If you were asked to conjure up the image of a tropical beach in your mind, or to bring to mind the face of a loved one – or even someone you went on a date with just last night, could you? If not, you may be among the estimated one in 50 people who can’t mentally visualise things, thanks to a condition called aphantasia.

It basically means you don’t have a ‘mind’s eye’, so things that seem totally effortless to most – recalling that amazing pool where you swam on holiday, picturing your partner’s face, counting imaginary sheep when you’re struggling to sleep, are impossible. You could describe your best mate; for example, that they have blond hair, green eyes, freckles across their nose, dimples when they smile – but you can’t bring that image into your mind.

THE SIMPLE TEST
Sound familiar? One quick way to assess if you have aphantasia is what’s called the  ‘red apple test’; close your eyes and picture a red apple. How well can you see it on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the most vivid? Can you see a juicy apple, crisp red skin, a stalk standing tall? Or is it hazy, fuzzy, or simply blank? If this test leaves you searching but not finding a clear image, you may have aphantasia.

It’s not that you don’t know how objects, people and places look – you can describe them. You can recognise people you know – you aren’t face blind, you simply can’t recreate them in your mind at will. You may or may not dream visually, too.

A RECENT FINDING
The concept of people not being able to visualise was first identified back in 1880 but it wasn’t until 2015 that Adam Zeman, a professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology, at the University of Exeter, coined the term aphantasia, after publishing a research paper on it.

In the main, it doesn’t cause people problems – people with aphantasia can – and do – work in creative careers, as journalists, animators and artists, but it can cause some distress. Imagine, for example, not being able to picture in your mind the face of a loved-one you’ve lost, instead always having to look at a photograph to see them again, or finding it impossible to visualise your own home. Also, some forms of therapy, including CBT, can require people to visualise things.

Prof Zeman has found that some people are born with aphantasia, for others it can be brought on by a brain injury, after periods of depression or following surgery. The first person that approached him with the condition had developed it after heart surgery. He could no longer picture the faces of his friends and family, and wanted to know why. 

WHAT’S GOING ON
Brain scans show that a network of brain areas are involved in visualisation, those involved in face recognition, decision-making, working memory and attention as well as memory areas, and regions responsible for ‘daydreaming’. Prof Zeman believes you’re more likely to have it if a family member does too, but is keen to point out that rather than it being a disorder, it is merely a quirk.

While most of us ‘visualise’ things with our mind’s eye, those with aphantasia may instead recall feelings, sensations and words associated with that person, event or place. It’s simply another way of being.

To find out if you’re affected, go to aphantasia.com