Adam Zeman
Definition
Adam Zeman is a British neurologist and professor at the University of Exeter who coined the term "aphantasia" in 2015 and significantly advances scientific research on this phenomenon.
Detailed Explanation
Professor Adam Zeman is the leading researcher in the field of aphantasia and has shaped the field through his work at the University of Exeter. In 2010, he published a case report of a patient who lost his visualization ability after heart surgery. When many people with similar experiences came forward, he coined the term 'aphantasia' in 2015. Zeman leads the Eye's Mind Project, which researches the prevalence, effects, and neurological foundations of aphantasia and hyperphantasia. His work showed that aphantasia occurs in about 3-5% of the population and involves cognitive differences but not deficits. Zeman emphasizes that aphantasia is a variation, not a disorder, and has helped destigmatize the phenomenon.
Keywords
External Resources
Related Terms
Aphantasia is the inability to voluntarily create mental images. People with aphantasia cannot visualize faces, places, or objects in their mind's eye, although they can recognize and describe them. The term was coined by neurologist Adam Zeman in 2015.
Learn moreHyperphantasia refers to the ability to form extremely vivid, photorealistic mental images. People with hyperphantasia can imagine scenes so detailed that their inner images can almost be confused with real perception.
Learn moreThe VVIQ is a standardized questionnaire for measuring the vividness of visual imagery. It consists of 16 items where participants rate their ability to visualize on a 5-point scale.
Learn moreDo you have Aphantasia?
Take our VST-16 test and find out where you fall on the visualization spectrum.
To the VST-16 Test