Aphantasia: Understanding Life Without a Mind’s Eye

I had a fascinating conversation with Claire Miles on the Happy-Go-Fabulous podcast recently and we talked about aphantasia. Claire discovered her experience with it in her 50’s and here’s some of what we chatted about.

When someone asks you to “picture an apple,” what happens in your mind? For most people, an image appears instantly: perhaps a shiny red apple, cut in half with seeds glistening inside, or even the sound of a crunch as it’s bitten. But for an estimated 2–5% of the population, nothing happens at all. Just blackness.

This inability to form voluntary mental images is known as aphantasia. Although the condition has likely existed throughout history, it wasn’t formally named until 2015 by neuroscientist Adam Zeman. Since then, awareness has grown rapidly, with people around the world suddenly realizing their inner experience is quite different from what they assumed was “normal.”

What Exactly Is Aphantasia?

Aphantasia is the absence of a “mind’s eye.” People with it cannot conjure mental pictures of familiar objects, places, or even loved ones.

To understand this better, psychologists often use the “apple test”:

• Hyperphantasia (very vivid imagery): Some people can picture the apple so clearly they see its colour, texture, and even taste it.

• Average visualisation: Most people can form a somewhat fuzzy image of an apple.

• Aphantasia: No matter how hard they try, the apple doesn’t appear. Thoughts about the apple may exist—“round, red, fruit”—but they aren’t accompanied by imagery.

Importantly, aphantasia exists on a spectrum. Some people experience partial imagery (like faint outlines or vague flashes), while others see nothing at all.

How Does Aphantasia Affect Daily Life?

The absence of mental imagery influences many aspects of life, often in ways people don’t notice until they compare themselves with others.

1. Reading and Storytelling

   • Most readers report “seeing” the scenes play out like a movie in their minds.

   • Aphantasic readers process the words without imagery, focusing instead on plot, dialogue, or emotions. For them, books are less of a film in the mind and more like reading information or listening to facts.

2. Memory and Nostalgia

   • People without aphantasia often recall events as mental “videos.”

   • Those with aphantasia recall facts, emotions, or sensations, but without pictures. A holiday might be remembered as “fun, warm weather, smelled like the ocean” rather than replaying a beach scene.

3. Meditation and Visualisation

   • Guided visualisations such as “imagine yourself on a beach” can be frustrating. Aphantasic individuals often benefit more from focusing on sounds, bodily sensations, or affirmations rather than imagery.

4. Dreams

   • Interestingly, most people with aphantasia still dream visually. Their unconscious mind creates images even though their waking mind cannot summon them. This distinction is one of the most intriguing mysteries in neuroscience.

Creativity Without Imagery

A common myth is that aphantasia limits creativity. In truth, creativity takes many forms, and visual imagination is only one pathway.

• Artists and Designers: Many aphantasic creatives thrive by working directly with materials, experimenting in real time rather than pre-visualizing. A photographer, for example, may compose images by “feeling” balance and energy through the lens rather than picturing a shot beforehand.

• Writers: Some aphantasic authors focus on dialogue, structure, or emotional tone rather than detailed descriptive passages.

• Entrepreneurs: Without mental imagery, people may lean into problem-solving, strategy, and innovation—turning abstract concepts into practical systems.

Rather than being a limitation, aphantasia often leads to alternative strengths, such as analytical thinking, strong verbal skills, or heightened awareness of emotions and sensations.

Discovering Aphantasia

One of the most surprising aspects of aphantasia is how long people live without realising they have it. Because we rarely discuss how we “see” inside our minds, most assume their experience is universal.

Common moments of discovery include:

• Struggling with memory games that rely on visual recall.

• Realizing that meditation or “visualise your goals” workshops don’t make sense.

• Hearing someone describe vividly seeing a novel in their head, and realising that experience is foreign.

For many, this realisation is both relieving and disorienting. Relieving, because it explains lifelong challenges with visualization tasks. Disorienting, because it raises questions like: Am I missing out on part of the human experience?

Coping Strategies and Strengths

While aphantasia cannot be “cured” (and isn’t considered an illness), people often adapt by leaning on different senses and methods of thinking.

Practical Strategies

• Manifestation and Goal Setting: Instead of visualising, write affirmations, use spoken mantras, or focus on the emotions of achieving your goal.

• Meditation: Choose sound-based or breath-based practices instead of guided visual imagery.

• Learning and Memory: Use verbal associations, repetition, and external tools (like notes, mind maps, or photos).

• Planning: Rely on checklists, vision boards, or mood boards to externalize ideas.

Strengths Often Seen in Aphantasia

• Reduced disappointment: Without pre-set mental images, people may be more adaptable when reality unfolds differently than expected.

• Strong problem-solving: Many compensate with logical, sequential thinking.

• Emotional memory: While they may not replay an event visually, they can deeply recall how an experience felt.

The Mystery of the Mind

Science is still uncovering the mechanisms behind aphantasia. Brain imaging studies show differences in how certain regions activate when asked to visualise, but the full picture is far from clear. What we do know is that human minds vary more than we once thought—and that’s a beautiful thing.

Whether your inner world is filled with rich imagery, faint outlines, or quiet thought without pictures, each way of experiencing the mind brings unique gifts. Aphantasia reminds us that imagination is not limited to visuals—it can be built from feelings, sounds, words, and intuition.

✨ Final Thought: If you discover you have aphantasia, there is definitely nothing wrong with you, you’re simply wired differently. Embrace your strengths, explore alternative tools for creativity and memory, and know that your way of experiencing the world is just as valid, rich, and magical as anyone else’s.