Cognition
How do people with aphantasia think? While lacking mental imagery, aphantasics develop diverse cognitive strategies - often relying on verbal, semantic, or abstract thought patterns. This cognitive variation challenges traditional assumptions about the role of mental imagery in thinking, creativity, learning, memory, and more. Research suggests aphantasia influences but doesn't impair cognitive processes. Many aphantasics report thinking in words, concepts, or other non-visual and non-sensory forms, demonstrating the brain's remarkable adaptability. On this page, you'll find research exploring aphantasic cognition, personal accounts of thinking styles, and discussions about different cognitive strategies used by the aphantasia community.
Absence of shared representation in the visual cortex challenges unconscious imagery in aphantasia
Scholz, C. O., Monzel, M., & Liu, J. (2025). Absence of shared representation in the visual cortex challenges unconscious imagery in aphantasia. Current Biology, 35(13), R645–R646. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.05.009
Beyond words: Examining the role of mental imagery for the Stroop effect by contrasting aphantasics and controls
The Stroop effect, where conflicting color words disrupt cognitive processing, was tested in individuals with aphantasia—who struggle with mental imagery. Results showed a reduced Stroop effect in aphantasics, suggesting that mental imagery interferes with perception. This finding may impact how Stroop tasks are used in psychological assessments.
Monzel, M., Rademacher, J., Krempel, R., & Reuter, M. (2025). Beyond words: examining the role of mental imagery for the stroop effect by contrasting aphantasics and controls. Cognition, 259, 106120. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106120
The Power of Abstract Thinking in Aphantasia
The concept of 'tokens' and 'types' helped me understand how we think differently: visualizers use specific imagery, while aphantasics excel in abstract thinking.
Are You a Visualizer or Conceptualizer? The Ball on a Table Test
The Ball on a Table experiment is a simple visualization test that reveals whether you think in pictures (visualizer) or concepts (conceptualizer). This revealing experiment, originally credited to u/Caaaarrrl, takes less than a minute but provides profound insights into how your mind processes information.
The Visualizer’s Fallacy
Understanding the hidden assumptions that lead to biases against aphantasics’ cognitive abilities.
What's It Like To Be A Neuroscientist With Aphantasia? Interview with Dr. Mac Shine
Neuroscientist Mac Shine delves into aphantasia—a condition he personally experiences—to challenge conventional views on perception, explore the neuroscience of imagination, and draw unexpected parallels between the cognitive functions of aphantasics and large language models like ChatGPT-4.
Meta-Imagination in Aphantasia and the Language Game of Visualising with Researcher Chris Scholoz
Discover how individuals with aphantasia engage in imaginative exercises using language and how this experience differs from visualizers. Christian Scholz presents a new theoretical concept called meta-imagination.
Are People with Aphantasia Verbal Thinkers?
Julia Simner addresses a common misconception that aphantasics must be verbal thinkers in this presentation from the 2021 Extreme Imagination Conference.
Do you think in words?
Do others create complex mental models without relying on words, or is this way of thinking unique to some?
Thinking: Visual vs Abstract vs Verbal vs Logic vs Connective vs Kinesthetic etc.
Exploring the interplay of visualization, abstraction, and logic reveals diverse cognitive processes—each shaping unique thought experiences.
If you have not images, how can you think?
How do you process thoughts without visual imagery? Is it like an internal conversation, or do you experience auditory imagination instead?
Learning with Aphantasia: Exploring the Potential Limitations and Opportunities for Aphantasic Learners
There's no right or wrong way to learn – just different approaches that work for different minds.
Think of a Horse: Describing Aphantasia
How do you describe aphantasia? Founder of Aphantasia Network often gets asked this question. His answer? Think of a horse.
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