At the moment, the work of the human brain is still poorly understood, so there are many processes that we are discovering for ourselves only now. The Aphantasia test will ensure that you do not have such a phenomenon and have nothing to worry about.
What Is Aphantasia?
Aphantasia definition can be easily read in the name of the phenomenon: the prefix “A” in translation from the Latin language is translated as “Without,” and “Phantasia” – “imagination.” Thus, aphantasia means an almost complete or partial absence of fantasy.
When ordinary people close their eyes, for some time, they can mentally reproduce the objects that they just saw. The length of the playback depends on various factors. Some people are ready to hold an image for 10 – 15 seconds, others – only 2 – 3 seconds, and someone cannot render the image at all.
For the first time, Francis Galton spoke about such a phenomenon in 1880. He interviewed 100 people, and it turned out that not all of them could visualize in their minds the food they ate for breakfast. At that time, his research did not interest the world community, and he quickly ended the experiment.
Scientists returned to this question only in 2015. Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter began studying this phenomenon. He introduced the aphantasia definition and began a fundamental study of this process.
Why Is It Developing?
It is still not known why this phenomenon develops. The Aphantasia test quiz shows that most cases of the manifestation of this phenomenon are congenital, and the person does not even know what is different.
However, there are cases when aphantasia begins to develop as a result of certain stress or contusion. Spectrum brain dysfunctions are different for everyone, so many people do not notice the loss of image playback capability due to more complex problems. However, the exact causes of aphantasia are still not known.
There is a theory that the human brain is gradually trying to get rid of this ability for two reasons:
- Because of its uselessness – previously, a person needed the ability to reproduce information, for example, maps, to conduct everyday life activities. Today, all data can be obtained from the Internet and we no longer need to store so much data.
- Provides immunity to scary stories. If in the past people have experienced severe sudden stress and cannot return to their everyday life due to constant conduct, then aphantasia makes it easier to sleep before bedtime.
The Aphantasia test quiz will help you check whether you have such a diagnosis, whether it is worth undergoing a complex treatment.
Aphantasia Treatment
At the moment, there is no developed scheme for aphantasia cure. In addition, the researchers do not consider this phenomenon to be a disease but instead simply a unique feature of the person.
If the aphantasia test showed you a positive result, then it is worth trying several exercises to improve short-term memory or use dedicated mobile phone apps like memoryOS.
Aphantasia cure does not require the use of medication or a complex examination. It is enough just to practice at least half an hour a day. How long the therapy will last depends on the state of your memory. It is still not clear if it is possible to get rid of aphantasia completely, but research shows that it is possible to improve the state of short memory slightly.
Conclusion
Although a full-fledged study has not been carried out, there is an opinion that 2% of the world’s population has this feature. The Aphantasia test will allow you to understand whether you are one of such unique people, as well as whether it is worth improving your memory state.
Even if it tests positive, this is not a reason to worry because it is not a disease.
Featured image: Unsplash (Mark Thompson).
