Trauma Therapy Is Difficult for Individuals With Aphantasia

Key points

Aphantasia is characterized by the brain’s inability to visualize or imagine images.

People with aphantasia may relive traumatic events without the visual component, making it harder to address.

Many clinicians disregard those with aphantasia and do not acknowledge or understand the disorder.

This post was co-authored by Divya Bhupal and Robert T. Muller, Ph.D.

“Most places your mind saves JPEGs, mine has text files instead.” This is how Mike (name changed for anonymity) describes living with complete aphantasia . Coined in 2015, aphantasia affects approximately 4% of the population and is a condition characterized by the brain’s inability to visualize or imagine images. Though not classified as a disability or medical condition, it has a profound impact on Mike’s daily