Aphantasia: When the Mind Cannot See Images

Describing an apple without seeing it internally

The example is simple: someone closes their eyes, is asked to imagine an apple, and replies that it is red, round, with a green stem. They describe it well. But they are not seeing it. They only handle a list of attributes, like reading a technical sheet aloud. This is aphantasia, the inability to voluntarily generate mental images, and those who have it usually discover it by chance, already as adults, when they realize others were serious when saying they saw what they imagined. They never suspected it before. For them, seeing nothing was simply normal.

Those who describe it attribute a prevalence of around 5% of the population to the condition, although many ignore it because they have nothing to compare it with. And the phenomenon, they say, was rediscovered years ago due to a case: that of a man who, after a car accident, stopped being able to visualize images. Before he saw them; afterwards, he did not.

Is aphantasia hereditary?

Those who have it argue that it is usually hereditary. The most detailed account is that of a father with aphantasia who was shocked to learn that his inability had a name, while his daughter and vvife imagine without problem.

There are degrees, and this complicates any quick diagnosis. Some see absolutely nothing even with their eyes closed; others perceive shadows, outlines, faint colors. If we were to set an informal scale from 1 to 10, someone who only sees in dreams would rate themselves a 2, and someone who visualizes blurry figures would get a 5. The boundary is diffuse, which is why the condition went unnoticed for so long.

Dreams, the only window to images

The paradox is that many see nothing while awake but dream in great detail. It is not contradictory for those who live it: when falling asleep, they notice a window opening and uncontrolled images begin to appear, assuming these are roughly what people see when imagining. If they are nervous, the window closes and they cannot sleep.

Hence, some consider dreaming their private cinema, with the advantage that will does not control it there, and the disadvantage that the subconscious chooses the script. There are also those who, during a dream, are aware that they are dreaming.

OCD, obsession, and the argument of advantage

Not being able to visualize has a side effect that those who experience it do not always lament. Without mental images, it is harder to ruminate on past scenes. Someone who claims to have controlled OCD argues that aphantasia has prevented obsessions that affect their environment: they describe a relative distressed by intrusive images to the point of needing medication, and assume that with such capacity, their own condition would be worse.

That is the central argument of those who do not see it as a flaw: if one can only obsess over melodies, and not images, suffering is reduced. Others respond that imagination is the tool used to solve problems and escape reality, and lacking it does not seem an advantage. The debate remains open.

Thinking in concepts, not images

Those who do not visualize develop alternative forms of memory. Information is not lost: it is stored in another format, details without image, text without scene. Someone summarizes it precisely: they do not need to imagine a clock to know what a clock looks like; when describing it, it is as if reading its spec sheet. Consequently, reading novels loses meaning—there is nothing to see—and books of data, science, and facts are preferred.

Some take the reasoning further, speaking of an inner life made of concepts and discourse, almost intuitive, without visual support. However, not everyone sees this as an advantage: some argue that lacking a rich inner world is a problem for reasoning and demanding mental activities.

From sounds to synesthesia: Can it be trained?

Visual aphantasia does not always come alone. Some do not generate images but mentally reproduce melodies, even suffering because they stick and cannot be removed. At the opposite extreme appears synesthesia: people who associate each number with a tonalidad and visualize them as on a staircase. A specific case: someone who remembers phone numbers from years ago because they see them colored.

And the uncomfortable question remains: can this be learned? Some argue that imagination is a trainable skill and describe daily exercises—closing eyes, describing shadows aloud, recalling scenes and detailing sensations—to go from seeing blobs to seeing shapes. Others consider it an innate ability, not a muscle to be worked. The disagreement mixes science, personal experience, and some pride.

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Verbally describing an object that does not appear. That is aphantasia. And if someone thinks it is a misfortune, remember this detail: those who have it do not know until someone tells them, meaning they have built their life and memory without missing it. It is hard to believe one can live like that. They have done so all their lives, without realizing.