Is your MIND’S EYE BLIND?

I ake a moment to imagine an apple. What colour is it? Can you see little droplets of dew on the skin, or perhaps bruises and marks? Is it perfectly round – a glossy Granny Smith – or misshapen? Can you see anything at all?

If you can’t see anything, you may have aphantasia, which is simply defined as an inability to visualise. Visual imagery allows us to revisit or recall the appearance of things in their absence. The ability to visualise has extreme variations, ranging from completely absent (aphantasia) through to photo-like (hyperphantasia). Although the phenomenon of aphantasia is still poorly understood, it holds fascinating insights as to how differently our brains function. Because it’s impossible to know exactly what’s happening in the minds of other people – and impossible to miss something that