Not being able to see
QUESTION: Masters, I am unable to generate clear mental images. I suppose I have a condition called aphantasia. Is there a spiritual or past life related reason for this? Or is it of physical origin and does it have to do with the pineal gland? Is there anything I can do to overcome this condition and be able to see with my mind’s eye like most of the people do? ~Hanna, Finland
ANSWER: Your first assumption, that “most” people can visualize clear mental images, is incorrect. The term “aphantasia” is a newly recognized word to describe people who are unable to conjure images with their minds. It is much more common than you believe. It can be naturally occurring or the result of a traumatic injury or neurological malfunction.
Many persons who have this condition are unaware of it unless they are on a spiritual path where they meditate and become a part of a group that uses visualization as a teaching aid. This is a naturally occurring condition for you this lifetime. You wanted to be really involved in your spiritual practices and decided to create a handicap that would make you dig deep and work hard to “feel” rather than “see” your connections to spirits and other people.
Energy sensations are important to you, and you can sense the “signature” of various souls by how they feel. Once you give up trying to “see” everything and imagine them according to how you feel in their presence, you will not miss the “pictures.” Instead of a seeing, things will be represented as a “knowing.”
If you work on seeing a mental image of a dear friend, you will only see a haze or darkness. If you concentrate on how that person feels and makes you feel when you are near, you will know the signature of that person and will be able to recall that sensation at will.
Missing pictures to a visualizer is like an inability to see to a blind person or not hearing sounds to someone who is deaf. Just as these souls can lead a “normal” existence without one of their five senses, you can find ways to survive without your mental images.