The ability to mentally visualize objects, people and places is a common skill that many people possess. However, there are some people who cannot create mental pictures in their heads, a phenomenon known as fantasy.
In this article, we'll discuss what aphantasia is, how it's diagnosed, and whether it's possible to reverse it.
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What is aphantasia?
Afantasia is the inability to create mental images when thinking about absent things. People with aphantasia cannot visualize the faces of book characters, for example, or remember someone who has died, because their mind just goes blank.
According with the doctor. Adam Zeman, Honorary Professor of Neurology at the University of Exeter, an estimated 3% to 4% of the world's population suffers from aphantasia. Zeman has conducted research with over 10,000 people who suffer from this condition.
How to diagnose aphantasia?
In 1973, psychologist David Marks developed a questionnaire that rates people's ability to visualize mental images on a scale of one to five.
To take the test, you can try visualizing different scenarios, such as sunrise in a cloudy sky or a rainbow stretching across the sky.
The scale rates the vividness of mental images, ranging from "no image at all" to "perfectly clear and vivid, almost as real as seeing it".
If you cannot visualize any of the images in your mind, it is possible that you suffer from aphantasia.
Is it possible to reverse aphantasia?
Unfortunately, aphantasia appears to be a genetic condition and therefore cannot be reversed. Although some people have tried to train their mental visualization skills with no success, there is no evidence that this condition can be cured.
According to Zeman, most people who suffer from aphantasia are born with the condition.
Conclusion
Aphantasia is a rare condition that affects about 3% to 4% of the world's population. People with aphantasia cannot create mental images when they think of absent things, which can make it difficult for them to remember faces of loved ones or visualize scenarios described in books.
While it is possible to diagnose aphantasia with a mental imagery test, this condition appears to be genetic and, unfortunately, cannot be reversed.
