Aphantasia
Aphantasia
Aphantasia (/æfænˈteɪziə/; from Greek aphantasia, meaning 'without imagination') is a condition where one does not possess a functioning mind's eye and cannot voluntarily visualize imagery. The phenomenon was first described by Francis Galton in 1880 but has since been further researched and defined.
Etymology
The term "aphantasia" comes from the Greek words a meaning 'without', and phantasia meaning 'imagination'. It was first coined by Adam Zeman, a neurologist at the University of Exeter, in 2015.
Symptoms
People with aphantasia are unable to visualize mental images, which means they can't "picture" things in their mind. This can affect various aspects of their life, such as memory, face recognition, and future planning. However, it does not affect the ability to think or reason, and people with aphantasia can still understand and use concepts that involve imagery, even if they can't visualize them.
Related Terms
- Hyperphantasia: The opposite of aphantasia, where one has an extremely vivid mind's eye and can create detailed and lifelike images in their mind.
- SDAM (Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory): A condition often associated with aphantasia, where one has a severely reduced ability to recall personal past events in detail.
- Prosopagnosia: Also known as face blindness, a condition where one has difficulty recognizing faces, sometimes associated with aphantasia.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Aphantasia
- Wikipedia's article - Aphantasia
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