Do we think in images, or don’t we?

If you’ve ever closed your eyes to evoke the memory of a beloved face, a landscape that moved you, or the face of someone who was part of your childhood, you’ve probably assumed that everyone can do the same. Even in everyday life, we use expressions like “I see it” when we imagine, “imagine the scene,” or “I have the image engraved in my mind” as if they described a universal experience. However, in recent years, science and personal testimonies have brought to light something that has always been there: not everyone thinks in images.

This statement, which may seem surprising, opens up a world of nuances about how we remember, project, and make sense of our existence. Today we know that there are people who never see images in their minds and others who experience them with a clarity that borders on voluntary hallucination. Between these two extremes unfolds a spectrum of ways of imagining that reminds us that human diversity is not only found in the body or in culture but also in the most intimate realms of consciousness.

Today I’d like us to explore aphantasia, hyperphantasia, individual differences, neuroscience, creativity, and the way photography—the visual tool par excellence—also becomes a bridge between those who think in images and those who do not.

We Think in Images

At ANDANA, where we use photography as a tool for personal development, we often use the expression “thinking in images.” This idea helps us put into words the evocative power of the visual: photographs awaken memories, connect us with emotions, and allow us to narrate our story. However, it’s essential to recognize that this is not an identical experience for everyone.

Today, a reader of the book Photography to Discover Yourself. Origin shared with me: I want to express my dismay that people keep writing that “we think in images.” Not everyone does. I don’t. I have no images in my mind.

When we say “We think in images,” we may actually be referring to different phenomena:

• To vividly recall a memory, as if a movie were being projected in the mind.
  
  For example, you remember a loved one’s birthday and can clearly see who was there, what color the tablecloth was, what the cake looked like, and even the balloons decorating the room.

• To have a vague sense of shape and color, without defined details.
  
  You remember that you were at a birthday party and have a vague impression of a cheerful atmosphere and soft colors, but you can’t make out faces or specific details.

• To know conceptually that something has a certain shape or color, but without “seeing” it internally.
  
  You know that you went to a birthday party, that there was a cake and people celebrating, but no image appears in your mind; you simply have the idea that it happened.

Therefore, even those of us who often use this expression may actually be talking about very different experiences. This nuance is important because, when we share creative or therapeutic tools based on the visual, it is essential that we make room for diversity, being inclusive of all forms of mental representation.

What Is Aphantasia

Aphantasia is a neurological condition characterized by the inability to voluntarily generate mental images. The term was popularized by British neurologist Adam Zeman in 2015, following the case of a patient who lost the ability to visualize mentally after a surgical procedure. However, many people have lived with aphantasia their entire lives without knowing it, until they discover that their experience is not the norm.

Someone with aphantasia can perfectly understand the concept of a “red apple” or “blue eyes,” but they will not see any mental image. Some people with aphantasia describe their memories as lists of facts, words, or emotional sensations.

Composition by Belbury, original image components by Mrr cartman, Caduser2003, Bernt Fransson, sourced from wikimedia.org

It is estimated that around 0.7% of the population has congenital aphantasia. Although in most cases it does not cause any disability or affect daily functioning, it can create discomfort when it is assumed that everyone shares the same mental experience.

What Is Hyperphantasia

At the opposite end of the spectrum is hyperphantasia: an extraordinarily vivid capacity to create internal images. People with hyperphantasia can mentally see, hear, and even feel with a level of realism that can sometimes be almost overwhelming. Their mental images can be so detailed that they seem to blend with actual perception.

It is estimated that hyperphantasia affects approximately 2.6% of the population. These individuals often recall dreams with an almost cinematic intensity and may find visualization to be a very powerful tool for creativity or learning.

What Is Imagining

For a long time, imagination was considered a diffuse phenomenon and difficult to study. However, in recent decades, neuroscience has made it possible to observe what happens in the brain when we imagine images.

Functional neuroimaging studies show that when we evoke visual images, regions of the occipital lobe are activated, especially the primary visual cortex (V1 area), as well as areas associated with spatial processing, memory, and attention. The activation of these areas does not mean that we “see” exactly the same way as when we perceive real stimuli, but it suggests there is a functional overlap between perception and imagination.

People with aphantasia, however, do not show this activation or display it to a much lesser degree. This finding confirms that the subjective experience of not visualizing has an objective correlation in brain activity.

And What Happens to Memory If You Don’t Think in Images

Surprisingly, aphantasia does not imply memory problems. People with aphantasia can recall facts, dates, and details accurately, even if they describe them verbally or conceptually rather than visually.

For example, if someone with aphantasia remembers their vacation, they can describe in detail where they were, what they did, and whom they spoke with, but they will not “see” the beach or the colors of the sea. This doesn’t mean their memory is worse—it simply relies on different pathways.

This fact is a powerful reminder that human memory does not depend exclusively on mental images. Remembering is a complex process that combines images but also words, emotions, bodily sensations, and symbolic knowledge.

And What Happens to Creativity

One of the most widespread prejudices about aphantasia is that it limits creativity. However, reality shows that many people with aphantasia are brilliant artists, writers, designers, and researchers.

For example, Ed Catmull, one of the founders of Pixar, has stated that he has a “blind mind.” Despite not visualizing mentally, he has been one of the most influential figures in the history of animation. His case illustrates that creativity does not depend on a single cognitive channel.

People with aphantasia often develop alternative strategies: logical, narrative, conceptual, or sensory thinking. They may plan visual projects by relying on external references, sketches, or detailed descriptions.

Research on aphantasia and hyperphantasia has grown in recent years, partly thanks to public awareness and forums where people share their experiences. Some testimonies highlight the surprise of discovering that other people “see” images with total clarity. Others describe the frustration that arises when this ability is assumed to be universal.

Girl Reading – Edmund C. Tarbell, 1909 – Photograph, sourced from mfa.org

These accounts share one thing in common: the experience of imagination is radically diverse. Two people can remember the same situation with the same emotional intensity, yet have completely different internal representations. One will see it like a movie; the other, as a sequence of ideas without any visual form.

A Message for Those Who Do Not Think in Images

At ANDANA and in many projects that use photography as a tool for self-knowledge, we start from the hypothesis that images can be a shared language. However, we also want to acknowledge the diversity of internal experiences.

For those who do not think in images, photography is not a mirror of the mind but an external anchor point that allows them to create associations, reflect, and narrate from other perspectives. The image becomes a symbolic resource that supports the creation of meaning, even if there is no internal visualization.

This idea reminds us that photography is not only visual: it is also a language that connects emotion, memory, and words. That is why in our training experiences we always invite participants to create images, but also to write them, to feel them, and to speak them, so that each person can discover how they prefer to work.

The language we use matters. Saying “we think in images” can help many people understand and share their experiences, but it can also exclude those who do not have them. Acknowledging that not everyone thinks in images is an act of respect and openness. It helps us better support others, create more inclusive learning and personal development environments, and celebrate the richness of our differences

Being aware of this diversity allows us to use more inclusive language:

“Photography evokes visual memories or ideas and emotions.”

“Each person perceives and imagines in their own way.”

Because, in the end, the way we evoke who we are does not depend on how vivid the image is but on how authentic the experience feels.

And perhaps, as in the message we received, it’s about reminding ourselves of something essential: that empathy begins when we stop taking our way of perceiving the world for granted. Thank you for reminding me.

Keep Exploring:

Article in The New York Times: Many People Have a Vivid ‘Mind’s Eye,’ While Others Have None at All.

Article on the BBC: Aphantasia: Aphantasia: Ex-Pixar chief Ed Catmull says ‘my mind’s eye is blind’.

This is the page where you will find much more information, including the VVIQ – Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire: Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire.

Book that inspired this article: Photography to Get to Know Yourself. Origin.