The Relationship Between Aphantasia, Daydreaming, and Rumination

Abstract

The ability to see with one's mind's eye is a cognitive ability that many people possess. The vividness of this visual mental imagery varies from person to person. Visual imagery plays a role in multiple different cognitive domains such as spatial navigation, memory, language, daydreaming, rumination, and others. Some people do not have the ability to use visual imagery at all; this condition is known as congenital aphantasia. This condition is relatively new in the field of psychology and not much is known about why it occurs. There are some differences in cognition in individuals with aphantasia but the extent of these differences is not known. This paper reviews the existing literature on aphantasia and explores ideas for future research. Specifically, research to address gaps in the literature. Prior research has compared the extent of PTSD symptoms in individuals with and without aphantasia; future research would examine multiple different mental illnesses characterized by visual imagery. Prior research has also compared the frequency of daydreaming in individuals with and without aphantasia; future research would address the frequency and extent of different types of daydreams in these individuals.

Keywords: Aphantasia, visual imagery, rumination, daydreaming, creativity