So I think I have Aphantasia...
In recent years I’ve come to realise that I’m not quite normal.
Try this; imagine a horse. Can you see it in your mind? I can’t.
So, I know what a generic horse might look like, but I can’t actually see anything when I close my eyes and will myself to imagine it. For years I thought this was just normal and that people who could see things in their minds like my older sister were unique. It’s the kind of thing people don’t really talk about that much actually.
It turns out it’s the other way around, and there’s a name for what the weirdos (just kidding) like me have. It’s Aphantasia, and according to the Aphantasia Network, around 2% of the population have it! 😱
So what is Aphantasia exactly?
Everyone imagines differently, and some people have weaker images in their minds than others but, Imagination Blindness (the other name for Aphantasia) is the complete absence of visual imagery.
Basically, it’s like a turned-off TV screen when I close my eyes, absolute nothingness; I can’t manifest an image no matter how hard I try.
Remember that horse from earlier?
What do you see? Let me know in the comments.
If you’re a 1, maybe you have Aphantasia too! It’s not a completely accurate test, but it does reveal how others see images in their minds.
I still can’t get over the fact that phrases like ‘mind’s eye’ or ‘I see what you mean’ never made me second guess that I was something of an anomaly. Perhaps I just thought they were random sayings like ‘A different kettle of fish’ and all those other weird English language phrases that don’t make any sense until you read about their origins on Wikipedia.
For an aspiring writer/film director, this kind of sucks, but I still have an imagination; I think I imagine in words and kind of like how AI scans through all the things it’s ever encountered to create something. I’m not sure; it’s all rather mysterious tbh.