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Aphantasia Awareness Day

World's First Aphantasia Awareness Day

The city of Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, declares the world’s first Aphantasia Awareness Day on February 21, 2023.

2 min readByJennifer McDougall,Aphantasia Network
NewsCulture


Mayor of Rowlett, Texas, USA, Declares World's First Aphantasia Awareness Day!

ROWLETT, Texas – In a groundbreaking move, the city of Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, declares the world’s first Aphantasia Awareness Day on February 21, 2023. The event was established to bring greater understanding of aphantasia, a unique cognitive style that affects nearly 4% of the global population.
The initiative was the result of the efforts of Aphantasia Network members Emmanuelle Rodrigues Nunes and Tom Shinder, who have been advocating for greater awareness of the condition. They managed to speak with Mayor Blake Margolis, who agreed to create a formal proclamation to establish the awareness day.
Aphantasia is a condition where an individual is unable to create mental images in their “mind’s eye.” Although it has been scientifically supported through physiological response tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it is still relatively unknown to the general public.
The establishment of Aphantasia Awareness Day is aimed at raising public awareness and facilitating better communication between individuals who process memories and thoughts differently. The hope is that through education and understanding, more inclusive and welcoming communities can be built to support neurodiverse individuals, including those with aphantasia.
The announcement is a significant step towards creating a world where individuals of all cognitive abilities are accepted and supported. Establishing Aphantasia Awareness Day is an essential step towards this goal, and it is hoped that it will encourage further research, discussion, and understanding of aphantasia.
The declaration of Aphantasia Awareness Day by the City of Rowlett signals growing interest and acceptance of aphantasia as a unique variation in human experience. The official proclamation by mayor Margolis is set to take place on February 21, 2023, at 19h30 Dallas Time.
This historic event serves as a reminder of how far we have come and how much further we have to go.
Who knows? Maybe next year, February 21, 2024, will be Aphantasia Awareness Day in your city too.

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About the Authors
JM
Jennifer McDougall@jmcdougall

Jennifer McDougall is a co-founder of the Aphantasia Network with Tom Ebeyer, where she serves as Editor and Community Lead. Her work champions research, advocacy, and support for aphantasia on a global scale. With a background in foresight, Jennifer's realization that people imagine the future differently ignited an insatiable curiosity about our invisible differences. This passion drives her exploration of the diverse landscape of human imagination, bridging ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience. Through her writing and community leadership, Jennifer continues to shed light on the fascinating world of aphantasia, challenging conventional notions of imagination and paving the way for greater understanding of cognitive diversity.

AN
Aphantasia Network@aphantasianetwork

Aphantasia Network is shaping a new, global conversation on the power of image-free thinking. We’re creating a place to discover and learn about aphantasia. Our mission is to help build a bridge between new scientific discoveries and our unique human experience — to uncover new insight into how we learn, create, dream, remember and more with blind imagination.

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