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Original poster

Aphantasia

283 replies

Newrumpus · 31/03/2023 22:28

Recently, I discovered that I am aphantasic. I had never heard of this until recently and after hearing about it I have become interested in the experiences of others.

To save anyone googling, aphantasia is mind blindness or lack of visual imagery. When someone says ‘Imagine an elephant’ I think of an elephant but I don’t see one in my mind.

Does anyone else have experience of this and how did you discover it?

OP posts:
DieselBlue89 · 31/03/2023 22:30

I find this fascinating and struggle to imagine what it's like. If you don't 'see' an elephant, then can you describe how you imagine one?

Original poster
Newrumpus · 31/03/2023 22:32

i just think of an elephant. I know what they look like. It is the idea of an elephant rather than the image of an elephant.

OP posts:
bloodywhitecat · 31/03/2023 22:34

I don't see things in my mind's eye either, I just see nothing.

Mythril · 31/03/2023 22:35

I believe I actually learned about aphantasia on Mumsnet. I have pretty vivid pictures in my head so find it really hard to imagine just being... blank?

The Rutherford and Fry podcast did an episode on aphantasia if you fancy it.

XenoBitch · 31/03/2023 22:36

I always get confused by this.
If someone says to imagine an elephant, do you actually see one in your head? As if it was there, but your eyes are closed?

junebirthdaygirl · 31/03/2023 22:36

Some people with dyslexia have this which makes comprehension difficult for them as they don't make pictures in their mind so can't recall details at the end.

FatGirlSwim · 31/03/2023 22:36

I have this too, apparently it’s more common in autistic people. I also have prosopagnosia (face blindness), not sure if that’s linked

CapturedLeprechaun · 31/03/2023 22:37

I have this! I know what an elephant looks like - big, grey, long trunk. So if someone says "picture an elephant" - I can't, there's nothing there in my mind. But the words "big, grey, long trunk" are there.

It's a bit like a work colleague had a shaven head pic in his teams pic, that I see daily. Someone asked me to describe him and I said "shaven head". Turns out he has had a full head of hair for over a year (and I see this man many times a week!) but I can't picture this at all, only the description my brain has of him.

Equally, my toddler fell and bashed her face. Her teeth were a bit jagged after and I looked at her and thought "have your teeth always been like that?" but genuinely had no image in my mind of what they used to be like, so didn't know. Took her into nursery and her keyworker said "OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO HER TEETH". So it was something that was instantly blatant to literally everyone else, but I had no idea because I can't hold a picture in my mind of what my own child looks like. Now I study every inch of my kids and say things to myself like "wonky eyebrow. Freckle over top lip. Tiny pointy nose", so even though I can't picture my kids when they aren't in front of me, I could accurately describe them, or notice if someone covered the freckle now etc as I've told myself about it so often.

Does that make sense?!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 31/03/2023 22:37

I am now trying to picture in my mind’s eye what it is like not to be able to picture things in my mind’s eye, and I think I’ve given myself a headache.

CreateAUsername2023 · 31/03/2023 22:40

I have this!
I also have a partially photographic memory, but I don't 'see' the image, I just sort of 'know' it. I can read whole books from memory this way.

Bucketheadbucketbum · 31/03/2023 22:41

Do you close your eyes to see the picture? I don't see anything

StarmanBobby · 31/03/2023 22:41

What, like a line drawing of one rather than a 3D image? Because you are still picturing an elephant.

Travelfan2021 · 31/03/2023 22:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request due to privacy concerns.

Newnamenewname109870 · 31/03/2023 22:42

Wait what? I don’t have a picture either!

HighInfidelity · 31/03/2023 22:42

I have this. I didn’t know the name for it though. I sometimes wonder if it would be better not to have this when it comes to things like reading a book as I can imagine seeing things in your mind could make it all more vivid.

FatGirlSwim · 31/03/2023 22:43

StarmanBobby · 31/03/2023 22:41

What, like a line drawing of one rather than a 3D image? Because you are still picturing an elephant.

No, no image at all for me. Just a concept of elephant, an idea of elephant, a sense of what an elephant is. No picture at all.

if I saw an elephant I would obviously recognise it as one. But I can’t picture one in my mind.

Newnamenewname109870 · 31/03/2023 22:44

I had no idea people saw pictures. I assumed you just thought about knowing it.

wendywoopywoo222 · 31/03/2023 22:44

I have this too and face blindness. Am hopeless at describing things to people or recognising people.

I witnessed a crime and couldn't describe much more than he was male.

Travelfan2021 · 31/03/2023 22:44

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request due to privacy concerns.

WashAsDelicates · 31/03/2023 22:44

Do you dream?

XenoBitch · 31/03/2023 22:44

Bucketheadbucketbum · 31/03/2023 22:41

Do you close your eyes to see the picture? I don't see anything

The only time I see an actual image when I close my eyes is when I am hallucinating... or I see shapes after looking at a bright light.

Bucketheadbucketbum · 31/03/2023 22:44

Yes exactly- me too

Just have a "Sense of elephant "

no pictures, no matter how hard I try

Travelfan2021 · 31/03/2023 22:45

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request due to privacy concerns.

Original poster
Newrumpus · 31/03/2023 22:46

FatGirlSwim · 31/03/2023 22:43

No, no image at all for me. Just a concept of elephant, an idea of elephant, a sense of what an elephant is. No picture at all.

if I saw an elephant I would obviously recognise it as one. But I can’t picture one in my mind.

Show quote history

Exactly this.

OP posts:
bloodywhitecat · 31/03/2023 22:46

WashAsDelicates · 31/03/2023 22:44

Do you dream?

No, only very, very rarely.