Do I Have Aphantasia?

Take this quiz to find out!

How strong is your mind’s eye? Some people see crystal-clear images in their heads, while others can’t produce any internal visual imagery at all. When someone can’t produce images, it’s called Aphantasia.

Curious to find out if you’ve got Aphantasia? Take our quiz, which is based on David Mark's official Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, to find out.

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Questions Overview

1. Questions 1-4: Try to imagine a close friend who you see regularly. Can you see their face, hair, and body?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
2. Try to imagine their facial expressions. Can you imagine their face moving in ways it normally would?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
3. Now, try to imagine them walking and moving their body. Can you picture their normal body language and gait?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
4. Finally, what are they wearing? Are they in clothes they’ve worn before?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
5. Questions 5-8: Picture a sky. Try to imagine the sun rising over the horizon into the clouds. How’d you do?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
6. Now, picture the clouds floating away, so that the sky is totally clear and blue. Can you do that?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
7. Okay, now a big thunderstorm is rolling in and lightning strikes. Can you see this in your mind?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
8. The storm is moving out of the sky, and now a rainbow spreads over the horizon. Can you see it?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
9. Questions 9-12: Picture a store that you regularly visit. Can you see its front as if you’re standing across the road?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
10. Can you see the windows? Are there clothes, food, or window signs?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
11. Now, imagine you’re standing in front of the door. Can you see its color, doorknob, and any other details?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
12. Picture the counter. Imagine that you’re paying for an item. Can you see the teller take your money?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
13. Questions 13-16: Picture a nature scene. Can you see the land on the horizon, including hills, dips, etc.?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
14. Now picture a lake. Can you see its hue and shape clearly?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
15. Imagine trees surrounding the lake. Can you see what kind they are?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.
16. Can you see the tree’s reflection in the lake’s water?
  1. I see it perfectly and vividly—just like real-world visuals.
  2. I see it pretty well, but not perfectly.
  3. I see an image, but it’s unclear, blurry, or dim.
  4. I don’t see a visual, but I “know” I’m thinking of it.

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Aphantasia FQA: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

What is Aphantasia? Aphantasia is a mental phenomenon in which a person can’t conjure mental images at all. Some people have extremely strong mind’s eyes, meaning that they can produce clear, lively mental images with tons of detail. For some people, their mental images look no less clear than the real images they see in front of them. But for some people, the images are hazier and less clear—and in these cases, a person might not be able to visualize specific, familiar details. This indicates a weaker mind’s eye. But Aphantasia is different. These people can’t produce mental images at all; they describe “knowing” that they’re thinking of the image, but they don’t see the visual picture itself.

  • The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire was created in 1977 by David Marks to test a person’s mind eye. The quiz you took above is closely based off of this original test.

Can people with Aphantasia dream? Some studies suggest that they do. Of course, our experiences dreaming are closely tied to visual images, so if a person is unable to conjure them when awake, it’s understandable that you’d expect them to struggle with this when asleep, too. Though there’s no clear answer to this yet, some studies do suggest that while asleep, people with Aphantasia can produce images and dream fully.

Does Aphantasia have a cure? No, but it doesn’t really need one. Aphantasia isn’t a disorder that disrupts a person’s life and needs to be treated with medicine. Rather, it’s just a variation in the human experience.

Is Aphantasia genetic? Potentially, yes. This question hasn’t been answered definitively by scientists, but because people are born with Aphantasia and more likely to have it if a family member does, it likely does have some genetic foundation. So if you think you and your family might be prone to Aphantasia, have them try out this quiz, too!

How are ADHD and Aphantasia linked? There might be some connection between ADHD and Aphantasia due to our brain’s dopamine systems. Dopamine affects a person’s desire to seek rewards and to have internal motivation—people with ADHD tend to have less natural dopamine available in their brains. It’s theorized that dopamine could also be linked to a person’s ability to conjure mental images, which could make a person with ADHD more likely to experience Aphantasia as well. -It’s worth noting that currently, it’s also theorized that certain types of Autism may also be associated with Aphantasia.


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