1. the inability to voluntarily create, generate, or visualize mental images in the mind's eye
Usage: medical/psychological term; from Greek a- (without) + phantasia (imagination)

Examples

• People with aphantasia cannot picture objects or scenes in their minds, even when asked to imagine a familiar place.
• She discovered she had aphantasia when she realized she couldn't visualize her childhood home like others described doing.
• Aphantasia affects a small percentage of the population and is not considered a disorder or disability.
• Researchers have found that aphantasia exists on a spectrum, with some people having complete inability to visualize and others having partial visualization.
• Many individuals with aphantasia develop alternative cognitive strategies to compensate for their lack of visual imagery.
• The term aphantasia was formally coined in 2015 to describe this neurological condition.