Today's episode is all about Aphantasia, also known as mind's eye blindness. Those with Aphantasia can't visualize scenes, people, experiences, objects, and memories, and it can impact other senses as well. This lack of mental imagery was described as early as the late 1800s, yet it has remained a relatively unstudied phenomenon until 2015, when a study first introduced the term, Aphantasia. Since then, the amount of research about Aphantasia has continued to grow.
Our two guests today, who both experience Aphantasia, include Tom Ebeyer who is the founder of the Aphantasia Network, and Jana O'Connor, writer of the upcoming feature film, PICTURE IT, probably the first long-form film highlighting the experience of having Aphantasia!
The key moments in this episode are:
- 00:00:34 - Understanding Aphantasia
- 00:01:04 - Interview with Tommy Ebeyer
- 00:01:44 - Aphantasia Network and Community
- 00:04:55 - Impact of Aphantasia on Daily Life
- 00:13:51 - The Relationship between Imagination and Body Response
- 00:14:22 - Research on Aphantasia
- 00:16:37 - Personal Experiences and Unique Imagery Profile
- 00:21:00 - Resources for Aphantasia from Tom
- 00:24:42 - Jana discovering Aphantasia and Writing "Picture It"
- 00:28:27 - Impact on Daily Life
- 00:32:04 - Grief and Aphantasia
- 00:36:24 - Creative Professions and Aphantasia
- 00:39:11 - Aversion to Descriptive Passages
- 00:40:10 - Childhood Horror Experience
- 00:41:25 - Approach to Writing and Performing
- 00:43:21 - Visualization and Learning
- 00:45:14 - Challenges of Standardized Testing
- 00:49:44 - Representation of Aphantasia in Film and Writing
- 00:53:01 - Writing and Visual Imagination
- 00:53:40 - Evolution of Television and Writing
- 00:54:35 - Aphantasia Resources from Jana
DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://braaainspodcast.com/s/Braaains-Podcast-Episode-011-Aphantasia-Transcript.pdf
Contact us: BraaainsPodcast.com
Follow: @BraaainsPodcast
Music: @_Deppisch_
Design: Perpetualnotion.ca
Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao
Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.