Aphantasia is the inability to form mental images ; a person without a mind’s eye cannot imagine the scene of a sandy beach, for example. Approximately 1 to 4 percent of the population is estimated to experience this phenomenon.
Aphantasia as a Spectrum
Aphantasia exists on a spectrum : Some who live with it can visualize a mental image when they open their eyes; some have no mental imagery whatsoever; and others may be able to visualize an image that is dim, vague, or fuzzy. Some aphantasics see images in dreams while others don't. Some only have issues with visual imagery, while others have them in multiple sense modalities. Some have "flashbacks" or involuntary imagery; some can be induced to have visual imagery through psychedelics; and others are not susceptible to certain optical illusions.
Differences in brain structure may be involved, especially in brain regions used for mental visualization. In some individuals, the visual cortex may be less active or developed.
Aphantasia can run in families; a person with it is more likely than a person without it to have a family member with the characteristic. Genetics may influence certain brain regions that are involved in mental imagery.
Not being able to visualize a past event or something that happened may make it harder for a person to remember the event. They may remember certain aspects of what transpired, but not a mental image of it. Aphantasics may have poor episodic memory—the conscious memory of a previous experience.
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