Living with hyperphantasia: I remember the clothes people wore the day we met, the things they said word-for-word'

"Hyperphantasia is a cognitive trait characterised by an abundance of vivid mental imagery. In an area of developing science (the term was only coined a decade ago), those who identify with this experience have an imagination of lifelike quality and can create detailed images and scenarios in their minds. It can also extend to multiple senses."

"The most common measure of how visual you are is the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, which uses a series of questions on the clarity of images when visualising people, settings and objects. But while the test is a generally well regarded measure and leads many people to a self diagnosis, researchers are also beginning to look for more objective ways to study the brain's attempt to generate imagery."

Hyperphantasia is a cognitive characteristic defined by the ability to generate exceptionally vivid and detailed mental imagery. Individuals with this trait can recreate scenes, visualize objects, and imagine scenarios with lifelike quality, often engaging multiple senses simultaneously. The term was coined approximately a decade ago within developing neuroscience research. The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire serves as the primary measurement tool, assessing clarity through questions about visualizing people, settings, and objects. While this questionnaire facilitates self-diagnosis, researchers are increasingly pursuing more objective neurological methods to study how the brain generates and processes imagery. The experience varies significantly among individuals, making it challenging to objectively describe one's unique thinking patterns.

Read at www.theguardian.com