What if Your Mind's Eye is blind?
People with Aphantasia do not have a "mind's eye"
If I tell you about a rainy day, as the rain pours down incessantly, on the buildings, the cars and the trees, you “see” it. The wind keeps on blowing and the skies are dark. It seems like a cyclone is on its way. All the litter on the streets is now swirling in the storm. Pedestrians are struggling with their umbrellas, as they try to protect themselves from the rain and stormy winds. You can visualize the complete scene.
When I tell you about a ship moving on a tranquil sea, with passengers walking and lounging on the decks, as birds fly across the clear blue sky, free from any clouds. The captain looks out and smiles, he views his maps and knows that their destination lies just below the horizon. You can feel the serenity of this scene, and you can “see” it in your mind’s eye.
What if you could not visualize these “scenes” in your “mind’s eye”, you would be “blind” in that part of your brain, that allows you to view the scenes described above. There are people who have the condition of “aphantasia”, which means that they are unable to visualize any scene in their mind. Scientists are now actively working on trying to understand, why this happens and how the mind and brain of these individuals work.
Some people don't have a mind's eye. Scientists want to know why
The senses of sight and sound are usually mingled in the brain, but not for people with aphantasia.www.sciencenews.org
