If you ask someone with aphantasia to visualize an apple, a tree, or the house they grew up in, their mind draws a blank. Literally. The inability to conjure up mental images was discovered in the 1880s but only recently has been given a name and become the subject of more serious study. Aphantasia is found in approximately one percent of the population and can also affect the ability to recall sounds, touch and the sensation of movement. Some aphantasics experience their condition as a loss, while others say the freedom from being bound by visual memory allows them to live fully in the present. We talk about aphantasia and what it tells us about how our brains perceive and remember.

Guests:

Larissa MacFarquhar, staff writer for The New Yorker, her most recent article is titled "Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound"

Tom Ebeyer, founder, Aphantasia Network

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices