Meditation with Aphantasia

[Maverick]

I just recently got into tarot reading and heard a great method to fully understand what the cards mean to you is through meditation. One very popular form of meditation is essentially “entering” the card using your mind. It turns out I have [Aphantasia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia) and it makes me unable to do this with my eyes closed. I’ve heard some say you can “enter” cards using your brain without closing your eyes by simply concentrating and relaxing. Is this true and has anyone done it? Also, please leave other methods to understand your cards through meditation or anything else / tips for beginners.

Discussion

[Scabby_Oss]

I have Aphantasia too. Linked below are some exercises that might possible ‘cure’ the condition. I haven’t tried them myself as I sort of accepted the condition eventually. For a while after finding out, I did feel disadvantaged, almost disabled for a while.

If I need to visualise when doing meditations I simply replace visualisation with *intention.* For example if the visualisation is to see myself walking along a sandy beach at dawn, I simply say to myself in my mind, or aloud, “I am walking along a sandy beach at dawn” It works and is a perfectly valid thing to do.

I wish you all the best in your endeavours! ✨????????

[https://photographyinsider.info/image-streaming-for-photographers/](https://photographyinsider.info/image-streaming-for-photographers/)

[HappyJustToDance]

Unfortunately I don’t have any advice to offer, just wanted to commiserate with you in that I also have aphantasia and am at a loss for what to do with all of the information about visualization in both tarot and witchcraft texts. I hope someone has some good advice, because I would also be interested to hear it!

[TechIsDumb]

I think you have a blessing in terms of meditation if you have aphantasia. People with very visual minds might spend a lot of time visualizing the superficial features of the card. When you want to meditate on the card you have no choice other than to get to the essence of it. Cards are visual and physical but they represent very abstract and ineffable ideas. Meditating on the star you won’t be tempted to think of stars or buckets pouring or boobs or whatever. You will think of spirit, longing, navigation, the perfect ideal, balance, wonder, artistic and feminine beauty, the peace of the night sky. These aren’t even visualizable!

Edit: to other people commenting about aphantasia. You don’t have a disability. You can imagine just as much as other people, but your imagination is so much more direct, visceral, total, and intimate than a visual thinker. Other people have to visualize, you “just know”. How cool is that!

[HeronCroft]

I have aphantasia, as well. There are a few methods that work for me when it comes to meditation and visualization.

– I can’t “see” or “hear,” but I can visualize smells and some basic feelings — so if I’m doing a tree meditation, for example, I can imagine the odor of green leaves and rich soil, or imagine the feel of sun on my arms.

– I will narrate in my head instead of visualize. Silly example: If I’m meditating on kittens and rainbows, I will be narrating the scene “soft black and gray fur, bright, curious green eyes looking back at me, as the golden glow of the rainbow washes over us all.”

– Skip the closed eyes. I have a background in Zen meditation, where the eyes are never completely closed. Closing eyes is typically recommended because it helps the meditator avoid external distraction when they are supposed to be focusing on their internal visualization — if you can’t visualize then closing the eyes serves little purpose! When I’m meditating on a specific thing, I use a visual, placed at eye level. For example, attach the card you are meditating on to the wall and lower the lights/light some candles, and gaze upon the card with half closed eyes as you meditate. Harsh lights pull me out of meditation. Work through the card, narrate yourself into the scene on the card, whatever helps you connect.

Don’t think of using a visual as cheating. It is an accommodation. We wouldn’t call wearing glasses if one is nearsighted cheating, so why would using a visual be cheating for someone that is imagination blind?

[thrownaway1974]

Another person with aphantasia checking in. I don’t have complete aphantasia, but it’s very difficult for me to visualise anything. Makes a lot of things difficult.

[altheawild]

I also can’t visualize at all. I like meditating while gazing at a card, and noticing what thoughts or feelings come up. It’s also useful to notice what parts of the card are drawing my eye – maybe it’s a tiny detail I haven’t noticed before, or a color, or something about the overall feel of the card. (As a side note, this is a valid meditation technique in general. Candle gazing is the most common example in witchy circles, but you can use any image as a focus point in meditation in the same way that you would use the breath. Every time your thoughts start to wander, just bring your attention back to the image.)

Even though I can’t visualize, I can sort of imagine myself in space (as if I’m moving or standing differently). If there’s a figure in a card, I often imagine myself standing or sitting in that person’s physical posture. That’s often a way to get inside the card and feel the emotions of the figure.