From Andrew Dennant, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
As an aphantasic, I was fascinated by Shayla Love’s article, “Think of an apple”. One question that it didn’t address is how people with aphantasia dream. My conscious mind’s eye is completely blind – I cannot conjure up any images at all, but I am certain that I dream in pictures. One reason why is that I am occasionally jolted awake at the moment of falling asleep, as I start to dream and see things in my head (11 April, p 36). As this never happens when I am fully awake, it is a bit of a shock!
The other reason is that, although I don’t remember my dreams very clearly, I am pretty sure that I see myself in situations – these aren’t experiences described by words. I have the feeling that the colour palette is usually fairly dull, almost a sepia tint. I would be fascinated to hear whether this is typical for people with aphantasia and what others’ experiences are.
