A Different Kind of Question

When someone discovers they have aphantasia, the first question is usually: “Can I learn to visualize?” But a deeper question follows, one that cuts to the heart of personal transformation: “Will I still benefit from therapeutic methods that use imagination?”

This is a question with real consequences. Imagery-based methods — IFS, Active Imagination, guided imagery, imaginal exposure, and manifestation practices — are central to many therapeutic and personal development approaches. If these methods rely on the ability to visualize, people with aphantasia might be excluded from effective treatments.

Research is beginning to provide answers. And the findings are surprisingly encouraging. The evidence suggests that people with aphantasia can benefit from these methods — but they may need to engage through different channels.

Key insight: Aphantasia is not a barrier to psychological change. It is a different way of processing experience — and it is as rich, creative, and transformative as any other.

The Neuroscience: Why Imagery Work Still Works

Before exploring how to adapt each method, it is helpful to understand why these methods work for people with aphantasia.

As explained in the first article in this series, people with aphantasia experience a functional disconnection between the brain’s visual processing regions (the occipital lobe) and its “thinking” and “control” centers (the frontoparietal regions) (Lieto et al., 2025). This means visual data is processed but cannot become consciously visible.

However, through neuroplasticity, the brain strengthens alternative pathways (Zeman et al., 2020). These pathways allow people with aphantasia to engage in imagery work through other channels:

• Conceptual processing — engaging the temporal lobes, which process meaning and semantics

• Somatic processing — engaging the insula, which processes bodily signals and interoception

• Spatial processing — engaging the parietal lobes, which process spatial relationships

• Emotional processing — engaging the amygdala, which processes emotional significance

• Narrative processing — engaging the language network, including Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas

These channels are not “second best.” They are powerful, sophisticated pathways that can carry the full weight of therapeutic and transformative work.

The Evidence: Imagery Work Without Images

Imaginal Exposure: Without Visual Imagery

Imaginal exposure is a standard procedure in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and panic disorders. The patient imagines a feared situation without actually facing it, allowing them to confront the fear in a controlled environment (Monzel et al., 2025).

Traditional theory held that visual imagery was essential because the brain responds to imagined fear as if it were real. But a 2025 study published in Psychophysiology tested this assumption directly.

Researchers compared three groups: people with aphantasia, a control group, and a group with “simulated aphantasia.” All groups went through a fear conditioning paradigm followed by imaginal exposure (Monzel et al., 2025).

The findings were striking: all groups showed successful extinction — including those with aphantasia. Visual imagery was not necessary for imaginal exposure to work (Monzel et al., 2025).

What this means: Propositional thought — thinking about the feared stimulus in words and concepts without seeing it — is sufficient for therapeutic change. People with aphantasia can benefit from imaginal exposure even if they cannot visualize the feared situation.

A potential advantage: The same study found that people with aphantasia showed less subjective fear during fear conditioning (Monzel et al., 2025). This lower distress during imaginal exposure may make the treatment more tolerable and reduce dropout rates.

Imagery Rescripting: Updating Meaning

Imagery rescripting is an experiential technique where the patient imagines changes to the sequence of events in a threat memory to update its meaning (Landkroon et al., 2022). Rather than simply recalling a distressing memory, the patient enters the “image” and intervenes — often as their adult self — to meet the needs of their past self.

The technique has been shown to reduce symptoms in a range of anxiety disorders and is used in treating PTSD related to childhood trauma (Kullberg et al., 2025). Research shows that 14 sessions of imagery rescripting can produce reliable reduction in PTSD symptoms, increased control over images, and decreased feelings of guilt (Kullberg et al., 2025).

For people with aphantasia: Since imagery rescripting works by updating meaning — not by creating visual images — there is no reason to believe it would not be effective for people with aphantasia.

Parts Work and IFS : Relationship, Not Images

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that works with “parts” — subpersonalities that carry different emotions, beliefs, and roles.

Many people assume that IFS requires visual imagery. It does not. Parts communicate through many channels, and visualization is only one of them. People with aphantasia can connect with parts through:

• Body sensations: Tightness, heaviness, warmth, numbness, or impulses in specific areas.

• Emotions: Noticing a specific emotional quality like irritation, fear, sadness, or urgency.

• Words, phrases, or meaning: Repeated thoughts, particular phrasings, or a sense of meaning.

• Spatial awareness: Sensing a part as being “behind you,” “close to your shoulders,” or “just outside your field of awareness.”

• A sense or knowing: Simply knowing that something is there, without clear sensory detail.

IFS practitioners emphasize that visual imagery is only one communication channel between you and your parts, and it is not essential.

Key insight: The core of IFS is relationship with parts — not imagery.

Active Imagination and Jungian Work: Dialogue Without Images

Active Imagination is a method developed by Carl Jung for dialoguing with unconscious images and figures. Traditionally, it involves allowing images to arise and then engaging with them.

But Jung himself described it more broadly. Active Imagination involves engaging with the inner world through any channel — images, words, sounds, bodily sensations, or felt experiences. The goal is not to create images but to establish contact with unconscious material.

For people with aphantasia, Active Imagination can work through:

• Journaling: Writing dialogues with parts, figures, or inner experiences.

• Somatic awareness: Noticing bodily sensations and allowing them to “speak.”

• Emotional tracking: Following emotional states and exploring their origins.

• Symbolic engagement: Working with symbols conceptually rather than visually.

Key insight: The essence of Active Imagination is dialogue with the unconscious — not visual imagery.

Manifestation and Imagination Without Images

Outside psychotherapy, many manifestation traditions — including the law of attraction, Neville Goddard’s teachings, and modern visualization practices — also emphasize visualization as a primary technique. The same question therefore arises: can these practices be adapted for people with aphantasia?

The answer is yes — but it requires understanding what these practices are actually doing.

Neville Goddard himself emphasized that visualization is simply a tool for generating the feeling of having already achieved the goal. He wrote: “The feeling is the secret.” The image is just a pathway to the feeling.

For people with aphantasia, manifestation can work through:

• Affirmations: Repeating statements to generate the feeling of having already achieved the goal.

• Self-talk: Convincing yourself logically or emotionally.

• Belief-building: Focusing on whatever helps you feel and believe.

• Somatic feeling: Tuning into the body’s felt sense of what it would feel like to have achieved the goal.

Key insight: Manifestation works through feeling and belief — not through images. People with aphantasia can manifest powerfully through other channels.

Practical Guides: Step-by-Step Adaptations

The following sections offer step-by-step adaptations for each method. These are not rigid instructions — they are starting points. Experiment and find what works for you.

Adapting Parts Work/IFS for Aphantasia

Traditional Approach: Visualizing the part’s appearance.

Aphantasia Adaptation:

• Connect Through Body Sensations: Notice where in your body you feel the part. Do you feel tightness in your chest? Heaviness in your shoulders? A flutter in your stomach? Focus your attention on that sensation. Body sensations are processed through the insula, a brain region that remains intact in aphantasia. This is why somatic tracking is a reliable entry point for parts work.

• Connect Through Emotions: Identify the emotional quality of the part. Does it feel like fear? Anger? Sadness? Excitement? Allow yourself to feel that emotion without needing to see anything.

• Connect Through Words: Notice if a particular phrase or word is associated with the part. Use that phrase as a doorway to dialogue. Write down the conversation.

• Connect Through Spatial Awareness: Sense where the part is in relation to you. Is it behind you? To your left? Just outside your field of awareness?

• Connect Through Knowing: Simply know that the part is there. You do not need to see it to know it is present. Trust that knowing.

Adapting Active Imagination for Aphantasia

Traditional Approach: Allowing an image to arise.

Aphantasia Adaptation:

• Journaling: Ask a question, and write down whatever answer comes, even if it comes as a word, a feeling, or a concept.

• Somatic Tracking: Notice bodily sensations and ask them, “What do you want to tell me?” Wait for an answer in the form of a feeling, a word, or a sense.

• Emotional Tracking: Follow the flow of emotions as a guide. Notice what you are feeling and allow that feeling to “speak.” Ask it questions.

• Symbolic Engagement: Work with symbols (like a tree, a river, or a house) by exploring their meaning and feeling rather than trying to see them.

Adapting Imaginal Exposure for Aphantasia

Traditional Approach: Visualizing the feared scenario in detail.

Aphantasia Adaptation:

• Focus on Propositional Thought: Write or narrate a detailed account of the feared situation in words. Describe it like a story or a news report.

• Engage with the Concept: Explore the concept of the fear. What is the worst that could happen? What is the logic of the fear? Why is it frightening?

• Identify the Emotions: Notice what emotions arise when you think about the fear. Allow yourself to feel them without trying to visualize.

• Identify the Sensations: Notice what bodily sensations arise. Does your heart rate increase? Do you feel tense? Acknowledge these sensations.

Adapting Imagery Rescripting for Aphantasia

Traditional Approach: Visualizing the distressing memory.

Aphantasia Adaptation:

• Write a Narrative: Write down the memory as a story, in as much detail as you can, without trying to picture it.

• Write a Rescript: Write a new version of the story. In the new story, you intervene. Describe what you do, what you say, and how the situation changes.

• Focus on the Emotional and Conceptual Shift: How does the meaning of the memory change? How does the emotional tone change? Focus on the feeling of relief, empowerment, or safety that the rescript brings.

Adapting Manifestation Practices for Aphantasia

Traditional Approach: Visualizing the desired outcome in detail.

Aphantasia Adaptation:

• Affirmations: Create and repeat statements of having already achieved the goal. Examples: “I am confident and calm.” “I am attracting opportunities.”

• Self-Talk: Convince yourself logically or emotionally. Talk yourself into believing it. Reason through it.

• Body Feeling: Tune into the body’s felt sense of what it would feel like to have achieved the goal. Imagine the feeling of relief, joy, or satisfaction. Let that feeling expand.

• Conceptual Knowing: Focus on the understanding that the goal is possible. Use logic to build your belief.

Summary: Imagery Methods and Aphantasia

• IFS and Parts Work — Works without imagery. Connect through body sensations, emotions, words, spatial awareness, and knowing.

• Active Imagination — Works without imagery. Engage through journaling, somatic awareness, emotional tracking, and symbolic engagement.

• Imaginal Exposure — Works without imagery. Use propositional thought — thinking about the stimulus in words and concepts.

• Imagery Rescripting — Works without imagery. Update meaning and emotional processing without visual images.

• Manifestation — Works without imagery. Use affirmations, self-talk, belief-building, and somatic feeling.

Conclusion

The evidence is clear: aphantasia is not a barrier to transformative imagery work. Whether through IFS, Active Imagination, imaginal exposure, imagery rescripting, or manifestation, people without a mind’s eye can benefit fully from these practices — just through different channels.

The methods described here are starting points. Experiment, adapt, and trust that your unique way of processing experience is not a limitation — it is simply how you work.

Key insight: Aphantasia is not a lack of imagination. It is a different way of imagining — and it is as rich, creative, and transformative as any other.

Key Takeaways

• Aphantasia is not a barrier to psychological change — it is a different way of processing experience.

• Imaginal exposure works without visual imagery — propositional thought is sufficient (Monzel et al., 2025).

• IFS, Active Imagination, and manifestation can be adapted to work through non-visual channels.

• Practical adaptations exist for each method — body sensations, emotions, words, spatial awareness, and knowing are all valid entry points.

• Manifestation works through feeling and belief — not through images.

• Imagery training is possible for some, but not guaranteed.

References

• Kullberg, M. L. J., Verkuil, B., Huntjens, R., & Schoorl, M. (2025). Imagery Rescripting Therapy for Mental Images About Ritual Abuse During Childhood – A Case Study. Clinical Case Studies, 24(5), 369–388.

• Landkroon, E., Salemink, E., Meyerbröker, K., Barzilay, S., Kalanthroff, E., Huppert, J. D., & Engelhard, I. M. (2022). The effect of imagery rescripting on prospective mental imagery of a feared social situation. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 77, 101764.

• Lieto, F., et al. (2025). Aphantasia as a functional disconnection. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

• Monzel, M., Agren, T., Tengler, M., Karneboge, J., & Reuter, M. (2025). Imaginal extinction without imagery: Dissociating the effects of visual imagery and propositional thought by contrasting participants with aphantasia, simulated aphantasia, and controls. Psychophysiology, 62(1), 1–14.

• Zeman, A., et al. (2020). Phantasia – The psychological significance of lifelong visual imagery vividness extremes. Cortex, 130, 426–440.