We assume students see pictures in their minds as they learn. But not everyone can

In classrooms worldwide, teachers routinely ask students to visualize concepts—imagine a historical scene, picture a scientific process, see the problem in your mind's eye. But according to educational neuroscientist Roger Kennett at the University of New South Wales, writing in The Conversation, this teaching assumption overlooks a significant reality: some students cannot create mental images at all. A condition known as aphantasia means these students lack the ability to voluntarily generate visual imagery in their minds. For these learners, common visualization exercises aren't just unhelpful—they can be baffling or even distressing. Kennett's work highlights why educators need to recognize and accommodate this neurological difference, offering alternative pathways for students who don't think in pictures.

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