In his famous poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” the poet William Wordsworth talks about the pleasure he takes in a memory of a meadow of daffodils,
“They flash upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.”
We can envision ourselves back in a particular place or time, or recall an image of a person or object. When asked to picture a red, shiny apple, for example, most people can use their imaginations to mentally visualize it. There is a continuum - some can do this more vividly than others. Some people can picture whole orchards of apples, and the sunny day they spent with family there.
But there are those who have great difficulty when asked to picture something. Aphantasia is a condition in which people are unable to form mental images. Many times people who have aphantasia aren’t even aware that they understand the world differently. The condition has a genetic link – in our family, there is evidence of aphantasia in three generations.
The Bible often talks in vivid poetic language, using symbols and metaphors. Psalm 23, for example, is rich with green meadows, quiet waters, caring shepherd. For those who can picture that text, the scenes of the Bible come to life. It can be a great learning tool for a Sunday School class, to draw pictures as they listen to a story. Metaphor and symbols are a great literary devices for heaven and earth comparison, but it’s not as helpful to aphantasics. We need to consider many different ways of teaching and receiving the truths of God’s Word. People can also learn through the plot of story, or kinaesthetically by doing.
A person with aphantasia can still use conceptual sense to be creative and inventive, leading experts to believe that imagination is not restricted to visual apprehension, but involves more areas of the brain. Often they are logical or analytical thinkers, thinking of life in practical terms.
The great thing about a Christian community is that we are enriched by each individual’s unique perceptions and capabilities. People draw from their own abilities, histories and experiences to observe and understand, but we can worship an awesome God together from the heart.
And we have a God who is infinitely more than any of us can ask or imagine.