It was only in 2015 that Professor Adam Zeman first come up with a term to draw the peculiar circumstance of having no head ’s eye . He call in itaphantasia , and before it had a name many who vibrate with the description hadno ideaothers processed entropy otherwise . Now , almost 10 year on , Zeman has published a review article of everything we ’ve learned so far about this mysterious phenomenon .

Over 50 scientific studies are include , covering a wealth of finding about the1 - 5 percentof people who are think to be aphantasic .

“ Coining the term‘aphantasia ’ has unexpectedly opened a window on a neglected vista of human experience , ” Zeman aver in astatement . “ It is very gratifying that people who miss imagination have found the terminus helpful , while a substantial surge of enquiry is shedding sparkle on the implications of aphantasia . ”

For people who have a visual imagination , it ’s almost impossible to translate theexperiencesof someone with aphantasia , and vice versa . For 43 - class - honest-to-goodness Mary Wathen , the lightbulb mo came when she was speaking to other parents about playing role - playing games with their child , and it became ostensible that everyone else was able to see range in their minds .

“ This was totally judgment - blowing to me . I just can not understand what they really mean – where is this image and what does it look like ? To me , unless you could see something with your eyes , it ’s not there , ” she said .

But despite the wildlydifferent wayin which those with and without aphantasia may experience the globe , Zeman emphasize that the consensus among experts is that it is not a disorder and does not mean you have no imagination at all .

As the research has progress over this last decade , we ’ve learned that there are subtypes of aphantasia . Some the great unwashed may have difficultness recognizing faces , while others do n’t ; some have issue withautobiographical memory , the memory of your own personal story . In a small number of multitude with aphantasia , it appears to belinked with traitscommonly seen in autistic people .

An inability to visualize chilling images mean those with aphantasia may not oppose as strongly tospooky level . It may also be anadvantage in the scientific macrocosm , whereas hyperphantasia ( a super - bright visual imagination ) may predispose someone to succeed in the arts .

One late case report even describes a adult female who was on the face of it able-bodied to reverse her aphantasia by takingmagic mushrooms . But without resorting to mind - interpolate drugs , the globe of optical mental imagery is not a total no - go geographical zone for people with aphantasia – inquiry suggests the absolute majority of them still have visualdreams .

The idea that having aphantasia is not always a disadvantage is something that ’s become clear to Wathen . “ I ’m a really expert write and verbal communicator – I think that ’s because I ’m not caught up with any pictorial matter , so I just focus on the power of the word , ” she excuse . “ I ’m also a deeply emotional someone and perhaps that ’s my brain ’s way of over-correct . ”

But there are some undeniable downsides , and Wathen particularly wishes she were able to picture her children ’s faces when they ’re not in front of her .

Overall , and even beyond pure scientific interest , continuing this decade - long tradition of research is important because it highlight that not everyone ’s vision mold the same way .

Wathen articulate , “ I think it ’s really of import to raise awareness that some the great unwashed just do n’t have this ability – particularly as using ocular imagination is a primal elbow room that immature children are instruct to learn and engage . ”

“ We need to ensure we supply for everyone and encourage other ways of get wind and engaging . ”

The study is print in the journalTrends in Cognitive Sciences .