What is Aphantasia? | BBC The Social

What exactly is Aphantasia? It's defined as the inability to recall mental images in your mind, and Ashley Dick, who has synesthesia, speaks to an aphant to find out what aphantasia is like for her.

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[Rick_Cleland]

Some people have aphantasia _and_ have *no* inner monologue as well.

[maplesystems]

Wow, this really perfectly describes how I see the world! Aphantasia explained very well

[MalikBartholomew]

I have aphantasia, and am just now finding this out in my 30's. I am not able to imagine/visualize anything in my head... see, hear, smell, taste or feel. Of course I know that I have memories of things because as soon as I see them again, they are easily recognized... but without seeing them in person or pictures there is no mental vision of them. I can remember the notes and words of songs and therefore sing them in my head, but it will always be my voice (sort of like reading silently).... I don't see this as the same as imagination though.

I struggled in math early on... I remember getting much better, but ending up solving problems different than others and loosing points for not "showing my work". I also hated reading... was extremely boring to me. I can see how it would be much more entertaining for those that can create images in their head from the words. I was really good at drawing when I was young, but needed a picture to replicate... it now makes sense why I wasn't skilled at drawing without an image to copy. For the longest I considered myself "kind of" smart, but very intelligent. I look at how smart a person is by the "information obtained" (memory) and intelligence by how they "process information" (problem solving skills/ability to figure things out). I can now see how not having an imagination has affected by ability to retain information.

I look at imagination as a sixth sense. I do want to gain this ability and will be working towards doing so, but I also believe that it can be very negative if you cant control it. If you've experienced a lot of negative things in your life or have had big traumas, it may be difficult for you to stop replaying these things in your head. This leads many people to drugs, alcohol and suicide. If this part of the brain is too open, there is also the belief that images, voices, etc. can be put into your head by outside sources. I could imagine (not literally) how things constantly being planted in your head without your control could drive a person crazy. I think a positive of having aphantasia is preventing things like PTSD, being bipolar, schizophrenia and other mental disorders.

I also think it's important to recognize the difference between recollection (memory) and imagination. I believe that how you FEEL about an experience can effect how you imagine it. So when you replay an experience in your head, that is how you imagine the memory... not the memory itself. It may be very close to reality, but it can also be off. This may be partially why so many people can "remember" the same experience very differently... the actual memory may be gone or vague and the rest is filled in with imagination.

If you do have a good understanding and control over your imagination I can see how this could be very positive though... Being able to re-live good experiences, take yourself to a relaxing place, etc. would be pretty cool.

For now, all I can do is live in the moment.

[sarahkhalil]

I love her, the smile and carefree attitude is beautiful. Thank you 😊

[shirleygreaves]

I didn’t know this exists but I’ve discovered that I have this too. I didn’t know that people saw vivid pictures in their mind like this!

[loisschultz]

Her smile and laugh gives me hope for accepting my Aphantasia. I don’t know how to deal with it. I always thought I was so weird. I only discovered myself at 71. So strange to know I was just seeing the world in a different way and wanting to be like everyone else.

[sarahkhalil]

OMG! It’s just words yes! Even all my thoughts are just words! I don’t remember my childhood, and I take pictures to remember as well!

[MagGray]

It doesn't look like anything inside my mind. Even on the verge of sleep I see black, unless I have been up for a few days and I consider that hallucinating. I think if I could randomly close my eyes and visualize something or picture something I would consider seeking medical attention lol. I know its probably the norm, but to me that is a hallucination. I have never seen what isn't there. I have never day dreamed. My dreams are vivid and even as lucid as any experience, but when I wake up I can't visualize it.. I can describe it, outline and detail it, but there is no picture. How can you see something that isn't there?

[yay-cat]

Very nice video! I can sort of see a blurry blob of half an apple with a bit of effort. If i need to imagine how I would rearrange furniture or conjure up mnemonic for 5 items on a grocery list I can do it but it takes a lot of concentration and effort so it’s something I only do when I have to design or memorise. Like I lie down and close my eyes not like I can just bring it into my minds eye at will.

I wanna know - can you guys hear voices in your head? I sometimes on a walk on my own imagine what I would say to someone else. Like a one sided conversation role play. My boyfriend says he has a never ending running commentary in his head.

I also cant like smell or taste stuff in my head. Like I obviously have a concept of this was sweet with mango and creaminess and I could describe it but I definitely could never recreate the sensation. can people do that?

I sometimes think that I think spatially. Like if i need to retrieve something that Ive memorised, I send out my smokey tendrils to fetch the information in the place that is maybe outside of the physical space that i occupy. I might visualise the layout of my mindmap or how I grouped my pile of notes but memory for me is very much a grasping at straws with extended feelers situation.

I can draw well from a photograph but not from some picture in my mind (the trick with the self portrait is to spend more time looking at the mirror than at your page). Id like to think that my spatial awareness helps to control where my hand is on the page but besides obviously peeking at my hand, i’m physically pretty clumsy and uncoordinated.

Because my memory is poor I do well at things that rely more on solving things from first principles. Like maths or physics. I learn the trick and recreate the solution whereas my friends that can’t do maths usually also have good a memory so they try to memorise all the problems and like just want the solution to appear in their heads. Like my boyfriend goes through life listening to the guess of the voices in his head (i think). It works well 99% of the time but you can’t guess maths

[QuantumAlchemist_]

I’m just like your friend. My memories are from pictures and videos.

[marisol]

How old were you when you learned you had Aphantasia?? hmm let’s see… today is 1/24/22 11:40pm. Pacific time…and I’m 49yrs 7mos 22 days old!!! Wtf?? 😳🤯 but…Unlike her, I don’t remember people as soon as I see them…I do see images when I’m dreaming but as I wake up, they’re all gone! I don’t like this “aphantasia” thingy…☹️

[courgette]

I’m aphantasic. I remember trying to draw my dog and I couldn’t remember where the fourth leg needed to be. Xx