they look like man its hard to articulate.

[CrimsonUnicorn]

For the longest time I didn't know it was possible to not see anything in your mind. I can conjure up memories, fantasies, and scenario's at any time and place, with my eyes open or closed. I zone out A LOT. I also have been told I'm good at writing because of the descriptive words I use. I took the VVIQ test that said I had hyperphantasia. But I tend to have trouble focusing and sometimes can't stay in reality.😅