Gustatory Aphantasia
Gustatory aphantasia is the inability to voluntarily create mental taste experiences, sometimes referred to as a 'taste-free imagination'. This can occur in isolation or as part of multisensory aphantasia where multiple forms of mental imagery (visual, auditory, etc.) are affected. Like other forms of aphantasia, gustatory aphantasia can be present from birth (congenital) or develop later in life (acquired). This variation provides researchers valuable insights into how the brain processes and remembers taste experiences without mental simulation. On this page, you'll find research, personal stories, and community discussions about gustatory aphantasia.
Expanding Aphantasia Definition: Researchers Propose New Boundaries
Researchers expand aphantasia definition beyond "inability to visualize." This broader framework impacts how we understand and identify with the condition.
Definition: Aphantasia
This research defines aphantasia—the inability to form mental images in one's mind—and establishes clear terminology for this cognitive variation. The international team of authors provides foundational definitions distinguishing between visual, auditory, and multisensory forms of aphantasia, while also addressing its congenital and acquired origins. Their work is essential for understanding individual differences in mental imagery and advancing scientific study of the diverse ways people experience imagination.
Zeman, A., Monzel, M., Pearson, J., Scholz, C. O., & Simner, J. (2025). Definition: aphantasia. Cortex, 182, 212–213. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.019
Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: A response to Lambert and Sibley (2022) and Simner and Dance (2022)
This research proposes consistent definitions for aphantasia and hyperphantasia in response to debates about terminology in the field of mental imagery research. The authors advocate for simple, unified terms that can be modified by sensory modality (e.g., "visual aphantasia" or "auditory aphantasia") rather than creating multiple novel terms for each type of imagery absence. Their work aims to establish clear, practical definitions that serve the scientific and clinical communities while acknowledging the diverse ways people experience—or do not experience—mental imagery across different senses.
Monzel, M., Mitchell, D., Macpherson, F., Pearson, J., & Zeman, A. (2022). Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: a response to lambert and sibley (2022) and simner and dance (2022). Cortex, 152, 74–76. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.04.003
3 Things I Learned From Having Multisensory Aphantasia That Changed My Understanding Of The World
My journey understanding the cognitive profiles of aphantasia and hyperphantasia started when I learned at age 30 that most of you have a superpower I don’t.
Switching The Focus From Visual Imagery
A case for studying mental imagery as a whole
Think of a Horse: Describing Aphantasia
How do you describe aphantasia? Founder of Aphantasia Network often gets asked this question. His answer? Think of a horse.
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