Jennifer McDougall

@jmcdougall

Joined almost 7 years ago

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.

Posts17 Comments40

Jennifer McDougallComment12 months ago

Demographics

Hey Eddy, thanks for your question. Several studies have attempted to estimate the prevalence of aphantasia in the general population. Most of these studies, using different methods and samples, have found that approximately 1-5% of people experience aphantasia. Some studies include individuals with weak or low imagery abilities within their definition of aphantasia, while others focus solely on those with a complete inability to form mental images. Naturally, a broader definition would lead to higher prevalence estimates. Curiously, one study suggests that we may tend to overestimate the prevalence of aphantasia: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/rfzdt.

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Are the brains of people with congenital and acquired aphantasia the same?

From what we understand, congenital aphantasia and acquired aphantasia do differ in the brain. Congenital aphantasia is present from birth and involves differences in brain development, particularly in the connectivity and function of areas related to visual imagery and memory. Acquired aphantasia occurs due to brain injury or trauma later in life, typically involving damage to specific brain regions responsible for visual processing and memory. Interestingly, it was an acquired case of aphantasia, Patient MX, that led to the identification of congenital aphantasia. After the paper "A case of ‘blind imagination’," in which Patient MX describes losing the ability to visualize, was published, 21 people with congenital aphantasia reported that they had never been able to visualize. Here's a link to Dr. Zeman's original paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26792259_Loss_of_imagery_phenomenology_with_intact_visuo-spatial_task_performance_A_case_of_'blind_imagination'

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Any artists like painters around? Anyone who loves to draw?

Welcome to the community! It’s really cool to hear about your background in art and how you’ve recently discovered the unique way your brain works. It must have been quite the moment when you realized that not everyone sees the world in images and colors. This point you made, really resonates: "I've been careful not to make that assumption since then." Visualization is a universal assumption that is now only beginning to be re-imagined since aphantasia was named :).

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Total Aphantasia

Hey Tamara, thank you for being so open about your experience. It can be disorienting to discover something so fundamental about yourself so suddenly. Realizing that you have aphantasia can certainly feel like the world you knew has shifted unexpectedly. This kind of revelation can reshape how you understand your experiences, memories and so much more. I hope you might it comforting to know that many have found clarity and community through similar discoveries. The Aphantasia Guide (https://aphantasia.com/guide/) could be a valuable resource for you as you explore more about what aphantasia means for you. Included in the guide is a list of communities to connect with others who share your experiences. It offers insights and support that might help you feel less like the subject of a cruel joke, and more like a part of a community that understands. How are you feeling now that it's been a few weeks?

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Aphantasia and meditation?

Hey Crystal, great question. Most aphants we talk to find the common visualization-based exercises frustrating. Many have discovered they have aphantasia from not being able to visualize during a meditation class. This was the story of Ed Catmull. However, there is certainly more than one way to meditate as you've mentioned, walking meditation and repetitive tasks. There are some other alternatives to meditation with aphantasia in this article written by our community editor, Lianna M Scott (https://aphantasia.com/article/stories/meditation-with-aphantasia/). You'll also find similar wellbeing resources here (https://aphantasia.com/topic/wellbeing/).

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Mind Processing Area for no images

Hey Joesph, I would like to understand this idea of a "mind processing area" better. Could you provide a helpful resource? I haven't seen/heard this discussed in our community before, but perhaps some helpful language to describe your non-visual experience might be that you "conceptualize" your car or can create an "abstraction" of its details. Here's an article by Tom Ebeyer on abstract thinking in aphantasia you might find helpful in your discovery https://aphantasia.com/article/strategies/abstract-thinking/

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Headaches from dreaming

Hey Cheryl, thanks for sharing. It's interesting to hear you have active and visual dreams. One study showed aphants have fewer and less sensory-rich dreams. However, we have heard from other aphantasics who do have visual dreams yet no conscious visual experiences while awake. I can't say for certain whether the headaches are related or not, I'm not a dream researcher, but from what we know so far dreaming and mental imagery seem to involve different brain networks. You mention "not all the time." Do you dream often? Or is this more of a rare event?

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Do i really have (visual) aphantasia?

Hey Matt, your approach to comparing visual imagery experiences to dreams is interesting. Though, dreaming and "seeing" mental images while awake are different. From what we understand currently, dreaming and mental imagery likely involve different brain networks. That's why, when determining if you have aphantasia or where you might fall on a visualization spectrum, it's best to compare to real seeing. How does your mind's eye compare to seeing that object before your eyes? Is it clear and lively, only somewhat clear and vivid, or are there no mental images at all? The other thing to keep in mind is that this is a very vast spectrum, with multiple factors that could influence how you might rate your internal experience. For example, familiarity with an object seems to play a role. If you're very familiar with let's say horses, this may impact how clear and lively you can "imagine" a horse. Whether the image is static or dynamic might also be a factor. Some can only imagine static images, while others can make the image move or rotate. Even where the visual imagery is experienced can differ among us. Some only see images in the back of their head "associators" while others can project those mental images into physical space "projectors." There are multiple dimensions and scenarios to consider when evaluating your internal experience. The true spectrum of mental imagery is much more expansive than "seeing" vs "not seeing." Here's the Aphantasia Guide that might be helpful in your exploration. It has some additional thought experiments you can try on yourself and with others: https://aphantasia.com/guide/.

Jennifer McDougallCommentover 1 year ago

Benefit of Noticing that I have Basic, Fleeting Visualization Ability

It's wonderful to hear about your experiences with the Aphantasia Network and how it has helped you learn more about yourself and connect with others who share similar cognitive experiences. Your observation about your occasional moments of visualization is interesting. Are these visual experiences something that happens out of the blue, or do you find you have some control over when they occur? The potential to further develop visualization abilities, especially for those with some degree of visualization (even if very low), is a fascinating area for future research and personal discovery. However, the question of whether these visualization abilities can be developed in congenital cases of aphantasia—where the individual has never experienced voluntary or spontaneous visualization—remains a topic of ongoing research and debate. Regarding the naming of 'aphantasia,' there's a historical context for the term a-phantasia. You can learn more about it here: https://aphantasia.com/article/science/history-of-aphantasia/