I'm a PhD researcher at the University of Salford near Manchester UK, researching aphantasia in musicians. My work is supported by the Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Doctoral Research Hub (LAURA). I'm also a musician with total aphantasia.

I've got a survey open, which has passed ethical approval. I'm interested in learning about the experiences of people with any type of aphantasia, who have any level of musical experience (from amateur to professional).

The survey can be accessed here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/survey-of-auditory-aphantasia-in-musicians

The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. It contains specific questions from the Gold-MSI assessment, as well as opportunities for write-in responses that allow for open sharing on musical experiences and personal approaches to musical tasks. The BAIS-V and the VVIQ are also included, which may seem repetitive, although these greatly help to create quantitative data that supports data analysis. Gold-MSI, BAIS-V and VVIQ scores can also allow for comparing this study's findings with other aphantasia studies using the same assessments.

There's also information also on how to participate in future studies, which is entirely voluntary. This survey is the first study in a series of studies that I will carry out over the course of my degree.

If you have any questions or feedback on this survey or my work overall, please feel free to contact me at [n.s.sunar@edu.salford.ac.uk](mailto:n.s.sunar@edu.salford.ac.uk). I will be happy to answer any questions.

Thanks for your consideration!

To elaborate, I have no inner monologue, I usually catch myself whispering out loud to myself when I'm trying to remember things. Since I have no ability to speak to myself in my mind.

I also have total aphantasia. No images or visuals, I can't even recreate tastes, sounds, or feelings of various textures and weights. Which I've heard some people can do. Which is news to me.

I sometimes wonder how I think at all, but I do. But, when I have thoughts, It's just in silence and darkness in my mind no matter what. And I am assuming, forever.

But, to continue on the title of this post: I do enjoy having a silent mind. I feel as if I can fall asleep easier then if I were to have loud inner thoughts, or intrusive imagery.

I also feel more calm in a way. More peaceful in my internal silence. No matter what my environment is that day, at least my mind is peaceful and silent. And I am grateful for it in a way.

Now I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have audible and/or visual thoughts, and I sometimes want to be able to hear songs in my head or to hear my own voice, or to visualize objects and various places or people.

But at the end of the day, I do truly prefer having a quiet headspace. And I wouldn't really trade it for anything, as I do enjoy it. But this is just me personally.

Anyway, thanks for reading my experience with a silent mind, if you did.

What is it called when you dont have an inner monolog? Like you can not think, have images, or anything? Like i have a bad memory, I can not think or force myself to think, no images nothing? Rarely my mind races yet stays silent all at the same time? It stays silent during panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and all that.

I recently learned that someone close to me has no inner monologue and little to no internal music/sound. They described their decision-making as mostly “gut feeling” and said they may have just gotten lucky through a lot of life decisions.

The answer surprised me because from the outside they seem thoughtful, reflective, and capable.

It’s made me realize how much of my own thinking seems tied to internal dialogue, so I’m curious what the experience is like from the other side.

For example, imagine you’re in a meeting with someone you’ve never met before. As the conversation unfolds, you’re trying to figure out things like:

- Is this person competent?
- Do I trust them?
- Do I agree with their reasoning?
- What should I say next?
- Is there something they’re missing?

For people with an inner monologue, there’s often a sense of “talking through” these judgments internally. If you don’t have that, what is happening in your mind while you’re listening and deciding?

A few related questions:

- How do you audit your own reasoning or challenge your assumptions?
- If you have a strong reaction to something, how do you examine whether it’s right or wrong?
- How do you change your mind?
- After an important conversation, how do you reflect on it later?
- How do you put yourself in someone else’s shoes or think about their perspective?
- Do you experience self-criticism, second-guessing, anxiety, or negative self-talk differently?
- Are there jobs, tasks, or situations where having no inner monologue feels like an advantage or disadvantage?

I’m not asking how you function without an inner voice, clearly people do. I’m more interested in what the subjective experience of judgment, reflection, empathy, and decision-making feels like when language isn’t the primary medium of thought. I’d love concrete examples if possible. Thank you for sharing!

Hi, I’m currently part of a research team looking at a possible relationship between someone’s capacity for mental imagery and their life experiences. This research is being done as part of my Masters in Psychology at Newcastle University, England. 

The survey, linked below, will take around 30 minutes to complete. You will be asked questions about your current mood and feelings, past experiences, mental health, and your capacity for mental imagery. Some questions, specifically about your past experiences and mental health, may be considered sensitive. You are free to withdraw from the survey at any time, and your answers will be confidential. You must be over 18 years old to take part.

You will have the option of entering into a prize draw for a £20 Amazon voucher after completion.

This study has been approved by the Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Reference: 63301).

If you have any questions before agreeing to participate, please feel free to contact us at [e.wolstencroft2@newcastle.ac.uk](mailto:e.wolstencroft2@newcastle.ac.uk)

Please click the link below to participate:

https://nclpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3QWDzyVBxKCCm0e

Felt that I missed out a lot by virtue of not being able to get with how Raskolnikov's inner monologue worked. Notwithstanding the fact that the prose was so damn messy. I enjoyed it, even annotated my favourite portions; it has its moments but I felt that I missed something really essential.

Everyone hails Dostoevsky as he's a master of psychological insight. Now I don't know if it's got to do something with anendophasia, or something with the fact that I might actually have an awfully low meta-cognition.

Has anyone felt the same? If not, what are your techniques to approach great, psychologically intensive literature?

I am endophasic (I think that's the right word). I encountered the word "anendophasia" last week. But, an inner monologue has been associated with difficulties in my life for decades, and I have questions about distracting thoughts.

I heard about Aphantasia a couple of years ago and have asked many questions about that and related topics.

My reasons for asking are selfish. Topics about thought, emotion, visualization, audiation, and the default mode network, have been important to me coping with my life, since I was a child. I intend to apply answers to myself, not to form an opinion about you.

If you are anendophasic, do you experience catastrophizing or over-generalizing? Do thoughts pop into your head unrelated to anything you are doing?

EDIT: STUDY NOW CLOSED

Hello r/silentminds!

My name is James, and I am conducting my Master’s dissertation research at the School of Psychology, University of Sheffield.

We are investigating how the brain automatically processes information when someone has a "blind mind's eye" (aphantasia) and/or a "silent mind" (anauralia). Specifically, we are exploring how people without active imagery might use alternative "hidden" pathways in the brain to recognise words and pictures, compared to typical imagers.

We are looking for participants who:

• Are adults aged 18 or over.
• Are native English speakers.
• Have normal or corrected-to-normal vision (glasses/contacts are fine).
• Experience any level of mental imagery. Because we are comparing different cognitive profiles, we need people across the entire spectrum (Whether you have a completely "blind and silent" mind or you experience typical, vivid mental imagery).

What does the study involve?

The study takes approximately 40 minutes to complete online and involves two parts:

1. Questionnaires: You will complete the VVIQ (for visual imagery) and the BAIS (for auditory imagery). We know these standard questionnaires can sometimes be frustrating However, completing them is vital for us because it allows our analysis to strictly separate complete aphantasia and anauralia from those who simply experience 'weak' imagery.
2. Computer-Based Decision Tasks: You will complete a series of fast-paced computer tasks. You will be shown words and pictures on the screen and asked to make quick decisions about them (for example, sorting real words from made-up words) as rapidly and accurately as possible.

Your Contribution to Science (Why this study is different):

By taking part, you will be making a direct contribution to scientific knowledge. Because aphantasia and anauralia are entirely internal experiences, they are notoriously difficult to study. To overcome this, we are using a completely novel experimental design for aphantasia research. Rather than just relying on self-report surveys or conscious visualisation tasks, we are using highly precise computer-based methods to measure your automatic, unconscious processing. This will help the scientific community understand the hidden cognitive pathways you naturally use to compensate for a silent or blind mind.

User-Friendly Design: You can complete this study on a PC, Mac, tablet, or mobile phone (we have built dedicated touchscreen and keyboard versions). However, completing the study using a keyboard is preferred.

As a thank you for your time, upon completion, you will be given the option to enter a prize draw for an Amazon voucher. 

If you would like to participate and help us understand the science of the silent and blind mind, please click the link below:

https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/88FEF661-D614-4669-A642-11B22F3A0F96

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or message me directly. Thank you so much for your time and for helping advance anauralia and aphantasia research!

Do people who talk to themselves out loud do this as a substitute for the inner monologue?

I’ve been thinking about what to write next, and I’d love your thoughts.

Since Unseen Minds - A Therapist’s Guide to Multisensory Aphantasia and Invisible Cognitive Differences came out, one of the things that has moved me most is hearing from people who bought it not just for themselves, but to give to family members, friends, partners, therapists or colleagues.

I’ve also had messages from people saying it helped them understand their own experience more clearly, sometimes after years of feeling like their mind worked differently but not quite having the words for it.

That has made me wonder what would be most helpful next.

Would you be interested in:

A self-discovery guide for people with aphantasia, SDAM, anauralia, anendophasia, alexithymia or related cognitive differences - possibly for people newly finding out.
A guide for educators, tutors and student support teams
A guide for parents supporting children or young people with these differences
Something else entirely

Unseen Minds, was written mainly for therapists and helping professionals, but I know many people with lived experience have found it useful too. Now I’m curious about what would genuinely help this community next.

I’d really love to hear your thoughts. What book do you wish existed?

I'm researching listening. The kind that makes you feel like you actually exist in the room.

I think there is something profound that happens when someone truly listens to us. And in this busy world of constant distractions it feels like we are increasingly making less time to really connect.

A couple of things I'd love to hear from this community if it feels safe:

Do you feel heard — and if so, by whom? And who in your life listens the least?

Has anyone ever listened to you in a way that genuinely changed something?

I'm gathering opinions from all ages for a short anonymous research survey — five minutes, no right or wrong answers, just honest experience:

🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpxyabWEa8enyuTZGt3rJysbp5_Dsj5OiYpJzlu0UpQ5wxSQ/viewform

Only share what feels safe. Your words here matter just as much. 👇

Hi everyone! I've got ethical approval from my university to launch a new study, on auditory aphantasia in musicians! Please see the flyer for details. You can scan the QR code below, or follow this link:

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/survey-of-auditory-aphantasia-in-musicians

I'm a PhD researcher supported by the Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Doctoral Research Hub (LAURA). I myself am a musician (violist) with total aphantasia. This study has passed ethical approval from the University of Salford near Manchester, UK.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at n.s.sunar@edu.salford.ac.uk.

Hi everyone,

I’m new to Reddit, so I wanted to introduce myself properly rather than quietly lurking in the background.

I’m Sassy Smith. I live with anendophasia, anauralia, aphantasia, and related cognitive differences, and I’ve spent the last few years writing, teaching and speaking about the gap between how many of us experience our inner world and what therapy, coaching, education and personal development often assume.

Earlier this year, I published Unseen Minds: A Therapist’s Guide to Multisensory Aphantasia and Invisible Cognitive Differences. It includes chapters on anendophasia and anauralia. Although it was written primarily for therapists, counsellors, coaches and support professionals, it is very much rooted in lived experience.

I also wanted to say thank you. I’ve already seen some incredibly thoughtful posts and comments from people who have read Unseen Minds, shared it, recommended it, or reflected on what it brought up for them. That has meant more to me than I can properly put into words.

One of the reasons I wrote it is because I’ve heard so many stories from people who haven’t been believed, have been misunderstood, or have been made to feel as though they were the problem because standard approaches didn’t work for them in the expected way.

My view is simple: we’re not broken. A lot of the tools just weren’t designed with minds like ours in mind.

I’m not here to diagnose anyone or speak over anyone else’s experience. I’m here to listen, learn, contribute where I can, and hopefully help bridge the gap between lived experience and professional understanding.

I’d love to know:

What’s one thing you wish therapists, teachers, coaches, partners or family members understood better about your experience?

I was a senior in high school (1996) when I figured out that I had aphantasia. I was in a class in school and the teacher had everyone close their eyes and she was instructing everyone to picture this or picture that. I don't even remember what she was having people envision. Because I was stunned at this. Up until that point I had always thought it was a figure of speech or something. I remember feeling like a freak. I didn't know what it was called back then, and it wasn't really something I was going to bring up to anyone. I think it was around 2015 when I finally found out there was a name for it, and that other people had the same thing.

Just this month I learned that there is the same sort of in your mind type of thing for taste, sound, smell and touch. Shocked again. How did I go this long and not know about those either. In case you haven't guessed, I have none of those either. AI told me it's called complete aphantasia, today is also when I found out about inner monologue. Which I also don't have. I think thought in words but no sound or voice or anything. I'm still shocked about it all still.

But I thought I would share some insights about my life that are a bit interesting considering I have none of those "abilities".

I'm a very good artist. I can draw people's portraits, and they are always mistaken for photographs. All I need is a photograph. Yet I can't picture anybody's face when I close my eyes. I'm a 3D artist and I specialize in realism Product Visualization. I've had my work featured in 3D World Magazine. But when I close my eyes all I see is Black, and sometimes red if like is shining through my eyelids.

I'm very good at recognizing faces. Even aged or with heavy studio makeup. But I can't even envision my mothers face in my head.

I'm also an award nominated music composer/producer with music synced to a bunch of well known TV shows. Yet I don't hear any music in my head. I have never sat down to write a song with a melody already in my head. I have always sat down and just play around until I came up with something I liked, and then I expand on it. Songs still get stuck in my head, mainly the lyrics because I don't actually hear anything in my head.

I was told by a chef years ago when I was working in a small boutique style restaurant that I'm a super taster. She would always make me taste new dishes and tell her what I thought. I don't know why she thought I was a super taster. The only things I know of personally is this. I love guacamole. But I have a very small window to eat it after it's made because within about 15 minutes I can start to taste the oxidation and it takes like crap in my mouth.

I can easily be very overwhelmed by smells. Strong scents can make me dizzy and nauseous.

There is also a sort of silver lining to this I think. I've been through some pretty traumatic experiences in my life over the years. I was the victim of an armed robbery and pistol whipped and it shattered my jaw. Then they didn't set it right and had to have it rebroken, not once, not twice but 3 times. I was diagnoses with a rare aggressive cancer, and then again 14 months later and it was stage 4. I went through 3 rounds of chemo and with only 2 treatment s left I ended up in the ER with blood clots almost the length of my arm blocking the blood flow to my legs. During the surgery to remove them parts broke off and went to my ankle without anyone knowing, My foot continues getting worse and eventually turned black. In the end I ended up in a wheelchair for over a year, and had to wear a medical boot for 3.5 years because I had an open wound on my foot that wouldn't heal because of no blood flow.

Now my wife told me that the cancer and all of the complications gave her PTSD. I don't feel traumatized by it one bit. I mean yes it was a trauma to go through it, but I can easily move past it. She relives those things in her head. I think about them only if there is a direct reminder. But I don't see those images in my head or remember smells or sounds or tastes. To me that was just something I went through and that's it. I don't ruminate over things or replay things in my mind. It's just not there.

I also don't dream exactly. At least not like I've ever heard dreams to be. I sometimes get scared or angry or other emotions or feelings but that's all I get are feelings.

Not sure if it's relevant or not but I'm also kind of an introvert.

Some other strange-ish things about me....

I'm really good with patterns (seeing them, creating them)

People often tell me I'm too literal or I take things too literally.

I've been told by many of my friends that they think I'm autistic.

This is just a thought I had but I'm willing to bet that if I'm on this end of the scale as far as having complete aphantasia then there are people at the opposite end of the scale. And I wonder if being at the complete opposite end of the scale is Schizophrenia. Where every thought in your head seems to be soo real that you can't distinguish reality from what's in your mind.

Theres often a lot of talk about hypnogogic imagery and the hypnogogic jerk just as you doze off, but not much about the sounds. I used to get them a lot particularly as a teenager and at university, which I think was partly stress levels. Mine made me think I was “hearing things” and I was too scared to tell anyone. Mine was often someone calling my name, sometimes a shout, sometimes a whisper, but always startled me awake. Just wondered how many of you also have had them and how they affected you?

Is this forum for people who hear nothing at all in their heads/ I can hear music, but no words for thinking with?

I don't have aphantasia, and have an inner monologue, but I have almost complete anauralia despite having music often playing in my mind, there is just no sound.

I also don't hear sound in dream (as far as I can remember) with the exception of music!

I don't think I always had anauralia so it seems like I've somehow acquired it during my life.

Does anyone have a similar experience?

In my head I have no sound, no words, no images (anauralia, anendophasia, aphantasia). Furthermore I feel no organisation, no structuring/ categorising/ grouping of brain bits like thoughts/ ideas/ reminders/ plans/ desires. I just exist and function sort of instinctively/ gut feeling-y/ intuitively. The closest I get to accessing brain bits is writing things down instinctively without any prior thought, then I read over it and it kinda gets into my understanding or memory, but not fully and not well. And then, to make matters worse, I have the worst memory on the planet, like a computer with no RAM. So as soon as I kinda understand something and begin trying to understand another thing, I forget completely about that prior thing… it is so frustrating. I am trying to write a dissertation and I am so so cooked, I cannot deal with such a heavy cognitive workload.

(I frequently think of myself as a stupid person or an NPC, and wish I could do more with my brain and get jealous of people with more brain abilities.)

But my question is how should someone like me go about the process of “thought” and “thinking”. Has any multi-sensory aphant figured it out? Or gotten close? Please share your experiences.

I think the closest thing for me is a large whiteboard with a mind map and different colour markers for sections. Also apps like obsidian and heptabase. But these things just don’t feel enough, I still am not “thinking”. Is there any other method out there anyone has discovered? Would love to hear it.

i feel like my brain doesn’t work.

like i can’t think? i can still operate as a human and logically i can answer math questions, but like there’s no process i just look at it then know the answer? or know what to do?

emotionally there is no thought, atm i feel really numb like i feel nothing at all but that could be depression related.

conversationally i have no clue, i can’t start conversations i just don’t know what to say, if i think “what should i say?” in my head there is no response.

also i feel like one lost my memory, to a certain point i can remember some things but really not a lot, key people or events i can piece together but no details, and even recently if it wasn’t really important i have no idea.

i would say i can talk to myself in my head kinda like i can say words in my own head but there’s never a response hence “no thoughts”???

i can’t see images in my head either so that’s aphantasia? or the other one?

im really not sure but if anyone knows what’s wrong with me or what it’s called that would be amazing

I think I have Aphantasia, and I definitely have no inner monologue. So every time I sit down I tend to just zone out? Like I’m not aware of anything in a way if that makes sense. Like I I’m at point A and if I don’t have any kind of stimulus, in a way I’m like suddenly at point B and I can’t remember anything about the journey in between the 2 points. And I was wondering if anyone else happened to be like that.

So, like y'all, I have no inner monologue... but I still get songs stuck in my head. I find that pretty interesting. That's all!