Arya G

I live in Istanbul, Turkey. About two years ago, I told my friends who graduated from the psychology department that I am aphantasic. They didn’t believe me, insisting that only a psychiatrist could diagnose it. So, I decided to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist told me, “If you think you have aphantasia, then you probably do. It’s like people searching online to confirm whether they are male or female—it’s something you inherently know. You’ve reached this age without any issues related to it.” When I mentioned what my psychologist friends had said, the psychiatrist simply replied, “There’s nothing psychiatric about this. It’s just a different way your mind works.” Then, he asked if I had any other questions. When I see statements online like, “It is estimated that a certain number of people have aphantasia,” I realize I’m not included in those statistics. I don’t know who’s counting, but I believe there are many people who don’t even know they have it. Moreover, there may be many aphantasics who aren’t recorded anywhere.