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--- aphantasia [2024/08/27 15:21] – [Formal Definition] sabs
+++ aphantasia [2025/01/11 14:47] (current) – [Aphantasia] tom
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ====== Aphantasia ======
-{{ :aphantasic.png?150|}}**Aphantasia** is a neurological condition characterised by an individual's inability to visualise images in their mind. People with aphantasia do not experience visual imagery, and their "mind's eye" is effectively blind. This condition can impact the ability to recall visual memories, imagine future scenarios, or even engage in visual creativity, such as drawing from imagination. The term "aphantasia" was first coined in a study led by cognitive neurologist Adam Zeman in 2015.
+{{ :aphantasic.png?150|}}**Aphantasia[(aphantasia>aphantasia[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aphantasia|Wikipedia]])][(AphantasiaNetwork>Aphantasia Network[[https://aphantasia.com/|Aphantasia Network]])]** framed as a cognitive deficit is a neurological condition characterised by an individual's inability to visualise images in their mind. People with aphantasia do not experience visual imagery, and their "mind's eye" is effectively blind. This condition can impact the ability to recall visual memories, imagine future scenarios, or even engage in visual creativity, such as drawing from imagination. The term "aphantasia" was first coined in a study led by cognitive neurologist Adam Zeman in 2015.
+Apart from this framing it is e.g. possible that a weak or absent ability to have imagined visual sensations is balanced by a heightened resistance to intrusive thoughts [(Neuroscience2024>Neuroscience Article 12.2024[[https://neurosciencenews.com/visual-silence-aphantasia-28249/|Visual Silence: Exploring Aphantasia Neuroscience December 15, 2024]])] . There is considerable variation in people's ability to experience imagined visualizations, ranging from a lifelong inability (Congenital Aphantasia) to those who report imagined experiences as vivid as actual perception (Hyperphantasia).
+The most current state of neurological insight is that People with aphantasia still have a blueprint for mental imagery, even if they can’t consciously ‘see’ it. “People with aphantasia actually do seem to have images of a sort, they remain too weak or distorted to become conscious or be measured by our standard measurement techniques” [( :harvard:Matson2025>>
+authors   : Lilly Matson
+title     : Mind blindness decoded: people who can’t see with their ‘mind’s eye’ still activate their visual cortex, study finds
+publisher : UNSW
+published : January 2025
+url       : https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/01/mind-blindness-decoded-people-who-cant-see-with-their-minds-eye-still-activate-their-visual-cortex-study-finds
+)][( :harvard:Chang2025>>
+authors   : Chang, Shuai et al.
+title     : Imageless imagery in aphantasia revealed by early visual cortex decoding
+publisher : Current Biology
+published : January 2025
+url       : https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01652-X
+)]
+===== Controversies in Diagnosis and Debate on Validity =====
+The diagnosis of aphantasia has sparked considerable debate within the scientific and medical communities. While some researchers argue that aphantasia is a genuine neurological condition, others question its validity, proposing that it may be more of a subjective experience or an extreme end of a spectrum of visual imagery abilities.
+The most current state of neurological insight is that People with aphantasia still have a blueprint for mental imagery, even if they can’t consciously ‘see’ it. “People with aphantasia actually do seem to have images of a sort, they remain too weak or distorted to become conscious or be measured by our standard measurement techniques” [( :harvard:Matson2025>>
+authors   : Lilly Matson
+title     : Mind blindness decoded: people who can’t see with their ‘mind’s eye’ still activate their visual cortex, study finds
+publisher : UNSW
+published : January 2025
+url       : https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/01/mind-blindness-decoded-people-who-cant-see-with-their-minds-eye-still-activate-their-visual-cortex-study-finds
+)][( :harvard:Chang2025>>
+authors   : Chang, Shuai et al.
+title     : Imageless imagery in aphantasia revealed by early visual cortex decoding
+publisher : Current Biology
+published : January 2025
+url       : https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01652-X
+)]
 ===== Formal Definition =====
@@ Line 10: / Line 44: @@
 ====Aphantasia and Hyperphantasia - The Continuum of Visual Imagination====
-The terms "aphantasia[(aphantasia>aphantasia[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aphantasia|Wikipedia]])][(AphantasiaNetwork>Aphantasia Network[[https://aphantasia.com/|Aphantasia Network]])]" and "hyperphantasia[(hyperphantasia>hyperphantasia[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hyperphantasia|Wikipedia]])]" describe the absence and abundance of visual imagery. At their far ends, these conditions affect about 1% for aphantasia and 3% for hyperphantasia, often displaying familial inheritance. These variations in conscious experience manifest across various contexts and likely encompass subcategories awaiting detailed definitions.
+The terms "aphantasia [(aphantasia>aphantasia[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aphantasia|Wikipedia]])][(AphantasiaNetwork>Aphantasia Network[[https://aphantasia.com/|Aphantasia Network]])]" and "hyperphantasia [(hyperphantasia>hyperphantasia[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hyperphantasia|Wikipedia]])]" describe the absence and abundance of visual imagery. At their far ends, these conditions affect about 1% for aphantasia and 3% for hyperphantasia, often displaying familial inheritance. These variations in conscious experience manifest across various contexts and likely encompass subcategories awaiting detailed definitions.
 While individuals with extreme imagery often experience effects on other forms of imagery like dreams and spatial visualization, aphantasia typically leaves autobiographical memory and facial recognition intact, albeit diminished. Aphantasia may have links with autism but could potentially confer protection against certain mental health conditions. Recent research has primarily focused on aphantasia, shedding light on its position along the vividness spectrum [( :harvard:Adam2024>>
@@ Line 58: / Line 92: @@
 The diagnosis of aphantasia has sparked considerable debate within the scientific and medical communities. While some researchers argue that aphantasia is a genuine neurological condition, others question its validity, proposing that it may be more of a subjective experience or an extreme end of a spectrum of visual imagery abilities.
+The most current state of neurological insight is that People with aphantasia still have a blueprint for mental imagery, even if they can’t consciously ‘see’ it. “People with aphantasia actually do seem to have images of a sort, they remain too weak or distorted to become conscious or be measured by our standard measurement techniques” [( :harvard:Matson2025>>
+authors   : Lilly Matson
+title     : Mind blindness decoded: people who can’t see with their ‘mind’s eye’ still activate their visual cortex, study finds
+publisher : UNSW
+published : January 2025
+url       : https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/01/mind-blindness-decoded-people-who-cant-see-with-their-minds-eye-still-activate-their-visual-cortex-study-finds
+)][( :harvard:Chang2025>>
+authors   : Chang, Shuai et al.
+title     : Imageless imagery in aphantasia revealed by early visual cortex decoding
+publisher : Current Biology
+published : January 2025
+url       : https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01652-X
+)]
+<blockquote>Our results show that when someone with aphantasia tries to imagine, their brains still seem to create a representation in the early visual cortex. It’s like their brain is doing the math but skipping the final step of showing the result on a screen.
+<cite>Prof. Joel Pearson.</cite></blockquote>
+Research exploring this phenomenon investigates how differences in visualization abilities affect involuntary imagery and its neural underpinnings. For example, participants were asked either to visualize or to suppress visualization of specific scenarios, like a pink elephant, while their brain activity was monitored using electroencephalography (EEG). The vividness of individuals’ voluntary visualizations correlated with their likelihood of experiencing involuntary imagery, influenced by neural mechanisms tied to disinhibition, working memory, and feedback processing.
+These findings reveal that the strength of involuntary visual experiences often scales with the intensity of one’s capacity for voluntary visualization, shedding light on the broader implications of aphantasia and its neurological basis. [( :harvard:Arnold2025>>
+authors   : Derek H. Arnold, Mary Hutchinson, Loren N. Bouyer, D. Samuel Schwarzkopf, Elizabeth Pellicano, Blake W. Saurels
+title     : Don't think of a pink elephant: Individual differences in visualisation predict involuntary imagery and its neural correlates
+publisher : Cortex
+published : Volume 183, February 2025, Pages 53-65
+url       : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2024.10.020
+)]
 ==== Controversy 1: Subjective Experience vs. Neurological Condition ====
@@ Line 75: / Line 136: @@
 Whether aphantasia is a "real" condition is complex and remains unresolved. Critics argue that the reliance on subjective reporting and the lack of clear diagnostic criteria make it difficult to establish aphantasia as a legitimate condition conclusively. Additionally, they suggest that more research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and develop objective diagnostic tools.
-On the other hand, advocates for recognizing aphantasia as a real condition highlight the growing body of research demonstrating consistent differences in brain function and cognitive processing between individuals with and without aphantasia. They also emphasize the importance of acknowledging aphantasia's impact on individuals' lives, particularly in areas such as memory, creativity, and emotional processing.
+On the other hand, advocates for recognising aphantasia as a real condition highlight the growing body of research demonstrating consistent differences in brain function and cognitive processing between individuals with and without aphantasia. They also emphasise the importance of acknowledging aphantasia's impact on individuals' lives, particularly in areas such as memory, creativity, and emotional processing.
 ^ Issue ^ Position ^ Reference ^
@@ Line 94: / Line 155: @@
 <blockquote>
-I have had some people say they couldn’t visualize, but after the work, they started to “see” /describe aspects of the memory.
+I have had some people say they couldn’t visualise, but after the work, they started to “see” /describe aspects of the memory.
 This was after the emotional loading was reduced.
 <cite>Lori Heinzman Donnelly</cite>
@@ Line 100: / Line 161: @@
 <blockquote>
-Don't ask them to visualise. Just let them talk about the memory or the thought. "Just concentrate on that thought/memory..." I have family members who can't visualise. They access memories in their own way.
+Don't ask them to visualize. Just let them talk about the memory or the thought. "Just concentrate on that thought/memory..." I have family members who can't visualize. They access memories in their own way.
 <cite>Mavis Kerrigan</cite>
 </blockquote>
@@ Line 107: / Line 168: @@
   * Visualizing is not a prerequisite for doing IEMT.
-  * Use the frame "memory" instead of "visualize".
+  * Use the frame "memory" or " "thought" instead of "visualize".
   * Dependence on the emotional content - K Pattern / reevaluate.
   * It can be a pointer to a detrimental mindset of the client to this kind of intervention
 {{ :aphantasia.jpg?1200 }}