Aphantasia

I wonder how many here are aphantasic.  

" We were not too surprised by a second association: a small proportion of participants have described a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (asd). Alterations in the ability to imagine have long been regarded as a key feature of asd, and visualisation is a key ingredient of imagination (though not an indispensable one, as we will see).  "

https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/exeterblog/blog/2016/11/08/aphantasia-10000-people-make-contact-over-visual-imagery/

medicine.exeter.ac.uk/.../

Parents
  • I read this and the link when you originally posted it, and was fascinated.  I'm an artist and always have thought of myself as imaginative, creatively and practically.  When I first started to realise that ASD was at the root of my issues with life I thought that the general-isms of lack of empathy and lack of imagination did not apply to me, but now I wonder sometimes.

    When I actually pause and think I have become aware that I can't visualise  anything much in my minds eye, I think there is a vague abstract hodge podge of the thing I am imagining, a bit Picasso cubist, but the more I examine this I'm not sure that is even there, I may just be 'seeing' what I know, not an image at all.

    I am confused by this and find it quite hard to think about so I apologise if it doesn't make much sense.  I also wonder if it relates to my art as many people have asked me where my imagery comes from, to which the short answer is 'I don't know' and also if I work from an idea or a sketch which is completely alien to me and no I don't.  My work is like a dance or a conversation that has a random beginning and it's own energy and logic to be juggled along the way.

    Certainly food for thought.

    Sorry to repeat the same image but I wanted to include some work for context of what I'm talking about and it is the only one I have resized to post on here.   Is it possible that I can create that and have no imagination????

Reply
  • I read this and the link when you originally posted it, and was fascinated.  I'm an artist and always have thought of myself as imaginative, creatively and practically.  When I first started to realise that ASD was at the root of my issues with life I thought that the general-isms of lack of empathy and lack of imagination did not apply to me, but now I wonder sometimes.

    When I actually pause and think I have become aware that I can't visualise  anything much in my minds eye, I think there is a vague abstract hodge podge of the thing I am imagining, a bit Picasso cubist, but the more I examine this I'm not sure that is even there, I may just be 'seeing' what I know, not an image at all.

    I am confused by this and find it quite hard to think about so I apologise if it doesn't make much sense.  I also wonder if it relates to my art as many people have asked me where my imagery comes from, to which the short answer is 'I don't know' and also if I work from an idea or a sketch which is completely alien to me and no I don't.  My work is like a dance or a conversation that has a random beginning and it's own energy and logic to be juggled along the way.

    Certainly food for thought.

    Sorry to repeat the same image but I wanted to include some work for context of what I'm talking about and it is the only one I have resized to post on here.   Is it possible that I can create that and have no imagination????

Children