Do People With Aphantasia Dream?

Published date:

2022-09-21
Score: 4.33/5 (32 votes)

Are you searching for an answer to the question: Do people with aphantasia dream? On this page, we've collected the most accurate and complete information to ensure that you have all of the answers you need. So keep reading!

Interestingly, yes, some people with aphantasia do dream in images, according to Swart, but others don't. As one study explains, "The majority of our [participants with aphantasia], in fact, had some experience of visual imagery1 from visual dreams or from involuntary 'flashes' of imagery occurring."

You may wonder, can you dream with aphantasia? Recent studies of aphantasia and its neurobehavioral correlates reveal that the majority of aphantasics, whilst unable to produce visual imagery while awake, nevertheless retain the capacity to experience rich visual dreams.

Similarly one may ask, do people with aphantasia lack imagination? If you have aphantasia, you may be unable to visualize any type of image in your head. Aphantasia is believed to be rare, affecting an estimated 1% to 3% of the population. These individuals have no "mind's eye," or their imagination is essentially blind.

Besides above, is aphantasia caused by trauma? “Some individuals with aphantasia have reported that they don't understand what it means to 'count sheep' before going to bed,” said Wilma Bainbridge, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago who recently led a study of the condition, which can be congenital or acquired through trauma.

Likewise, is having aphantasia rare? An estimated two to three percent of people have aphantasia, but because it's still not a recognizable, everyday term it's possible that people can go their whole lives without even learning it exists. So why isn't a lack of visual imagination more well-known in 2021?


How do people with aphantasia imagine?

Life with aphantasia

Some might be able to hear a tune in their mind, but not be able to imagine visual images associated with it. Similarly, research has shown that despite the inability to generate on-demand visual imagery, some people with aphantasia may still report experiencing visual imagery within dreams.

What does it feel like to have aphantasia?

People with this condition may have trouble remembering everyday things, like the number of windows on a building. Most people rely on mental images to jog their memories, so those with aphantasia must use other tactics. They might instead draw on knowledge, memory, or their other senses to help them remember things.

What are the 3 types of dreams?

Types of Dreams: A Mini Series Part 3

  • 1) Daydream – Daydreaming is classified as a level of consciousness between sleep and wakefulness. ...
  • 2) False Awakening Dreams – I know this has happened to me several times in the morning. ...
  • 3) Lucid Dreams – Lucid dreams occur when you realize you are dreaming.

Is aphantasia a Neurodivergent?

Aphantasia and hyperphantasia are examples of neurodivergence, alongside dementia, schizophrenia and all of the brain differences which exist in the human world.

Is aphantasia a disability?

Aphantasia as a Disability

Aphantasia is a relatively new term, and the inability to see images mentally has rarely been understood by those with the ability unless they know someone affected by it. Because so little is known about it, it is not recognized with other learning disabilities.

Does aphantasia affect thinking?

"This suggests that any cognitive function involving a sensory visual component - be it voluntary or involuntary - is likely to be reduced in aphantasia." Aphantasic individuals also experienced less vivid memories of their past and reported a significantly lower ability to remember past life events in general.

Can you overcome aphantasia?

Aphantasia is an inability or severely limited ability to create a mental picture in your head. To date, there's no known cure or treatments that have been proven effective, but research remains in the early stages.

What is the opposite of aphantasia?

Aphantasia, the term describing a person's inability to visualise in the mind, has been shown to be more common in scientific and technical industries. The opposite phenomenon of particularly vivid mental imagery, known as hyperphantasia, has also been shown to be more common in creative professions.

Do people with aphantasia have higher IQ?

Pairwise comparisons indicated that the aphantasia group had a significantly elevated IQ compared with the hyperphantasia group (P = 0.002), but there were no other statistically significant differences. Aphantasia mean (SD) .

How can you tell if you have aphantasia?

People with aphantasia experience either an inability or severely limited ability to create a mental image. To determine if you aphantasia, try picturing a familiar object or the face of somebody you know well. If you can't create a picture in your head, or if it's very difficult for you, you may have aphantasia.

Is aphantasia a disability?

Aphantasia as a Disability

Aphantasia is a relatively new term, and the inability to see images mentally has rarely been understood by those with the ability unless they know someone affected by it. Because so little is known about it, it is not recognized with other learning disabilities.


Do People With Aphantasia Dream - What other sources say:

Can people with aphantasia dream? - Reddit?

Yes, many dream vividly. Can't 'picture it' on waking though... It took me a while to decide that I did see colours in dreams for just ...

Can people with aphantasia dream? - Quora?

Yes. People who have aphantasia can dream. However, it's very odd… From my experience, I can see outlines of people in dreams. Sometimes ...

Aphantasia: what it's like to live with no mind's eye?

Some individuals don't dream in images, like Zeman's first patient, but others can, even though they are unable to visualise while they're ...

Being 'mind-blind' may make remembering, dreaming and ...?

“Aphantasics reported dreaming less often, and the dreams they do report seem to be less vivid and lower in sensory detail,” says Prof Pearson.

Aphantasia, imagination and dreaming | SpringerLink?

by CMK Whiteley · 2021 · Cited by 14 — Aphantasia is a recently discovered disorder characterised by the total incapacity to generate visual forms of mental imagery.

Dreams And Aphantasia?

— This suggests that hypnagogic imagery and visualization close to the dreamstate draws on a different mechanism to daydreaming and visualizing ...

Do you dream visually? - Aphantasia Network?

People with aphantasia often get asked the question: Do you dream? According to new research, the majority of aphantasics dream visually but ...

What It's Like to Be 'Mind Blind' - TIME?

“Most people with aphantasia are pretty confident that they do dream visually. It's just that they're experiencing it in a brain state ...


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