Abstract

Aphantasia is the suggested name for a condition where one does not possess a functioning mind's eye and cannot visualize imagery. The phenomenon was first described by Francis Galton in 1880, but has remained largely unstudied since. Interest in the phenomenon renewed after the publication of a study conducted by a team led by Prof. Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter, which also coined the term "aphantasia". Research on the subject is still scarce, but further studies are planned.

History

The phenomenon was first described by Francis Galton in 1880 in a statistical study about mental imagery. Galton described it as a common phenomenon among his peers. However, it remained largely unstudied until 2005, when Prof. Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter was approached by MX, a man who seemed to have lost the ability to visualize after undergoing minor surgery. Following publication of MX's case in 2010, Zeman was approached by a number of people saying they had had a lifelong inability to visualise. In 2015 Zeman's team published a paper on what they termed "congenital aphantasia", sparking renewed interest in the phenomenon now known simply as "aphantasia". Research on the subject is still scarce, but further studies are being planned.

In popular culture

In April 2016 an essay by Blake Ross was published on Facebook, describing his own aphantasia and his realisation that not everyone experiences it. His account gained wide circulation on social media.. In November of 2017 a music video by the band "Wastrels" out of Minneapolis, MN, was released entitled Aphantasia. It was the 1st original music video released by the group.

Related concepts

Aphantasia is similar to invisible disabilities such as face blindness, word blindness, and tone deafness, though aphantasia itself has not been associated with any functional deficits.