First things first: No, I didn’t spell fantasia wrong.
Not long ago, I posed a question to my Facebook group: What fact amazes you every time you think of it? My readers did not disappoint with their answers, but I never shared mine with you. Until now.
Picture an apple. It can be any kind you like, a McIntosh, a Granny Smith, maybe even a Golden Delicious. Go ahead, do it—an explanation will follow this exercise shortly.
Are you picturing it?
Got it? Great!
You don’t have aphantasia.
Aphantasia is the inability to form mental images of objects that are not present. Or, in other words, you can’t see with your mind’s eye—scratch that—you don’t have a “mind’s eye”.
When aphantasia was first recorded in 1880 by Francis Galton the scientific world didn’t give it a second glance. This strange phenomenon was truly incomprehensible to the public and so its recordings went largely ignored until 2005 (that’s 125 years people!) when a man known as, MX, seemingly lost the ability to conjure images in his mind after minor surgery.
Despite MX’s tragic loss, the studies that followed have undoubtedly brought a sense of relief and knowledge to others affected by this relatively unexplored phenomenon of the human mind.
As a writer, I am deeply fascinated and more than a fraction frightened of such a condition. When I write, I visualize with great clarity the scenes about to take place in my book. In fact, I am wholly part of what plays out in my head, from the aroma in the air, the texture at my characters fingertips, even the temperature of the setting. I’m in it—and it’s thanks to my mind’s eye.
So how do people, creatives especially, get by? Don’t fret too much! Let’s jump back to the definition again.
Aphantasia is the inability to form mental images of objects that are not present.
Just because someone with aphantasia cannot conjure an apple in their mind’s eye doesn’t mean they don’t know what an apple is. Those with aphantasia rely on knowing rather than seeing, which is a bit of gift and a curse if you ask Teresa Grabs. It was her article (below) that introduced me to the phenomenon that is aphantasia and I highly recommend you read it.
https://writingcooperative.com/writing-with-aphantasia-c5241d4f35d0
What are your thoughts? Drop a comment below!
xxx
Rebecca