KQED's Forum Forum From the Archives: Living Without a Mind's Eye and the Ability to Visualize
Dec 23, 2025
Larissa MacFarquhar, a staff writer for The New Yorker, explores the concept of aphantasia, revealing its profound impact on individuals. Joined by Tom Ebeyer, founder of the Aphantasia Network, they discuss the spectrum of mental imagery, from the inability to visualize to hyperphantasia. They delve into how people discover their aphantasia and the emotional nuances of living without mental images. The conversation uncovers how memory varies for aphantasics and the implications for creativity, identity, and even dreams.
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Knowing Without Seeing
- Aphantasia means some people cannot form mental images even though they know facts about objects.
- They recognize and know things without experiencing a visual representation of them.
Imagery Exists On A Spectrum
- Imagery ability sits on a spectrum from aphantasia to hyperphantasia with many people in between.
- Adam Zeman coined both terms after finding extremes at both ends of the distribution.
Discovery At A Party
- Tom Ebeyer discovered his aphantasia in college after a girlfriend mentioned seeing pictures in her mind.
- That moment sparked his long interest and later founding of the Aphantasia Network.