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Isn’t a disease or disability
- And remember, aphantasia isn’t a disease or disability. It’s just the way your mind works. Treatment isn’t necessary because most people with aphantasia don’t have problems with the unique way their brain processes information.
www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-aphantasia
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Is aphantasia a disability?
Do you have aphantasia?
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What exactly is aphantasia?
Is aphantasia real?
Does aphantasia occur with autistic spectrum disorder?
Mar 27, 2024 · It was clear from the start that, while intriguing, aphantasia was not disabling. Early contacts included Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar Disney, and Blake Ross, co-creator of the...
1 day ago · Taken together, the findings suggest that in people with aphantasia, the connections between vision centers and other integrative brain regions differ from those in people without aphantasia. “This is a good claim for some subset of aphantasia,” said Bence Nanay, a professor of philosophical psychology at the University of Antwerp who researches mental imagery.
Apr 18, 2024 · Aphantasia occurs with autistic spectrum disorder in some of our participants, while people with hyperphantasia are more likely to experience synaesthesia, in which, for example, hearing sounds gives rise to seeing colours.
- Overview
- Possible Causes
- Care and Treatment
- When to Call the Doctor
- Additional Common Questions
Aphantasia is a characteristic some people have related to how their mind and imagination work. Having it means you don’t have visual imagination, keeping you from picturing things in your mind. People often don’t realize they have it, and it’s not a disability or medical condition.
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OverviewPossible CausesCare and TreatmentWhen to Call the DoctorAdditional Common Questions
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What do people with aphantasia experience?
Aphantasia doesn’t affect everyone with it in the same way: There are degrees of aphantasia. Some people have total aphantasia and never experience mental images. Others only have it when they try to form mental images. They still experience brief image “flashes” without trying or “see” things in their dreams. A small percentage of people with aphantasia only experience it with closed eyes. A little over 15% of people with aphantasia can “see” mental images if they open their eyes. Why this happens is unknown. Aphantasia may also affect the way you store or access memories. People with aphantasia are more likely to have difficulties with first-person (autobiographical) memory. That means while they can recall things they did or experienced, they can’t visualize them. Experts suspect that may limit memory in certain ways, but more research is necessary to confirm this.
What causes aphantasia?
Experts don’t know why exactly congenital aphantasia happens. There are some possible explanations, but for now, these are unconfirmed. Congenital aphantasia Congenital aphantasia may be genetic. People with aphantasia are much more likely to have a close biological family member who also has it, so it may run in families. Congenital aphantasia may also be a form of neurodiversity. Being neurodivergent means your brain developed or works differently from the brains of people whose brains developed or work as expected (the term for that is “neurotypical”). Conditions like autism spectrum disorder fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity, and autism has a genetic link. People with aphantasia are also more likely to have autism-like traits. However, more research is necessary before experts know what role genetics and neurodiversity play in developing congenital aphantasia. Acquired aphantasia Some — but not all — cases of acquired aphantasia have causes experts can find. In rare cases, it can be a symptom of injuries or illnesses that affect your brain. Aphantasia can happen due to damage to certain areas of your brain, especially your occipital lobe. Some examples of conditions or circumstances that can cause acquired aphantasia include: Head injuries (such as concussion or traumatic brain injury). Stroke. Nonmedical drug use. Even rarer, aphantasia can happen with (or maybe because of) mental health conditions like mood disorders or depersonalization/derealization disorder. People with this kind of aphantasia usually can still have mental imagery, but they can’t form the images intentionally. Experts aren’t sure how or why aphantasia can happen with mental health conditions or why it may only affect deliberate attempts to form mental images. Advertisement
How is aphantasia diagnosed?
Most people with congenital aphantasia don’t realize they have it until they’re teenagers or adults. Because they don’t “see” how other people form (or don’t form) mental images, many assume everyone thinks the same way they do. People with congenital aphantasia rarely need a formal diagnosis because that’s how their mind has worked their entire life. Acquired aphantasia is something that generally needs diagnosis. Experts can use a combination of imaging and diagnostic tests and specific questionnaires that measure how strongly you experience mental imagery. Diagnostic and imaging scans can include: Computed tomography (CT) scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Electroencephalogram (EET). The most common questionnaire experts use to “score” mental imagery abilities is the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) or a variation of it. The original VVIQ consists of 16 questions divided into four groups. Each question can have a score of 1 to 5. The meaning of those scores is as follows: Score Meaning 5 You see the image so clearly and vividly, it’s like you’re actually seeing it in front of you. 4 You see the image very clearly and vividly. 3 You see the image moderately clearly and vividly. 2 You see the image, but it’s dim or vague. 1 You know you’re thinking about what you’re supposed to visualize, but you don’t see anything. Score 5 Meaning You see the image so clearly and vividly, it’s like you’re actually seeing it in front of you. 4 Meaning You see the image very clearly and vividly. 3 Meaning You see the image moderately clearly and vividly. 2 Meaning You see the image, but it’s dim or vague. 1 Meaning You know you’re thinking about what you’re supposed to visualize, but you don’t see anything. The VVIQ then adds up the score from each answer. The lowest possible score is 16, and the highest is 80. Most experts define aphantasia as a score of 32 or less. If you have a score of 16, you have total aphantasia.
How is aphantasia treated?
Aphantasia isn’t a medical or mental health condition, so it doesn’t need treatment. Acquired aphantasia due to another condition affecting your brain isn’t curable or directly treatable. Healthcare providers generally treat the underlying condition or issue causing your aphantasia. Those treatments can vary widely. Your healthcare provider is the best person to explain treatment options and offer recommendations if you have acquired aphantasia. Advertisement
When should a healthcare provider treat aphantasia?
Acquired aphantasia almost always needs diagnosing and treatment. That’s because it’s possible with several brain-related conditions that are serious or dangerous. Congenital aphantasia is unlikely to need medical treatment.
What does someone with aphantasia see?
What a person with aphantasia sees depends on the degree of its effects. Those effects can also vary widely among people with aphantasia. For example, someone with a VVIQ score of 32 might have very limited mental images. To them, their images may be dim, vague, fuzzy or otherwise hard to make out. Someone with a VVIQ score of 16, meaning total aphantasia, can’t form any mental images. Some who have this degree of aphantasia describe it like being blind or having their eyes closed.
Is aphantasia a type of autism?
No, autism and aphantasia are entirely different conditions. Autism is a recognized neurodevelopmental disorder with specific definitions and criteria. Aphantasia isn’t a medical or mental health condition of any kind. For now, experts classify it as a characteristic, like being right- or left-handed. Data from one study in 2021 showed people with aphantasia are also more likely to have autism-like traits. However, the study only measured the traits, not if the participants were actually autistic. It also didn’t measure if autism causes or contributes to aphantasia or vice versa.
Is congenital aphantasia a disability?
Available research indicates that congenital aphantasia isn’t a disability (or even a medical condition). While it can create certain challenges for people, there isn’t enough evidence to justify classifying it as a medical condition or disability. People with aphantasia often compensate for their lack of mental imagery in other ways. Many choose career paths that lead them into mathematics or sciences. But aphantasia doesn’t have to stop creativity or artistic pursuits. Among those with aphantasia is Glen Keane, who designed and animated the lead character Ariel in Walt Disney Pictures’ 1989 animated film, “The Little Mermaid.” Keane’s achievements include an Academy Award for work as an animator and director, and the National Cartoonist Society’s “Cartoonist of the Year” award. A note from Cleveland Clinic Aphantasia means you can’t picture things in your mind, and while most people don’t have it, it isn’t a disease or disability. Just as being left-handed isn't a disability in a world where most people are right-handed, having congenital aphantasia is no more than a difference in how you use your mind. Some people develop it due to illness or injury, but that’s rare. Most people with aphantasia don’t experience issues from it (and many don’t even realize their minds work differently). Many people with it find success in science and math-related fields, but there’s no shortage of artists and other creative professionals with it, too. That means having aphantasia doesn’t have to hold you back from seeing and pursuing the things you want in life. Medically Reviewed Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 08/31/2023. Learn more about our editorial process.
Aug 25, 2015 · Most people can readily conjure images inside their head - known as their mind's eye. But this year scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some people are unable to visualise...
May 20, 2024 · Aphantasia is a relatively unstudied phenomenon that involves not being able to visualize images in your mind. Explore some ongoing research about what causes it.
Jun 23, 2020 · While up to one million Australians could have aphantasia, relatively little is known about it - to date, there have been less than 10 scientific studies on the condition.
