People think if you can’t visualize, your memory’s shot. They’re wrong. Sure, most people rely on mental pictures to remember things, but just because someone with aphantasia can’t whip up images in their mind doesn’t mean they’re doomed to forget everything. Instead, they adapt, and in a way that may surprise you—they lean into other senses and even use cognitive simulations to form memories. It’s not some backup plan, either. It works. And in some cases, it might even be an advantage.
When you strip away mental imagery, you’re left with a brain that’s hungry to make up the difference. Here’s where the magic happens—people with aphantasia start using other senses to lock in memories. Think about it like this: you can’t picture a beach, but you can damn well remember the sound of the waves, the smell of salt in the air, or even how the sand felt under your feet. That’s sensory substitution, and it’s no joke.
Take auditory memory, for instance. Some people with aphantasia rely on sound like it’s their sixth sense. They might remember the exact tone of someone’s voice or the rhythm of music way better than someone who relies on mental pictures. Then there’s touch—ever notice how some memories are wrapped up in what things felt like? People with aphantasia tap into that too. They’re not just stuck with a void where visualization should be; they’re filling it with other stuff.
And it’s not just the senses, either. People with aphantasia can hack their brains using cognitive simulations. Instead of picturing a scene, they remember it conceptually. Like, you don’t need to see a picture of a beach in your head to know what a beach is, right? You’ve got the facts down—the sand, the ocean, the waves—it’s all there without needing a mental slideshow.
But here’s where it gets wild: some people with aphantasia actually get better at remembering sequences, patterns, and logical steps. Without the distraction of visuals, they can zero in on the details, the structure of how things happened, or even verbal cues. It’s like their memory becomes sharper in areas where most people aren’t even paying attention.
And let’s not forget spatial memory. You don’t need to visualize to know where things are. People with aphantasia can navigate a room or a city based on spatial awareness alone, recalling exactly how to get from point A to point B, even if they can’t see it in their mind’s eye.
So, what’s the takeaway? The idea that aphantasia equals bad memory is missing the point. People adapt. They find other ways to hold on to what matters, and sometimes those methods are even more effective than visualization. Sensory substitution, cognitive simulation, and enhanced attention to detail all come together to form a memory system that’s different, sure—but not worse.
If anything, it’s proof that the human brain is a beast when it comes to adaptability. Aphantasia doesn’t have to be a memory problem; it’s just a different route to the same destination.