New Test Reveals Hidden 'Mind Blindness' Condition

A revolutionary biological test developed by Australian scientists at the University of New South Wales can now identify aphantasia, a condition characterized by the inability to form mental images. This invisible condition, affecting an estimated two to five percent of the global population, often remains undiagnosed throughout individuals' lives.

The groundbreaking research, published in 2022, focuses on monitoring pupillary responses. While individuals with and without aphantasia show normal pupil reactions to actual light stimuli, a key difference emerges when asked to visualize images. Those with aphantasia exhibit no pupillary change when imagining light or dark shapes, confirming a unique physiological marker for the condition.

This new objective test debunks the notion that individuals with aphantasia are not attempting mental imagery. Researchers observed pupil dilation in aphantasia sufferers when imagining multiple objects, indicating mental effort. This discovery provides the first physiological evidence and a reliable method to detect aphantasia, offering hope for diagnosis and understanding.