Global Aphantasia
Global aphantasia is characterized by a complete absence of voluntary mental imagery across all sensory modalities - visual, auditory, tactile, taste, and smell. Sometimes referred to as 'total aphantasia.' This type of aphantasia differs from single-sensory aphantasia, offering unique insights into how the mind processes information without any form of mental simulation. Like other forms, global aphantasia can be either congenital (present from birth) or acquired. Understanding total aphantasia helps researchers explore the interconnected nature of sensory processing and memory systems. On this page, you'll find studies examining the full spectrum of sensory imagery, personal experiences of living with global aphantasia, and resources about adapting to a life without any form of mental imagery.
Expanding Aphantasia Definition: Researchers Propose New Boundaries
Researchers expand aphantasia definition beyond "inability to visualize." This broader framework impacts how we understand and identify with the condition.
Definition: Aphantasia
Zeman, A., Monzel, M., Pearson, J., Scholz, C. O., & Simner, J. (2025). Definition: aphantasia. Cortex, 182, 212–213. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.019
Same Brain, Different Reality: The Neuroscience Behind Aphantasia's Hidden Mechanisms
How a neurologist's decades-long investigation into patients who couldn't "see" half their memories led to groundbreaking discoveries about aphantasia, brain connectivity, and the hidden mechanisms of human imagination.
Breaking the Connectivity Code: How The Aphantasia Brain Access Visual Information Without the Mind's Eye
How a brain researcher's journey from engineering to neuroscience uncovered the hidden networks that allow people with aphantasia to navigate a visual world without mental imagery—and what this reveals about the nature of consciousness itself.
Is Aphantasia Hereditary? - A Personal Exploration
I have aphantasia. Do my siblings have it? What about my parents? Is aphantasia hereditary?
Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: A response to Lambert and Sibley (2022) and Simner and Dance (2022)
Monzel, M., Mitchell, D., Macpherson, F., Pearson, J., & Zeman, A. (2022). Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: a response to lambert and sibley (2022) and simner and dance (2022). Cortex, 152, 74–76. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.04.003
3 Things I Learned From Having Multisensory Aphantasia That Changed My Understanding Of The World
My journey understanding the cognitive profiles of aphantasia and hyperphantasia started when I learned at age 30 that most of you have a superpower I don’t.
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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