Marie Smith

I dream in full colour with sounds and sensations. I rarely remember my dreams but I can recall one particular dream that I had years ago. I was standing on the top of a mountain enjoying the view, I could smell the fresh air, I could feel the breeze on my face then I leaned forward and flew. I could smell the ground, sea and trees as I passed over them, I could feel the rushing of the wind about my body, I felt more alive than I had ever done. Then I woke up, back to the here and now, no inner vision, no relived senses just a memory that has stayed with me.

I am a total aphantasic. I have seen only one image in my waking mind and I was quite disturbed by it. I was busy doing something when, as clear as if I was there, I saw the image of a dentists surgery with a boxer dog sitting in the dentist chair. I wasn't thinking about dentists or dogs at the time so the image was quite random, and I was sober! I do dream in full colour, again lifelike. I cannot conjure up smells, tastes, sensations, emotions or sounds. I do get songs stuck in my head, but I do not hear them, just my inner monologue 'singing' the words or dum dum dum-ing the notes. I don't even hear my inner monologue, it is just words appearing in my thoughts with no voice attached. I tried to explain this to my daughter once but she couldn't understand how I could hear my thoughts without "hearing" them, I guess it is difficult to explain what occurs in your mind.