Body image and aphantasia are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain aphantasia, and aphantasia frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Aphantasia
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives aphantasia
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary aphantasia trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as aphantasia
How Aphantasia Affects Body Image
Aphantasia can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Aphantasia Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by aphantasia
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and aphantasia