Living with Aphantasia

Living with Aphantasia

When Kathryn Nicolai learned there was a name for her experience of not being able to visualize images in her mind, it answered questions she hadn't even known to ask.

In this feature, Kathryn discusses living with aphantasia, a neurological variation that affects mental imagery. She shares how she experiences memory, imagination, reading, and creativity, and why discovering the term for her experience helped her better understand herself.

Despite creating richly detailed stories for listeners around the world, Kathryn explains that her creative process relies less on visual imagery and more on sensory details, emotions, and lived experience. The article offers a fascinating glimpse into the many different ways people experience the world internally.

Topics covered:

• What aphantasia is

• Discovering the term later in life

• Creativity without mental imagery

• Storytelling and sensory experience

• Different ways people process memory and imagination