I've been wondering about this phenomenon. When I first saw the aphantasia/hyperphantasia memes, I leaned toward identifying myself as having "hyperphantasia." This is because I had a vivid imagination as a child, and could easily dissociate into daydreams, and because I test as extremely gifted on tests of spatial rotation (I was given a test as a kid where you're shown how a piece of paper is folded, then holes and shapes are cut out of the folded paper and you have to choose which design the paper would have once it's unfolded -- I got a perfect score and honestly was confused that other people might find this challenging). I'm insanely good at Tetris (including the 3D variation available on VR headsets, SuperHyperCube, which involves rotating increasingly complex 3D shapes to fit through a hole in a wall). I'm difficult to beat at Boggle because I don't have to look at the board as much as most people; I look at an area of the board, remember it, and quickly find anagrams in my head and quickly write them down.
But I don't literally "see" things with my mind's eye. I mean, I "see" them, but not the same way I see, for example, closed-eye fractals on a psychedelics trip. I've wondered if I only identified with "hyperphantasia" because I didn't take it literally as "seeing" something, but more metaphorically. If I were to answer whether I literally see something, I'd answer "no" -- aphantasia.
I honestly don't know, but I'm confused.
I can draw objects fairly well from memory, but have some motor clumsiness (from a traumatic brain injury to the right parietal lobe). I'm often frustrated my hand can't produce what my "inner eye" wants it to.
Similarly, I can "hear" full songs in my head, but I don't literally "hear" them. Once on ketamine I actually hallucinated a song playing (heard it with my ears, not just my brain) and that was very different.
Paradoxically, Aphantasics can often be exceptionally good at mental rotation tasks, myself included. I aced non verbal reasoning tests like that as a kid. Something about being able to translate coordinates without being distracted by possibly incorrect mental imagery. It's hard to explain but I've always found that simple. I can't do it in my head but I can while looking.
Interesting ... as I said, I wonder now if I just misunderstood what people meant when they referred to their "inner eye". I didn't take it as literally seeing something, but as something more ineffable.
I can do stuff like quickly find passages in books I read months or even years earlier, because I'll remember whether it was on a left or right page, top of page or bottom, and roughly what the page layout looked like. There's definitely something going on with me that most people can't do, because others are usually stunned when I bust one of these skills out. But I suspect I was wrong to identify it as "hyperphantasia."
You might find this guy's take on aphantasia and hyperphantasia of interest:
I'm a 5. I can replay a movie in my head. I can imagine the past, smells, tactile stuff, everything. It's shocking to ME that not everyone can do this. I feel lucky, but it's not all good--I mean, I like remembering the happy times, but...
Anyway, I have a question for you #1-2 people--what about audio? can you imagine sounds, play a song in your head?
Three sides to this - 1) a wonderful Oliver Sacks piece on an artist who lost the concept of color 2) I have been working with AI’s for (we discussed at dinner tonight, since at least 1993 when I wrote a version of a Chat GPT) for decades, and they of course operate entirely in a linguistic framework at this time just the same as discussed here, no internal pictures, and 3) I’m the opposite end of visual. I remember the day I was taken out of kindergarten, we had gone to a pumpkin patch, and most children drew, you know, big orange blobs and a few leaves. I drew a detailed two point perspective rendering of the patch, pumpkins, buildings, the children blah blah. I had to be “tested” which made things worse, the degree I was singled out. I can effortlessly recall time-sequence episodes, layouts, colors, scents, emotions, and sensations. I have an unusual hobby in that I study and write gay pornography. In my complex gay life, I found that if I merely play back in my mind really nice events with men I had a lot of pleasure with, I can describe it in such intricate detail that my readers feel that they are absolutely in the moment, and men whom I haven’t see for years are in shock that I can remember precise geometric detail, minute to minute, precisely what we did and our feelings decades later.
I also easily used to have controllable lucid dreams, vivid 3D immersive dreams, between shattering pain for the last few years due to a mysterious septic arthritis destroying some major joints, and sleep apnea; when I can get deep sleep, dreamtime is wonderful. For years I used to laugh in my sleep.
Also, when I have experience very powerful doses of hallucinogenic drugs, I’ve never, ever felt “mysterious all-powerful spiritual” effects, not even close. I have no idea what people talk about when this come up in literature. I can however recall effortlessly the quite bizarre physical (skin sensory), time- and visual environments. Rotating fields of acid green and pink tori extending to infinity (K), worlds draped with black mildly rainbow-colored coruscating shifting fractal webs (magic rocks in Amsterdam), thick lime-green gelatin worlds (opium in Paris), sparkling glinting flowing frameworks (Molly, Sass), and time-fragmented stroboscopic frames, seething neon-bordered tracer-enhanced mechanical landscapes, parabolic distorted science-fiction transformations and more (Acid). Always, always aware they are eyes-open hallucinations.
Among many odd skills skills, as a trained musician i also have as much facility with recalling complex music, symphonies in their entirety, as I have experienced. My husband realized this sometime ago, seeing cold sober staring into space occasionally (perfect absent-minded Professor) he’d find me playing music back in my head. As I child I was known for walking into walls...
I was at dinner with a group of friends from Caltech years ago and I asked the fatal question. All of us could recall the most esoteric ideas, number sequence. formulas, logic, but nobody could remember names. To this day unless I attach concrete visuals or word sequences to a person, consciously, and repeat it for a day or so, I’m dead in social situations.
This is me too! I had thought I was somewhere between 1 and 2 on your scale, but reading this I realised I'm not a 2, there's no dim image, I'm just making up a description. Definitely a 1, no mind's eye at all.
In some studies, the human pupil restricts some when imagining a bright light. In some studies, the human skin becomes slightly moist when experiencing a horrific mental image. Some people are born with the ability to mentally visualize, and then lose it after an accident or an operation so there is objective proof that there is a difference between visualization and remembering without visualization. In one study, a man could not see with his eyes—blind—but he was able to avoid objects in a hallway; this supports the idea that understanding of spatial relations is separate from mental and physical visualizing. In studies, there are brain areas that do light up for those who can mentally visualize and do not light up for those who cannot mentally visualize. In some studies, binocular rivalry has been proven to affect visualizers versus non-visualizers different differently. According to at least one source that I’ve read, there is literally a part of the brain that somewhat creates an image, and that does not happen with non-visualizers in the back of the brain. Perceptual priming has also been used to find differences in response between aphantasics and phantasics.
Keep in mind that this is on a scale, so some of us are full aphantasics, but there are those who are effectively aphantasics because they cannot effectively use visualization even though they report barely seeing a dim, fuzzy, or blurry image. I suppose scientists should differentiate between the two during research, but in general, I think most of us would include them.
Wow, I’d never known about this. My visual realisation is akin to charcoal drawing. It’s recognisable but blurred, lacks distinction and doesn’t move. The longer I think about it the harder the image is to hold onto. I’m also terrible at recognising faces, which I think is linked. Really interesting article, thanks.
Are you telling me that people see images in their mind like they are looking at a picture or watching a film? WTF??? I don't believe it AT ALL. They are just making it up!
I do see images while I am dreaming, but if you ask me to picture a horse in a field at sunset... well...
In all honesty, I think this is just nonsense. How do you know what goes on in someone's head?
If I were to make a mind palace I probably could come up with something (never tried) and if all else fails you can memorise by association (which is something I do, when trying to remember (phone) numbers).
It's not nonsense. I was shocked when I first understood that some people can't "see" in their mind's eye. I am at the other end of the scale and can conjure up images that are so vivid I feel I can reach out and touch them or - in the case of locations like a beach, I can feel as if I am there. If asked to imagine an object I am very familiar with - an apple, say, - I can not only describe what I am "seeing" in detail, I can "smell" it, take a bite out of it and "taste" it. If it's a very green apple, I can feel the tartness on my tongue.
I have come to see this ability as both a blessing and a curse. Some things I would prefer to be unable to conjure up in this way.
I've been wondering about this phenomenon. When I first saw the aphantasia/hyperphantasia memes, I leaned toward identifying myself as having "hyperphantasia." This is because I had a vivid imagination as a child, and could easily dissociate into daydreams, and because I test as extremely gifted on tests of spatial rotation (I was given a test as a kid where you're shown how a piece of paper is folded, then holes and shapes are cut out of the folded paper and you have to choose which design the paper would have once it's unfolded -- I got a perfect score and honestly was confused that other people might find this challenging). I'm insanely good at Tetris (including the 3D variation available on VR headsets, SuperHyperCube, which involves rotating increasingly complex 3D shapes to fit through a hole in a wall). I'm difficult to beat at Boggle because I don't have to look at the board as much as most people; I look at an area of the board, remember it, and quickly find anagrams in my head and quickly write them down.
But I don't literally "see" things with my mind's eye. I mean, I "see" them, but not the same way I see, for example, closed-eye fractals on a psychedelics trip. I've wondered if I only identified with "hyperphantasia" because I didn't take it literally as "seeing" something, but more metaphorically. If I were to answer whether I literally see something, I'd answer "no" -- aphantasia.
I honestly don't know, but I'm confused.
I can draw objects fairly well from memory, but have some motor clumsiness (from a traumatic brain injury to the right parietal lobe). I'm often frustrated my hand can't produce what my "inner eye" wants it to.
Similarly, I can "hear" full songs in my head, but I don't literally "hear" them. Once on ketamine I actually hallucinated a song playing (heard it with my ears, not just my brain) and that was very different.
Paradoxically, Aphantasics can often be exceptionally good at mental rotation tasks, myself included. I aced non verbal reasoning tests like that as a kid. Something about being able to translate coordinates without being distracted by possibly incorrect mental imagery. It's hard to explain but I've always found that simple. I can't do it in my head but I can while looking.
Interesting ... as I said, I wonder now if I just misunderstood what people meant when they referred to their "inner eye". I didn't take it as literally seeing something, but as something more ineffable.
I can do stuff like quickly find passages in books I read months or even years earlier, because I'll remember whether it was on a left or right page, top of page or bottom, and roughly what the page layout looked like. There's definitely something going on with me that most people can't do, because others are usually stunned when I bust one of these skills out. But I suspect I was wrong to identify it as "hyperphantasia."
You might find this guy's take on aphantasia and hyperphantasia of interest:
https://www.larrygowdy.com/aphantasiacritique.html
I'm a 5. I can replay a movie in my head. I can imagine the past, smells, tactile stuff, everything. It's shocking to ME that not everyone can do this. I feel lucky, but it's not all good--I mean, I like remembering the happy times, but...
Anyway, I have a question for you #1-2 people--what about audio? can you imagine sounds, play a song in your head?
Three sides to this - 1) a wonderful Oliver Sacks piece on an artist who lost the concept of color 2) I have been working with AI’s for (we discussed at dinner tonight, since at least 1993 when I wrote a version of a Chat GPT) for decades, and they of course operate entirely in a linguistic framework at this time just the same as discussed here, no internal pictures, and 3) I’m the opposite end of visual. I remember the day I was taken out of kindergarten, we had gone to a pumpkin patch, and most children drew, you know, big orange blobs and a few leaves. I drew a detailed two point perspective rendering of the patch, pumpkins, buildings, the children blah blah. I had to be “tested” which made things worse, the degree I was singled out. I can effortlessly recall time-sequence episodes, layouts, colors, scents, emotions, and sensations. I have an unusual hobby in that I study and write gay pornography. In my complex gay life, I found that if I merely play back in my mind really nice events with men I had a lot of pleasure with, I can describe it in such intricate detail that my readers feel that they are absolutely in the moment, and men whom I haven’t see for years are in shock that I can remember precise geometric detail, minute to minute, precisely what we did and our feelings decades later.
I also easily used to have controllable lucid dreams, vivid 3D immersive dreams, between shattering pain for the last few years due to a mysterious septic arthritis destroying some major joints, and sleep apnea; when I can get deep sleep, dreamtime is wonderful. For years I used to laugh in my sleep.
Also, when I have experience very powerful doses of hallucinogenic drugs, I’ve never, ever felt “mysterious all-powerful spiritual” effects, not even close. I have no idea what people talk about when this come up in literature. I can however recall effortlessly the quite bizarre physical (skin sensory), time- and visual environments. Rotating fields of acid green and pink tori extending to infinity (K), worlds draped with black mildly rainbow-colored coruscating shifting fractal webs (magic rocks in Amsterdam), thick lime-green gelatin worlds (opium in Paris), sparkling glinting flowing frameworks (Molly, Sass), and time-fragmented stroboscopic frames, seething neon-bordered tracer-enhanced mechanical landscapes, parabolic distorted science-fiction transformations and more (Acid). Always, always aware they are eyes-open hallucinations.
Among many odd skills skills, as a trained musician i also have as much facility with recalling complex music, symphonies in their entirety, as I have experienced. My husband realized this sometime ago, seeing cold sober staring into space occasionally (perfect absent-minded Professor) he’d find me playing music back in my head. As I child I was known for walking into walls...
I was at dinner with a group of friends from Caltech years ago and I asked the fatal question. All of us could recall the most esoteric ideas, number sequence. formulas, logic, but nobody could remember names. To this day unless I attach concrete visuals or word sequences to a person, consciously, and repeat it for a day or so, I’m dead in social situations.
I think you'll find that this is known as visual memory and is a component of many tests of intelligence.
Currently there is an increased
ed number of individuals who identify as neurodivergent.
This is me too! I had thought I was somewhere between 1 and 2 on your scale, but reading this I realised I'm not a 2, there's no dim image, I'm just making up a description. Definitely a 1, no mind's eye at all.
In some studies, the human pupil restricts some when imagining a bright light. In some studies, the human skin becomes slightly moist when experiencing a horrific mental image. Some people are born with the ability to mentally visualize, and then lose it after an accident or an operation so there is objective proof that there is a difference between visualization and remembering without visualization. In one study, a man could not see with his eyes—blind—but he was able to avoid objects in a hallway; this supports the idea that understanding of spatial relations is separate from mental and physical visualizing. In studies, there are brain areas that do light up for those who can mentally visualize and do not light up for those who cannot mentally visualize. In some studies, binocular rivalry has been proven to affect visualizers versus non-visualizers different differently. According to at least one source that I’ve read, there is literally a part of the brain that somewhat creates an image, and that does not happen with non-visualizers in the back of the brain. Perceptual priming has also been used to find differences in response between aphantasics and phantasics.
Keep in mind that this is on a scale, so some of us are full aphantasics, but there are those who are effectively aphantasics because they cannot effectively use visualization even though they report barely seeing a dim, fuzzy, or blurry image. I suppose scientists should differentiate between the two during research, but in general, I think most of us would include them.
Wow, I’d never known about this. My visual realisation is akin to charcoal drawing. It’s recognisable but blurred, lacks distinction and doesn’t move. The longer I think about it the harder the image is to hold onto. I’m also terrible at recognising faces, which I think is linked. Really interesting article, thanks.
Fascinating! But if somebody gives you a blank sheet of paper and asks you to draw, say, a horse, how can you draw one without visualising it?
Badly
I am only a third of the way through.
Are you telling me that people see images in their mind like they are looking at a picture or watching a film? WTF??? I don't believe it AT ALL. They are just making it up!
I do see images while I am dreaming, but if you ask me to picture a horse in a field at sunset... well...
In all honesty, I think this is just nonsense. How do you know what goes on in someone's head?
If I were to make a mind palace I probably could come up with something (never tried) and if all else fails you can memorise by association (which is something I do, when trying to remember (phone) numbers).
It's not nonsense. I was shocked when I first understood that some people can't "see" in their mind's eye. I am at the other end of the scale and can conjure up images that are so vivid I feel I can reach out and touch them or - in the case of locations like a beach, I can feel as if I am there. If asked to imagine an object I am very familiar with - an apple, say, - I can not only describe what I am "seeing" in detail, I can "smell" it, take a bite out of it and "taste" it. If it's a very green apple, I can feel the tartness on my tongue.
I have come to see this ability as both a blessing and a curse. Some things I would prefer to be unable to conjure up in this way.