Thanks. I have spent some time looking into this interesting phenomenon. The following are my thoughts.
1. While “aphantasia” is interesting, it does not seem to be a drawback. As I will explain below, it may be beneficial to have “Aphantasia”.
2. While some people have it from birth, others have lost their ability to visualize in the mind’s eye after heart operations. Therefore, it may not have anything to do with the brain.
3. This phenomenon was discovered only in 2010. We may learn more about it in the coming years.
Here is a video with more information:
4. Having Aphantasia could be a good thing in the following sense. This is what is keep coming to my mind, and I hope someone without Aphantasia will comment on this.
– When all those vivid pictures in color coming to the mind, would not that be a distraction while meditating?
– Some people have the ability to recall memories in great detail. The person in the following video says it is a “big burden.”
The reason that it is a “big burden” could be what I mentioned above. Imagine a “virtual TV” that constantly “ON”!
– That video and that particular phenomenon (HSAM) is discussed in the post:
“Recent Evidence for Unbroken Memory Records (HSAM)“