Aphantasia avant le nom: historical perspectives on the absence or loss of visual imagery

Background

Cases of acquired loss or diminution of visual mental imagery and congenital absence of the experience of visual imagery were described by Zeman and his colleagues in 2010 and 2015 respectively, the latter report inaugurating a new terminology for such symptoms or experiences: “aphantasia”.

Methods

Narrative review of individuals and patients with experiences suggestive of congenital absence or acquired loss of visual imagery reported in the scientific literature prior to the first use of “aphantasia”.

Results

Accepting the potential pitfalls of retrospective diagnosis or identification, examples deemed concordant with “aphantasia”, both acquired and congenital, may be found in the historical literature, dating back to the penultimate decade of the nineteenth century.

Conclusion

Although the word “aphantasia” was new as of 2015, the defining features have been described for more than 100 years. The data reviewed here provide an epistemic basis to support either retrospective diagnosis or identification of aphantasia.