The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines aphantasia as “the inability to form mental images of real or imaginary people, places, or things.”
The most important thing to first understand about this condition is that it is heavily subjective to each individual who has it, similar to how there are variations in the way people who can visualize do so.
Very little research has been done on aphantasia, as the term was only coined in 2015.
It was first recognized from a medical perspective after a man had a stroke. Upon recovery, he realized he didn’t have the ability to picture anything in his mind anymore.
Since then, terms like “aphant” and “aphantastic” (both referring to a person who has aphantasia) have been created. Additionally, it has been estimated that this condition only affects 1% to 3% of people.
From the information that is public, it seems as though many aphants don’t understand, or sometimes even don’t believe, that most people really can see pictures in their heads.
Upon this realization, aphantasia is often viewed as a great disadvantage.
Most people can visualize at a regular level. This is where ideas of “picture in your mind’s eye…” and “mentally go to your happy place” were created.
Many people can see detailed images in their head and some, who may identify as artists, even have the ability to recreate those mental pictures in a physical medium.
On the opposite end, the “truest” aphants see nothing but blackness, or just the light shining through their eyelids.
However, some are able to see blurry blobs of images, and others can even see grey or black outlines.
Some can dream and others cannot, but all people who cannot fully visualize most images fall under the umbrella of having aphantasia to some degree.